Table Of Contents
T.38 Fax Relay for Voice over IP H.323
Related Features and Technologies
Supported Standards, MIBs, and RFCs
Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 Globally
Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for a Specific Dial Peer
Verifying T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
Monitoring and Maintaining T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
T.38 Fax Relay for Voice over IP H.323
Document Update Alert
This document was originally produced for Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T. This feature has been updated in subsequent releases, and more recent documentation is available.
If you are using Cisco IOS Release 12.3 or higher, refer to the following documentation in the Cisco Fax Services over IP Application Guide, Cisco IOS Voice Configuration Library, Release 12.3:
If you are using Cisco IOS Release 12.2 or higher, refer to the following documentation in the Configuring Fax Applications chapter of the Cisco IOS Voice, Video, and Fax Configuration Guide, Release 12.2:
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T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
This feature module describes ITU-T T.38 Fax Relay for Voice over IP (VoIP) H.323 gateway support on Cisco 2600 series, Cisco 3600 series, Cisco 7200 series and Cisco MC3810 series multiservice gateways in Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T. This document includes the following sections:
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Supported Standards, MIBs, and RFCs
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Monitoring and Maintaining T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
Feature Overview
The T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 feature provides standards-based Fax Relay protocol support on Cisco2600 series, Cisco3600 series, Cisco 7200 series and CiscoMC3810 series multiservice gateways. The Cisco proprietary Fax Relay solution is sometimes not an ideal solution for Enterprise and Service Provider customers who have implemented a mixed vendor network. Because the T.38 Fax Relay protocol is standards based, Cisco gateways and gatekeepers will now be able to interoperate with third-party T.38-enabled gateways and gatekeepers in a mixed vendor network where real time Fax Relay capabilities are required.
Figure 1 shows an IP network in a mixed vendor network with T.38 Fax Relay capabilities.
Figure 1 IP Network for T.38 Fax Relay
Figure 1 shows an IP H.323 network with Cisco and third-party gateways and gatekeepers all capable of T.38 Fax Relay functionality. By using T.38 Fax Relay, all gateways and gatekeepers in this network are able to send faxes to other remote offices, or to the offices of another company on the IP network.
For example, when a fax is sent from the originating gateway, an initial voice call is established. The terminating gateway, detects the fax tone generated by the answering fax machine. The VoIP H.323 call stack then starts a T.38 mode request using H.245 procedures. If the opposite end of the call acknowledges the T.38 mode request, the initial audio channel is closed and a T.38 Fax Relay channel is opened. When the fax transmission is completed, the call is reverted back to voice mode.
Benefits
Interoperability
The Cisco 2600 series, Cisco3600 series, Cisco 7200 series and CiscoMC3810 series multiservice gateways with ITU-T T.38 Fax Relay capability can interoperate with third-party gateways and gatekeepers over an IP H.323 network. The goal is to work with third-party gateways and gatekeepers to provide ITU-T standards based T.38 Fax Relay services for multi-vendor networks.
Toll Bypass
The Cisco 2600 series, Cisco3600 series, Cisco 7200 series and CiscoMC3810 series multiservice gateways provide standards-based toll by-pass for both fax and voice calls. In addition to existing voice and fax toll bypass capabilities, the multiservice gateways provide toll bypass for Fax Relay with the standards-based ITU-T T.38 Fax Relay implementation.
Restrictions
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Only User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is implemented for T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 gateway support on the multiservice gateways for the Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T; TCP T.38 Fax Relay is not supported.
Note
The transport protocols specified in the ITU-T Recommendation for T.38 are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and UDP; however, only UDP is supported for the Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T. For further information on T.38 protocol, refer to ITU-T Recommendation.
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You must complete voice interoperability testing with third-party gateways and gatekeepers before configuring the T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 feature in your network because different companies are allowed to select certain parts of H.323 and T.38 to implement into their gateways and gatekeepers.
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T.38 Fax Relay interoperability requires H.323 Version 2.
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T.38 Fax Relay is not supported on Cisco MC3810 series concentrators with VCM (Voice Compression Module).
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T.38 Fax Relay is not supported by Multimedia Conference Manager (MCM) H.323 proxy in Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T.
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T.38 Fax Relay is not supported in conjunction with MGCP, SGCP, or SIP in Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T.
