Dealing with failed fax reports, Failure analysis: factors to consider, Possible solutions to fax failure problems – Multi-Tech Systems Multi-Tech FaxFinder FF820 User Manual
Page 149
Chapter 6: Server Operation
Multi-Tech Systems, Inc.
FaxFinder Admin User Guide
149
Dealing with Failed Fax Reports
Occasionally clients will receive email messages from the FaxFinder that pertain to faxes that have failed
partially or entirely. That is, some or all of the intended pages of the fax may arrive in a form that cannot
be read. Each FaxFinder-generated email of a fax with any failed pages will have one additional file
attached: a modem log file with a name like modem0modem1_date-time.txt.
The modem log file contains information about the “conversation” between the sending modem and the
FaxFinder’s receiving modem. This information may be valuable to the FaxFinder administrator, working
in conjunction with Multi-Tech Tech Support, in protecting the fax system and preventing future errors.
As FaxFinder administrator, you should instruct FaxFinder clients to forward the modem log file from any
failed messages directly back to you.
Failure Analysis: Factors to Consider
When analyzing the modem log files from failed faxes, you should consider these questions:
• Is this failure a one-time event or is it part of a larger pattern? If it is a one-time event, it is
probably unimportant. If it seems to be part of a larger pattern, it will be valuable to determine
what kind of a pattern is involved.
• Are many failures coming from a particular fax machine or from a particular brand or model of fax
machine? If so, then check the Multi-Tech web site for applicable modem firmware updates to
the FaxFinder.
• Have there been recent changes to the phone system or the room where the equipment is
located? (Amid such changes, a phone line might be bumped and so be disconnected or have
an intermittent connection.)
• Have phone lines recently been changed or re-routed? (Damaged or noisy phone lines can
cause fax failures.)
Possible Solutions to Fax Failure Problems
• Lower the incoming baud rate for received faxes.
• Check Multi-Tech web site for newer modem firmware for FaxFinder and, if any is available,
upgrade the FaxFinder (see the section “Modem Firmware Update” in Chapter 8: Device
Manager Installation & Operation
).
• Call Multi-Tech Tech Support at 1-800-972-2439.