HOWTO: Using the Name of Sender feature in Zetafax

ID: ZTN1917

This Zetafax technical note applies to:

• Zetafax version 2011 and later.

Summary

This document describes how to use the Name of Sender feature available in Zetafax.

More information

When Zetafax receives a fax it may get two separate pieces of information to identify the sender: the fax ID (CSID), and the sending phone number (CLI).   Which information is available for each fax depend on the type of phone line and fax device being used, and also on the settings in the sending device.

Zetafax chooses one of these items to use as a "Sender ID" to display as the sender of the fax.  Typically this will be the CSID if configured on the sending device, or the CLI if the CSID is blank.  This Sender ID is used in the Zetafax Client display, and in messages forwarded via the Zetafax email gateway.

The "Name of Sender" feature in Zetafax enables you to set a descriptive name for faxes you receive, to display instead of the sender ID.  The Sender ID is often numeric, so this alias can be used to convert this to company name which is easier to recognise - for example, displaying "From: Equisys" instead of "From: +442072034005".

The Name of Sender can be set in two ways:

1. The Zetafax Client includes a menu option to set the sender name for a specific message.  This sets the name for messages received by that user only, and is restricted to messages which include a CSID.  When the rule is added, faxes which are stored in the user's Inbox will be updated with the new name as well as any faxes subsequently received.
2. The Zetafax Configuration program also includes an option to set the Name of Sender for a given Sender ID, using Sender ID routing rules.  This may be used to set an alias which will apply to all users, or to a single user.  It can be used to set an alias for the CSID, and also for messages using the CLI (provided the CSID is blank).  Rules created in this way affect any faxes received subsequently, but any faxes which have already been received are not affected.

To configure a Name of Sender rule using the Zetafax Configuration program, the steps are as follows:

Step 1: Create a rule for the sender

• Run the Zetafax Configuration Program, then navigate to Zetafax > Automatic Inward Routing > Sender IDs. 

  

• Right-click the right-hand window, then choose Add to create a new rule.  The fields should be set as follows:

  • "Message for" - set to "unaddressed" to create a rule which will apply to all recipients in the company.
  • "Sender ID" - enter the Sender ID (CLI or CSID) used for faxes from that sender.  This must match the CLI or CSID for the received fax exactly, apart from spaces and punctuation.  Note that some phone systems remove the first digit of the sending phone number or add an international dial code, so it is important to enter the details from a received fax carefully to ensure a match.
  • "Organization name" - set the alias to be used.

  • "Route to" - set to "(none)" if the rule is only for changing the name without affecting the recipient of the fax.

    

Step 2: Test the rule

• On receiving a fax from that sender, check that when the fax was received, the display name is changed to the specified alias - otherwise, check that the Sender ID matches the specified CSID or CLI value exactly. 



Last updated: 16^th September 2015 (GW/SD/MW)