Related Features and Technologies
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Cisco VoIP
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H.323 Version 2
Related Documents
For more information about voice technologies, refer to the Cisco IOS Multiservice Applications Configuration Guide and the Cisco IOS Multiservice Command Reference for Cisco IOS Release 12.1.
Supported Platforms
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Cisco 2600 series
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Cisco 3600 series
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Cisco 7200 series
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Cisco MC3810 series, Cisco MC3810 v3 high-density compression module (HCM) based
Supported Standards, MIBs, and RFCs
Standards
ITU-T Recommendation for T.38
MIBs
No new MIB enhancements. The T.38 fax calls use the pre-existing voice MIBs.
For descriptions of supported MIBs and how to use MIBs, go to the Cisco MIB web site on CCO at http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/netmgmt/cmtk/mibs.shtml.
RFCs
None.
Prerequisites
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Cisco IOS Release 12.1(3)T running on your platform.
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Working VoIP H.323 network for voice calls.
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Complete voice interoperability testing with third-party gateways and gatekeepers before configuring the T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 feature.
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Complete the dial plan for your company.
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64 MB minimum memory requirement.
Note
Although 96 to 128 MB memory requirement is recommended, the memory requirement is dependent on the platform and the number of calls anticipated to be made through the system.
Configuration Tasks
You need to configure T.38 Fax Relay in both the originating and terminating gateways for the T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 to operate. To specify the global default fax protocol for all the VoIP dial peers, configure the dial peers in global configuration mode. To specify the fax protocol for a specific VoIP dial peer, configure the dial peer in dial-peer configuration mode.
Note
When T.38 Fax Relay is configured under the dial-peer voice configuration, the configuration for the specific dial peer takes precedence over the global configuration under the voice service voip command.
See the following sections for the T.38 Fax Relay configuration. Each task in the list indicates if the task is required or optional:
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Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 Globally (Required)
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Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for a Specific Dial Peer (Optional)
Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 Globally
To configure T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 for all the connections of a gateway, use the following commands beginning in global configuration mode:
Note
Repeat the configuration steps on both the originating and terminating gateways.
Configuring T.38 Fax Relay for a Specific Dial Peer
Note
When T.38 Fax Relay is configured under the dial-peer voice configuration, the configuration for the specific dial peer takes precedence over the global configuration under the voice service voip command.
To configure T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 for a specific dial peer, use the following commands beginning in dial-peer configuration mode:
Note
Repeat the configuration steps on both the originating and terminating gateways.
Verifying T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
To verify that T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 feature is enabled, follow these steps:
Step 1
Enter the show run command to verify the configuration.
Step 2
Enter the show dial-peer voice command to verify that T.38 Fax Relay is enabled.
Troubleshooting Tips
To troubleshoot the T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 feature, perform the following steps:
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Make sure that you can make a voice call.
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Make sure that T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323 is configured on both the originating and terminating gateways.
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Make sure that the fax protocol is configured as T.38 either at the global configuration mode or at the dial-peer configuration mode for both the originating and terminating gateways.
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Use the debug vtsp session, debug cch323 session, and the debug cch323 h245 commands to debug a problem.
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Use the debug voip ccapi inout command to debug problems while making the call.
Monitoring and Maintaining T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP H.323
Configuration Examples
This section provides a sample configuration examples of T.38 Fax Relay:
Router# show runBuilding configuration...Current configuration:!.....!voice service voipfax protocol t38!.....!interface Ethernet0/0ip address 10.0.47.47 255.255.0.0h323-gateway voip interfaceh323-gateway voip id ipaddr 10.0.47.36 1719h323-gateway voip h323-id 36402!.....!dial-peer voice 14151 voip !!! Uses t38 fax from voice service voipdestination-pattern 14151..session target ras!dial-peer voice 14152 voip !!! Uses Cisco fax for a specific dial peerdestination-pattern 14152..session target rasfax protocol cisco!gateway!!.....!endCommand Reference
This section documents new or modified commands. All other commands used with this feature are documented in the Cisco IOS Multiservice Applications Command Reference for Cisco IOS Release 12.1.
Note
The modified command is marked by an asterisk.
