[Info-vax] VMS faxing

[Lee Gleason]

On 8/13/2021 4:22 PM, Rich Jordan wrote:
> Looking back into the dark past of facsmile transmission.  Hoping someone here remembers some details.
> 
> OpenVMS IA64 HPE V8.4 running NDC Compufax.  We have been working with NDC.  The site has four faxmodems (Multitech ZDX series) that were running off of a DECserver 200 (now deceased).  We dropped in a DECserver 700-08 running the pre-DNAS V1.5 firmware using identical port settings, and while it works we're getting complaints about quality issues on the receiving end; we've confirmed this is a send-side issue, not line or recipient.  Currently testing to a real fax machine at the site but the hashing and lines we get there perfectly match what some customers scanned and emailed back to us.
> 
> If so this is the first time we've had a situation where a DS700-08 brought in problems when replacing a DS200-MC
> 

   I have no idea what's causing this, but for troubleshooting it I 
recommend a good ole ASCII serial line monitor stuck between the DS and 
the faxmodem, to let you see what's really going on.

  HP 4951 family ASCII line monitors are available for under $100 these 
days, and I've used them to figure out serial comms issues in minutes 
that had me scratching my head previously for weeks.

--
Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR
Control-G Consultants
lee.gleason at comcast.net