Recommendation for a Fax Server

June 30, 2005 9:07 AM

FaxServer Filter: Need a recommendation for a Fax Server device that can handle 16 incoming POTS lines simultaneously, plays nicely with windows networks and isn't made/supported by Castelle.

We have a Castelle Fax Server and their support has been less than stellar, to the point of leaving us for a prolonged period with a crippled fax server.

We don't currently need all kinds of bells/whistles like advanced routing/email interfaces. We receive about 1000 times more faxes than we send, so sending features aren't critical either.

We're more interested in a device that will reliably sit there and process a high volume of faxes (those 16 lines will be receiving simultaneously at times) and has a quick and reliable interface for viewing and/or printing the faxes to network printers. It would be nice if the fax server actually stored the faxes on a network server (instead of on the fax server itself) to simplify backup.

posted by de void to computers & internet (3 comments total)

Unhelpful but curious: we just bought Castelle. I'd be very interested in knowing more about your experience. Email is in my profile.
posted by frykitty at 10:08 AM on June 30, 2005

Hylafax.

Doesn't run on windows (It's for Unix and Unix-alikes) but there is windows software available for it. I know of medium sized businesses that use this software without trouble. I myself, a small business, have used it for a year satisfactorialy.

This is all assuming that a company large enough to need 16 fax lines has a dedicated Tech Guy that can set this software up. If not there are companies that will do it for you, for a price.

Backup is as simple as copying files from an SMB share. Also, there are interfaces such as WHFC available if you don't like the email option (WHFC runs best with windows XP if you ask me).

Outgoing faxes can be sent as a print job. Incoming faxes wait for you as .tif files.
posted by shepd at 1:44 PM on June 30, 2005

My company, LANE Telecommunications, provides fax servers and has for decades. Obviously my opinion is biased.

A LANE Passport.

It can be configured to your site requirements (which aren't unusual), and we customize for specific needs. We can provide references for support quality as well as operations reliability.

Most people haven't heard of us because, frankly, we don't do a lot of advertising. We're a small, yet international, company and get a lot of our biz through word of mouth.

Rather than turn this into a commercial (more than I have already): akienlen (at) lanetelecom (dot) com and we can put together a demo for you, as well as answer any specific questions.

(Note that, whatever my flaws, I've been a Metafilter member for some time now, certainly not for the purpose of fronting for my company. It just happened you asked a question I'm especially well equipped to answer.)
posted by Elvis at 8:47 AM on July 3, 2005