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fax rate*
fax protocol (voice-service)
To specify the global default fax protocol for all the VoIP dial peers, use the fax protocol command in voice-service configuration mode. To return to the default fax protocol, use the no form of this command.
fax protocol {cisco | t38 [ls_redundancy value] [hs_redundancy value]}
no fax protocol
Syntax Description
Defaults
Cisco fax protocol
Command Modes
Voice-service configuration
Command History
Release ModificationRelease 12.1(3)T
This command was introduced on the Cisco 2600 series routers, Cisco 3600 series routers,Cisco 7200 series and Cisco MC3810 concentrators.
Usage Guidelines
Use the fax protocol t38 command to configure T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP. The t38 keyword enables the T.38 Fax Relay protocol. The cisco keyword selects the original Cisco proprietary fax protocol. When the system keyword is selected in the dial peer, it specifies the global default fax protocol used by a dial peer, set by the fax protocol t.38 command. Optional parameters ls_redundancy and hs_redundancy are used to send redundant T.38 fax packets.
Note
The ls_redundancy and hs_redundancy parameters are applicable only to T.38 Fax Relay protocol.
The ls_redundancy parameter refers to data redundancy in the low-speed V.21 based T.30 fax machine protocol. For the ls_redundancy parameter, the value can be from 0 to 5. The default is 0 (no redundancy). The parameter value sets the redundancy factor for the T.38 Fax Relay.
The hs_redundancy parameter refers to data redundancy in the high-speed V.17, V.27, and V.29 T.4 or T.6 fax machine image data. For the hs_redundancy parameter, the value can be from 0 to 2. The default is 0 (no redundancy). The parameter value sets the redundancy factor for the T.38 Fax Relay.
Note
Setting the hs_redundancy parameter greater than 0 will cause a significant increase in the network bandwidth consumed by the fax call.
Examples
The following example shows T.38 fax protocol for VoIP in a global configuration mode:
Router(config)# voice service voipRouter(config-voi-serv)# fax protocol t38Related Commands
Command Descriptionfax protocol (dial-peer)
Specifies the fax protocol for a specific VoIP dial peer.
fax protocol (dial-peer)
To specify the fax protocol for a specific VoIP dial peer, use the fax protocol command in dial-peer configuration mode. To return to the default fax protocol, use the fax protocol system command. To disable T.38 fax protocol for a specific dial peer, use the no form of this command.
fax protocol {cisco | t38 [ls_redundancy value] [hs_redundancy value] | system}
no fax protocol
Syntax Description
Defaults
Default is fax protocol system.
Command Modes
Dial-peer configuration
Command History
Release ModificationRelease 12.1(3)T
This command was introduced on the Cisco 2600 series routers, Cisco 3600 series routers, Cisco 7200 series and Cisco MC3810 concentrators.
Usage Guidelines
Use the fax protocol t38 command to configure T.38 Fax Relay for a specific dial peer. The t38 keyword enables the T.38 Fax Relay protocol. The cisco keyword selects the original Cisco proprietary fax protocol. When the system keyword is selected in the dial peer, it specifies the global default fax protocol used by a dial peer, set by the fax protocol t.38 command. Optional parameters ls_redundancy and hs_redundancy are used to send redundant T.38 fax packets.
Note
The ls_redundancy and hs_redundancy parameters are applicable only to T.38 Fax Relay protocol.
The ls_redundancy refers to data redundancy in the low-speed V.21 based T.30 fax machine protocol. For the ls_redundancy, the value can be from 0 to 5. The default is 0 (no redundancy). The parameter value sets the redundancy factor for the T.38 Fax Relay.
The hs_redundancy refers to data redundancy in the high-speed V.17, V.27, and V.29 T.4 or T.6 fax machine image data. For the hs_redundancy, the value can be from 0 to 2. The default is 0 (no redundancy). The parameter value sets the redundancy factor for the T.38 Fax Relay.
Note
Setting the hs_redundancy greater than 0 will cause a significant increase in the network bandwidth consumed by the fax call.
