HOWTO: Install a Brooktrout TR114 BRI intelligent fax card.

ZTN1237

ID: ZTN1237

This Zetafax technical note applies to:

• Zetafax 5.5 up to Zetafax 2008.
• Brooktrout TR114 PCI Basic rate ISDN card.

Summary

Zetafax can be used with Brooktrout intelligent fax boards. The drivers for these types of cards come with the install, but need to be loaded and configured after who have installed Zetafax.

More information

There is a three step process when installing the card.

• Installing the card into a PCI slot.

• Loading on the drivers (bfax.sys).

• Configuring the card with the Zetafax configuration program.

Installing the Brooktrout board

When installing the board into the computer, please ensure it is securely positioned and there is not dirt on the PCI connector. Also ensure the PCI slot on in the machine is free from any dirt.

Installing the drivers

The Brooktrout board uses a NT driver, " bfax" , which is supplied with the Zetafax software this driver also works under windows 2000.  The bfax driver needs to be installed after the Zetafax program files have been installed, in order to allow the board to be used by Zetafax.

1. To install the bfax driver, run the Zetafax NT Configuration program (NTSETUP) on the Zetafax server PC which has the Brooktrout board installed. This configuration screen can be found under Start, programs, Zetafax, Zetafax NT Setup. (See below)

2. Once you have clicked on configure Brooktrout boards you will be presented with a Brooktrout driver configuration screen. (See below).

3. Leave the default settings as they are, then click on Install...

4. On this screen you are prompted to enter in the number of fax channels your card has, make sure that the ISA setting is not checked. Once you have done this please select ok and the drivers will be loaded.

This will create a new BFAX directory under the main Windows NT/2000 directory (e.g. C:\WINNT\BFAX), and add the " bfax" driver.

In Windows NT you can start the driver in using the " Devices" applet in Control Panel.

In windows 2000 you can locate the driver in Device Manager. You will need to enable show hidden devices under the view options. The driver is called bfax.

Configuring the card with the Zetafax configuration program

For each Zetafax Brooktrout device you configure you will need to specify the channel (or port) number to use they start from 'fax0'.  As Zetafax device numbers start from 1, then for a 4 port board you would typically add 4 Zetafax devices:

BTROUT-1 on port " fax0"

BTROUT-2 on port " fax1"

BTROUT-3 on port " fax2"

BTROUT-4 on port " fax3"

To configure devices in Zetafax you will need to work though the following steps.

1. Click on Start, Programs, Zetafax configuration, to start the Zetafax configuration snap-in.
2. In the left hand pane of the highlight 'Devices', right click and choose 'Add'.

3. From the drop down list select 'Brooktrout Tr114 BRI fax board port'. Then click on OK and you will see the device options screen.

4. Give the channel a description and ensure the first device you install is connected to fax channel 0. (as above).

NOTE: When you install the second channel this must be connected on fax channel 1. The third channel will be on Fax channel 2 and so and so on.

5. Also on this screen you can select a user to receive all incoming faxes, specify a fax number that will appear on the header line of every sent fax and also dial a prefix number for all sent faxes.

Trouble shooting

When installing a Brooktrout PCI card in a Windows 2000 machine, it tries to automatically configure any new devices it finds when you boot it up.

The solution is to disable the auto-PCI configuration utility in Windows 2000 so that the OS doesn't try to automatically load a PCI device. To disable this option, work through the following steps.

1. Open the Control Panel
2. In Control Panel, choose 'System'
3. Double-click 'System' to bring up the 'System Properties' dialog box
4. In that box, choose the 'Hardware' tab
5. Choose 'Device Manager'
6. The Device Manager box will pop up, listing all devices; choose 'Other Devices'
7. Break it out to show the devices underneath the main heading; right-click on 'PCI Devices'
8. Right-click on 'PCI Devices', and select 'disable'.
9. After disabling the device you may be prompted to reboot the system. You will need to reboot in order for changes to take affect.

References

ZTN1236-PRB Zetafax server reports error 'Unable to communicate no answer error 327'

Last Updated: 01 June 2009 (MW)

First Published: 27 Nov 2002 (IM/GC)

Keywords: btrout, TR114, installation