Fax Server Step-by-Step Guide
Applies To: Windows Server 2012
There are two tools you can use to administer a fax server in Windows Server 2012: Server Manager and Fax Service Manager. You can use Server Manager to install the Fax Server server role, the fax printer, and the Fax Service Manager. Server Manager also displays fax-related events from the Event Viewer and includes an instance of the Fax Management snap-in, which can administer the local fax devices only.
Fax Service Manager provides a single interface that administrators can use to efficiently administer fax resources and is the primary focus of this article.
What is a fax server?
A fax server is comprised of four different parts: the Fax Server role, Fax service, Fax Service Manager, and Windows Fax and Scan.
Fax Server server role. To create a fax server, you must install the Fax Server server role from Server Manager. This installs Fax Service Manager, Windows Fax and Scan, the fax printer, and the Fax service. After you install the Fax Server server role, you can access a role page in Server Manager that provides a single point from which you can view fax events, view status information for the Fax service, and access resources and additional information for fax servers. To access this page in Server Manager, click Fax Server in the left pane. The role page appears in the right pane.
Fax service. After you install the Fax Server server role, the Fax service appears in the Services snap-in and you can start or stop the service directly from there or from the Fax Server server role page in Server Manager.
Fax Service Manager. Fax Service Manager, a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in, provides a central administration point for configuring and managing your fax resources. After you install the Fax Server server role, you can access Fax Service Manager from Server Manager by clicking Tools, clicking Fax Service Manager. You can also access this snap-in by adding it to an MMC console.
Windows Fax and Scan. After you install the Fax Server server role, you can access Windows Fax and Scan by clicking the Start charm, and then clicking Windows Fax and Scan. On a fax server, you can use Windows Fax and Scan to send faxes, add accounts, and to monitor the incoming fax queue, the inbox, and the outbox. Users who are using computers running windows client operating systems can use this feature to send faxes and configure fax receipts.
Note
Users who are using computers running versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 can send a fax by using Fax Console. For more information about how to use Fax Console and manage fax servers in earlier versions of Windows, see How to enable and configure the fax service in Windows XP on the Microsoft Support Web site at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=90750.
Who should use a fax server?
This guide is targeted at the following audiences:
Fax administrators and help desk professionals.
Information technology (IT) planners and analysts who are evaluating the product.
Enterprise IT planners and designers.
Benefits of a fax server
The Fax Server server role can save the fax administrator a significant amount of time. Instead of installing fax machines on client computers and managing and monitoring fax machines, you can complete those tasks in 2 or 3 steps on multiple computers simultaneously and remotely.
By using Fax Service Manager, you can automatically make fax connections available to users and computers in your organization.
Requirements for using the Fax service
All of the fax-related parts discussed in the previous section are available in all versions of Windows Server 2012 and are compatible with its basic system requirements. To determine your fax capacity needs, use performance counters, testing in the lab, data from existing hardware in a production environment, and pilot rollouts.
Important
Fax Server requires a Server with a GUI installation. You cannot install Fax Server on a Server Core Installation or a Minimal Server Interface installation. For more information about server installation options, see Windows Server Installation Options.
Deploying a fax server
The following sections provide information about how to deploy a fax server and attach fax devices:
Step 1: Install and open Fax Service Manager
To use Fax Service Manager, you must install the Fax Server server role.
Before you begin installing the Fax Server server role, make sure that any modem devices have been installed on the server. If you plan to install a new modem device, you can save time by installing it before you set up the Fax Server role. We recommend that you install the Fax Server role locally and not by using a Remote Desktop connection. You can install the Fax Server role remotely, but you need to make sure that local resource sharing is turned off. Remote management is not supported. To administer a Fax Server, you must do it from the local console.
To install the Fax Server server role
In the task bar, click Server Manager.
In the menu bar, click Manage, and then click Add Roles and Features.
On the Before you begin page, read the text and click Next.
On the Select installation type page, ensure Role-based or feature-based installation is selected and click Next.
On the Select destination server page, ensure the target server is selected and click Next.
On the Select Server Roles page, select the Fax Server check box. When you do this, a dialog box displays the tools and services that also need to be installed with the Fax Server server role. Click Add Features, then click Next on the Select server roles page.
On the Select features page, click Next.
On the Fax Server page, read the text and then click Next.
On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install.
When the installation completes, click Close and restart the server.
From Server Manager, click the Notifications flag, and click Perform additional configuration in the Fax Server notification. The Microsoft Fax Service Manager opens.
Right-click Accounts, select New, and click Account.
Add any users that you want to allow to send and receive faxes using this server.
Note
The members of the local Administrators group are added automatically to the Fax Users group and cannot be removed. (The local Administrators group is also separately granted full permissions for the Fax service.) Membership in this group can be modified later by using Fax Service Manager.
Right-click the Start charm, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel search box, type phone and then click Phone and Modem.
In the Location Information dialog, type the information for your country/region, area/city code, carrier code, information to dial an outside line, and whether you use tone or pulse dialing.
