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We recently tested 10 software-based fax servers in Network Computing's San Mateo Lab. The servers run on several different operating system platforms and support various fax cards. We used Intel's (now PureData's) 400e, GammaLink's CPi and Brooktrout's TR114, with a Dell 466/M and a Compaq 386N as our fax servers.
There's little difference between our top finishers, yet each product has a distinct personality and feature set, varying in network operating system (NOS) compatibility, multiple fax card support, e-mail integration, ease of use or the ability to route faxes automatically.
RightFAX did everything right, and then some, but it requires OS/2. Optus' FACSys and Alcom's LanFax Redirector were close finishers, and each runs on a dedicated DOS machine. LanFax Redirector supports a number of different networks (Vines included), while the version of FACSys we tested only works with NetWare.
If you're running NetWare and want to set up billing for fax use, the accounting and reporting tools from Intel (NetSatisFAXtion) and Cheyenne (FAXserve) excel. If you're looking for products that don't require a dedicated machine, RightFAX and Global Village's FAXworks can run as LAN Manager or LAN Server processes, while Cheyenne's FAXserve can run as a NetWare Loadable Module (NLM). ZanTel's FAXHQ and Trio's Datafax offer many handy features for international faxing.
The Benefits of Software
These software-based fax servers are more scalable than their plug-and-play hardware brethren. It's easy to add a fax card or two, and your incremental cost is just for the fax card. They also have built-in support for a number of different fax modems, which are, among other benefits, more effective at sending compressed files than a Class 1 or Class 2 modem (see "Which FAX Card to Use," p. 114). On the other hand, these products require more initial setup and configuration work.
Each product shipped with at least one client. In some cases, the clients can use communications applications specification (CAS) and/or FAXBIOS to establish communications with the server, making them interchangeable to an extent. In other cases, client features are tightly coupled to the server, prohibiting interchange.
RightFAX RightFAX v3.5
RightFAX offers a greater depth of features than any other product we tested in every important category. It provides every routing method, supports all major messaging...