HAMM@BIOVAX.RUTGERS.EDU (Greg Hamm) (09/04/90)
Hi all, I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually tried out sending and receiving FAXes to and from Macs using one of the many FAX modems now available. We are most interested in one of the ones which will sit on AppleTalk and thereby be accessible to many users; however, most of the review articles I've read never tell you any practical details, e.g., - do any of these beasts provide password protection, or at least call logging, or can anyone on your appletalk send reams to the Fiji Islands at will? - how does a network-shared modem deal with incoming FAXes? where does it send them? - are these things just neat ideas, or do they *really* work? what are the gotchas in everyday use? Thanks, Greg - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gregory H. Hamm || Phone: (201)932-4864 Director, Molecular Biology Computing Lab || FAX: (201)932-5735 Waksman Institute/CABM || BITNET: hamm@biovax P.O. Box 759, Rutgers University || Internet: hamm@mbcl.rutgers.edu Piscataway, NJ 08855 * USA || - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
lemke@radius.com (Steve Lemke) (09/06/90)
HAMM@BIOVAX.RUTGERS.EDU (Greg Hamm) writes: }I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually tried out sending and }receiving FAXes to and from Macs using one of the many FAX modems now }available. We are most interested in one of the ones which will sit on }AppleTalk and thereby be accessible to many users; In a very indirect sort of way, we have an AppleFAX Modem sitting on our AppleTalk network. I've used it in this fashion, and also with it connected specifically to one computer, using software from Solutions, Inc. in both cases. Using BackFAX (from Solutions), one can use the FaxModem on a single Mac, and send and receive FAXes in the background. One can also print from any application to the FaxModem (using it just like a LaserWriter). Using FaxGate (also from Solutions, which is what we are presently doing), one can have a FaxModem on a machine that serves as an electronic mail gateway from either Microsoft Mail or QuickMail (we use QuickMail, but that's another whole story in and of itself). So, anyone on the QuickMail system can send an electronic mail message to people within our company, people on the Internet (using Cayman's GatorMail, which is ALSO available for Microsoft Mail, again another story), people on AppleLink, and people with FAX machines. The SAME message can be sent to all these different services. And, with the addition of MailMaker (which must be licensed for each person who uses it, also from Solutions), you can print from any application (or several different applications) and send the message as a FAX. So, we essentially have "Networked Faxing" but without the hassle of having to use a Fax program - just Print from your favorite application. Faxes can be received as well and forwarded to the Fax "custodian", but we choose to receive FAXes on real FAX machines. Another alternative would be to take a normal serial FAX Modem and put it on something like a Shiva NetSerial. Then, when you want to FAX, you would use the normal software that came with the Fax Modem (or perhaps more preferably, BackFax), and just connect to the FaxModem when you need it. This points out another feature of having an Email gateway to Fax, though, in the sense that once you send your FAX via Email to the gateway, your CPU is freed up to do whatever you want, rather than being bogged down by the FAX sending process. }however, most of the }review articles I've read never tell you any practical details, e.g., } } - do any of these beasts provide password protection, or } at least call logging, or can anyone on your appletalk } send reams to the Fiji Islands at will? I don't think the NetSerial approach would buy you any password protection. The email gateway would have the same problem - basically, anyone who knows HOW to use it can. Here, that's not such a big deal, since hardly anyone even knows how to use it (specifically, how to address a message so that it goes out through the FAX gateway). } - how does a network-shared modem deal with incoming FAXes? } where does it send them? (This is explained above for the gateway.) In the case of a NetSerial, I don't really know WHAT would happen for incoming FAX. I guess whoever might be connected to it at the time will get it. However, as has been mentioned in numerous postings in numerous groups, incoming FAX is best left for real FAX machines. } - are these things just neat ideas, or do they *really* work? } what are the gotchas in everyday use? Again, explained above - we are really pleased (so far) with the FaxGate that bridges QuickMail to the FAX Modem. }Thanks, No problem. >Greg Steve -- ----- Steve Lemke, Engineering Quality Assurance, Radius Inc., San Jose ----- ----- Reply to: lemke@radius.com (Note: NEW domain-style address!!) -----
an12280@mdaali.cancer.utexas.edu (David Gutierrez) (09/06/90)
In article <1326@radius.com> lemke@radius.com (Steve Lemke) writes: > Another alternative would be to take a normal serial FAX Modem and put it > on something like a Shiva NetSerial. Then, when you want to FAX, you would In article <1326@radius.com> lemke@radius.com (Steve Lemke) writes: > I don't think the NetSerial approach would buy you any password protection. The NetSerial *does* let you set a dial-in password or have unlimited dial-in access, but this doesn't help with outgoing calls. However, this is a moot point. A call to Shiva tech support will inform you that the NetSerial won't work with fax modems - something about a timing problem. I didn't pay much attention, since I wanted to hook up a data modem. I think you'd be better off with FaxGate or BackFax for sharing a fax modem. David Gutierrez an12280@mdaali.cancer.utexas.edu "Only fools are positive." - Moe Howard
tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney) (09/14/90)
There is the Cypress networked fax modem. Since it works over AppleShare or TOPS, requiring the client to mount a remote volume, the ordinary password protection mechanisms in those products can be used to restrict mounting. At present, all faxes go into a common reception area, which can either be public or restricted. Future versions will allow personal routing of incoming faxes. Cypress is in Sunnyvale, California, at (408) 745-7150. Disclaimer: I wrote a lot of the software for this modem and retain a commercial interest in it. (That doesn't change the fact that it really is quite good.) -- Tim Maroney, Mac Software Consultant, sun!hoptoad!tim, tim@toad.com "There are no Famous People on the net. Only some of us with bigger mouths than others." -- Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, The Roach