Step 2: Install and share a fax printer
When you install the Fax Server server role, if you have not attached a fax device to the computer, a local fax printer connection, Fax, is automatically created in the Printers folder in Control Panel. Follow the steps in this procedure to share the printer so that users can connect.
This procedure describes how to create a new fax printer, and then share the printer so that your users can find it.
Note
To install fax devices, such as a fax printer, you must be a member of the Administrators group or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.
To create and share a new fax printer
Click the Start charm, right-click the Windows Fax and Scan tile, and then click Run as administrator.
Click Tools, and then click Fax Accounts.
In Fax Accounts, click Add to open Fax Setup.
On the Choose a fax modem or server page, click Connect to a fax modem.
You might be asked to install a printer. To do this, follow the instructions in the Add Hardware Wizard.
On the Choose a modem name page, type a name for the fax printer, and then click Next. The default name is Fax Modem.
On the Choose how to receive faxes page, click the option that you prefer.
The new fax printer should appear in Fax Accounts, under Account Name.
Then, to share the printer that has been created, right-click the Start charm, and then click Control Panel.
Under Hardware, click View devices and printers.
In the list of printers, right-click Fax, click Printer properties, click the Sharing tab, select Share this printer, and then type a name for the printer that you want your network users to see.
If you want to enable users with computers running different versions of Windows to use this printer, click Additional Drivers to install the needed drivers.
In Additional Drivers, select the check box for the versions of Windows that you want to support. You are prompted to provide a path to the driver. Provide the path to the %windir%\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\prnms002.inf* file on a computer that is running the version of Windows that you want to support.
To confirm that the files were copied properly, in Windows Explorer navigate to %windir%\System32\spool\drivers\ and look for the folder that contains the files for the selected architectures.
Important
Because the Fax service uses remote procedure calls (RPCs), you must ensure that the firewall on the server will allow RPCs. Typically, when you add an account to the Fax service, Fax Setup in Windows Fax and Scan will ask the user to unblock RPC so that the firewall is unblocked for fax communication. You can also configure the firewall directly at any other time in Windows Firewall by verifying that Windows Fax Service is in the exceptions list. If you are sharing the Fax service, make sure that File and Printer Sharing are also added to the exceptions list. For more information see Windows Firewall with Advanced Security Overview.
Step 3: Add and remove fax devices
Windows recognizes any newly installed Plug and Play fax device during service startup. After the device is installed, restart the Fax service and refresh the display. The new device will automatically appear in Fax Service Manager. To remove a device, remove it as you would any device using Device Manager, restart the Fax service, and refresh the display.
To refresh the Device list and view the updated display
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Stop.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Start.
Press F5 to refresh the display.
Double-click Devices and Providers, and then click Devices.
In the right pane, view the list of devices.
Step 4: Configure fax devices to send and receive
By default, a fax device is enabled to send when it is installed. However, if needed, you can also enable a device to send later. As part of this process, you can specify an optional Transmitting Subscriber ID (TSID) string, a text string that identifies the device sending the fax. The identification information typically appears in the banner in a fax message to help the recipient determine where the fax originated.
You must specifically enable a fax device to receive—it is not enabled by default. A fax device can be configured to answer incoming calls automatically or manually. (The manual option is useful if your fax and telephone share the same incoming line.) And you can specify the number of rings before answering. (A higher number of rings before answering is useful if your fax and telephone share the same incoming line, to give you time to answer the telephone.)
As part of this process, you can also specify an optional Called Subscriber ID (CSID) string, a text string used to identify a fax recipient to a fax sender.
Important
To configure fax devices, such as a fax printer, you must be a member of the Administrators group or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.
To enable a fax device to send
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Devices and Providers, and then click Devices.
In the right pane, right-click the device you want to configure, and then click Send.
To configure a Transmitting Subscriber ID (TSID), right-click the device you want to configure, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, in Transmitting Subscriber ID (TSID), type a TSID string. This string is limited to 20 characters.
Note
Later, if you want to disable the fax device from sending faxes, right-click the device, and then click Send to clear the check mark.
To enable a fax device to receive
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Devices and Providers, and then click Devices.
In the right pane, right-click the device you want to configure, click Properties, and then click the General tab.
To configure whether calls are answered automatically or manually, select the Receive faxes check box, and then do one of the following:
Click Automatic Answer to enable the fax device to answer calls automatically, and then type a number for the value in the Rings before answering field. The default number of rings is 5. If your fax and telephone do not share a line, you should decrease this number. If your fax and telephone do share a line, and you decide to increase this number, do not increase it so much that the fax sender stops transmission.
Click Manual Answer to enable the fax device to answer calls manually.
To configure a Called Subscriber ID (CSID), in Called Subscriber ID (CSID), type a CSID string. This string is limited to 20 characters.
Important
Later, if you want to disable the fax device from receiving faxes, right-click the device, and then clear either the Auto Receive or Manual Receive check box.
