[comp.dcom.lans] Fax on a Novell network - experiences ?

hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au (Roger Hadgraft) (07/05/90)

Has anyone had any experience putting a fax board on a Novell network? It needs
software running under both DOS and MS Windows, and it should probably appear to
users  as a printer. I'm most interested in having it used as an outgoing
device (using hardcopy faxes for incoming messages).
--
Roger Hadgraft                  |  hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au
Lecturer in Civil Engineering   |
Monash University               |  phone:  +61 3 565 4983
Clayton, Vic. 3168. Australia.  |  fax:    +61 3 565 4944 or 3409

monroe@rlgvax.UUCP (Steve Monroe) (07/06/90)

In article <32586.26930274@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>, hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au (Roger Hadgraft) writes:
> Has anyone had any experience putting a fax board on a Novell network?

     I had about 20 GammaLink GammaFax boards running in 4 PCs sending
     out images.

>                                                             It needs software
> running under both DOS and MS Windows, and it should probably appear to
> users  as a printer.

     A company called Alien computing makes a MS-Windows driver that can make
     either the Intel Connection Co-processor or the Spectrafax board  appear
     as a printer.  The problem would be that these will appear only to the
     machine in which the cards are placed.  Both companies are working on
     multiple board support (don't know what the current status is).

>                      I'm most interested in having it used as an outgoing
> device (using hardcopy faxes for incoming messages).

     The GammaLink people also make a product called GammaScript that will
     produce FAX images from PostScript.  It is very easy to dedicate a PC
     with a simple batch script that will take a PostScript file, generate
     the image, and queue it to the fax board.  This will allow you to
     operate as a printer (PostScript to a file, most apps let you do this).
     You just have to write a simple little program (shell follows):

	main() {
		for(;;) {
			filename = find_file( "*.ps" );
			system( "faxtops filename" );
			system( "faxtobrd filename.fax" );
		}
	}

     crude, but that is basically it.  You need to sleep or do some other
     notification method that there is work to do but I can guarantee that
     this will work with all of the boards mentioned above.  GoScript Plus
     (the latest edition) will also produce FAX resolution TIFF or PCX 
     files that can be used in place of GammaScript.

> --
> Roger Hadgraft                  |  hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au
> Lecturer in Civil Engineering   |
> Monash University               |  phone:  +61 3 565 4983
> Clayton, Vic. 3168. Australia.  |  fax:    +61 3 565 4944 or 3409

     Good Luck!

--
Steve Monroe                    |  monroe@ropes.opcr.icl.com
Formerly FAX involved person    |
ICL                             |  phone:  703-648-3436
Reston, Virginia, USA.          |  fax:    703-264-0319