Examples
The following example shows T.38 Fax Relay for VoIP in dial-peer configuration mode:
Router(config)# dial-peer voice 99 voipRouter(config-dial-peer)# fax protocol t38Related Commands
Command Descriptionfax rate
Establishes the rate at which a fax is sent to the specified dial peer.
fax rate
To establish the rate at which a fax is sent to the specified dial peer, use the fax rate dial-peer configuration mode command. To reset the dial peer for voice calls, use the no form of the command.
fax rate {12000 | 14400 | 2400 | 4800 | 7200 | 9600} {disable | voice} [bytes rate]
no fax rate
Syntax Description
Defaults
Voice calls
Command Modes
Dial-peer configuration mode.
Command History
Usage Guidelines
Use the fax rate command to specify the fax transmission rate to the specified dial peer.
The values for this command apply only to the fax transmission speed and do not affect the quality of the fax itself. The higher transmission speed values (14,400 bps) provide a faster transmission speed but monopolize a significantly large portion of the available bandwidth. The lower transmission speed values (2400 bps) provide a slower transmission speed and use a relatively smaller portion of the available bandwidth.
Note
The fax call will not get compressed using the ip rtp header-compression command, because User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is being used and not Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP). For example, 9600 fax call will take about 24 kbps.
If the fax rate transmission speed is set higher than the codec rate in the same dial peer, the data sent over the network for fax transmission will be above the bandwidth reserved for Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP).
Tip
Because a large portion of the available network bandwidth will be monopolized by the fax transmission, Cisco does not recommend setting the fax rate value higher than the value of the selected codec. If the fax rate value is set lower than the codec value, faxes will take longer to send but will use less bandwidth.
The voice keyword specifies the highest possible transmission speed allowed by the voice rate. For example, if the voice codec is G.711, the fax transmission may occur up to 14400 bps since 14400 bps is less than the 64k voice rate. If the voice codec is G.729 (8k), the fax transmission speed will be 7200 bps.
Examples
The following example shows a fax rate transmission speed of 9600 bps for faxes sent using a dial peer:
Router(config)# dial-peer voice 100 voipRouter(config-dial-peer)# fax rate 9600The following example sets a fax rate transmission speed at 12000 bps and the packetization rate at 20 milliseconds:
Router(config-dial-peer)# fax rate 12000 bytes 20
Related Commands
Command Descriptioncodec (dial-peer)
Specifies the voice coder rate of speech for a dial peer.
fax protocol (dial-peer)
Specifies the fax protocol for a specific VoIP dial peer.
voice service
To enter the voice-service configuration mode and specify the voice encapsulation type, use the voice service global configuration command. To exit the voice-service configuration mode, use the exit command.
voice service voip
Syntax Description
Defaults
No default behavior or values.
Command Modes
Global configuration
Command History
Usage Guidelines
Use the voice service command to switch to the voice-service configuration mode from the global configuration mode and to specify a voice encapsulation type. Use the exit command to exit the voice-service configuration mode and return to the global configuration mode.
Examples
The following example shows how to access the voice-service configuration mode and specify VoIP parameters, beginning in global configuration mode:
Router(config)# voice service voipRouter(config-voice-service)#Related Commands
Command Descriptionmodem passthrough
Configures modem pass through over VoIP.
fax protocol
Specifies the global default fax protocol for all the VoIP dial peers.
Glossary
ANI—Automatic Number Identification (ANI) is a service that provides the receiver of a telephone call with the number of the calling phone. The service is often provided by sending the digital tone multi frequency (DTMF) tones with the call. Users of ANI can screen callers with this information.
DSP—digital signal processor.
H.235—H.235 provides security for the RAS signaling between H.323 endpoints and gatekeepers so that only duly authenticated and authorized endpoints are able to use Gatekeeper resources.
H.323—ITU-T Recommendation for "Visual Telephony System" and equipment for local area networks which provide a non-guaranteed quality of service.
HCM—High-density Compression Module.
MCM—Multimedia Conference Manager.
OLC—Open Logical Channel.
RSVP—Resource Reservation Protocol.
T.30—ITU-T Recommendation for analog phone line Group 3 facsimile terminals.
T.38 Fax—ITU-T Recommendation for T.38 describes the features necessary to transfer facsimile documents in real-time between two standard Group 3 facsimile terminals over the Internet or other networks by using IP protocols. The recommendation allows the use of either TCP or UDP depending on the service environment.
VCM—Voice Compression Module.