Step 5: Configure fax settings
You can use Fax Service Manager to configure fax settings, including routing rules and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) settings. For outgoing faxes, you can also configure receipts, whether you will enable your users to create and use personal cover pages, and what your organization will include in the banners of sent faxes.
Configure incoming fax settings
Fax administrators have full control over the incoming fax queue. This queue is the collective queue for all receiving fax devices that are managed by the fax server—it corresponds to the Incoming folder. Users who are not members of the Administrators group need to be assigned permissions to view or manage the incoming fax queue.
A fax remains in the incoming fax queue until it is received successfully and routed in accordance with the policy specified by the fax administrator. Only then is it moved to the inbox. If a fax is not routed successfully for some reason, it remains in the incoming fax queue until it is deleted manually—or it is handled in accordance with the automatic deletion policy that you have configured for the fax queue.
You can control incoming fax jobs handled by the Fax service by disabling the reception of faxes into the incoming fax queue. If the reception of a fax is stopped while being received, but a portion of the fax is successfully received, the fax is assigned the Partially received status and is moved to the Inbox folder.
Note
You can view the Incoming and Inbox folders by using Windows Fax and Scan.
Start or stop fax reception
You can start or stop the reception of faxes for all devices on a fax server.
To start or stop fax reception
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, select Disable reception of new faxes to block new faxes from being added to the incoming fax queue.
Configure incoming fax routing
Administrators can configure incoming fax routing methods to route incoming faxes to recipients on the network. In Fax Service Manager, there are incoming fax routing extensions that are global (applied to all devices) and others that are associated with just individual fax devices. For global methods, you can set the priority order in which they are applied to an incoming fax. Non-Microsoft vendors can extend the global methods for incoming faxes. Extensions could include, for example, converting incoming files to specific file formats.
Individual incoming fax routing methods are configured per device. After a method is configured, it can then be enabled or disabled. More than one incoming fax routing method can be applied to incoming faxes, and if a method is disabled, the device skips that method and processes the incoming fax in order of global-level priority. A disabled incoming fax routing method appears with an icon (an arrow pointing down) over it in the right pane.
The following default incoming fax routing methods can be configured and prioritized:
Route through e-mail. Specify the e-mail address for receiving incoming faxes. To change SMTP server or authentication settings, use Fax Service Manager for configuring delivery receipts for sent faxes.
Store in a folder. Specify the local or network path of the folder to which a copy of incoming faxes will be saved. If you choose this method, make sure that the folder you use has access to the Network Service account.
Print. Specify the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path of the printer location (\\<network_location>\<printername>) to which incoming faxes will be printed.
You can use incoming fax routing methods to control what happens to faxes that are received by a fax device managed by the fax server. You can use any combination of routing methods to forward received faxes to an e-mail address, store faxes in a folder, or print faxes.
To configure incoming fax routing methods
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Devices and Providers, double-click Devices, double-click the device you want to configure, and then click Incoming Methods.
In the right pane, right-click the method you want to configure, click Properties, and then do the following:
To configure the Store in a folder method, click the Store in Folder tab, and then either type the UNC path of the folder (\\<network_location>\<folder>), or click Browse to select the folder.
To configure the Route through e-mail method, click the E-mail tab, and then type the e-mail address to which you want incoming faxes to be delivered.
For the Print method, click the Print tab, and then type the UNC path of the printer for incoming faxes.
After the incoming methods have been configured, in the details pane, right-click each method, and then click Enable to enable the method, or Disable to disable it. (You might want to disable a method if, for example, you want to temporarily disable printing because the printer is not working and faxes are getting stuck in the inbox.)
Configure SMTP settings for e-mail routing
You should use this procedure if you have chosen to configure the Route through e-mail method for a fax device.
To configure SMTP settings for e-mail routing
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
To enable incoming faxes to be routed to recipients by e-mail, click the Receipts tab and then do the following:
Select the Use these SMTP settings for the Route Through E-mail incoming routing method check box.
In From e-mail address, type the e-mail address to which all incoming faxes will be received.
In Server address, type the address of the SMTP server to which incoming faxes will be received.
In Port, type the port number.
Also on the Receipts tab, click Authentication, and then, based on how your SMTP server is set up, do one of the following:
Click Anonymous access if this is sufficient to access the SMTP server.
Click Basic authentication, click Credentials, and then type a user name and password.
Click Integrated Windows Authentication if NTLM authentication is needed to access the SMTP server, click Credentials, and then type a user name and password.
Configuring outgoing fax settings
You can use Fax Service Manager to configure and manage how faxes are sent and archived, what is included as part of the fax transmission, whether receipts are issued, and rules for routing.
Note
You can monitor outgoing faxes in the Outbox folder in Windows Fax and Scan.
Start or stop outgoing faxes
You can start or stop sending faxes for all devices on a fax server.
To start or stop outgoing faxes
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, do the following:
Select Disable submission of new outgoing faxes to prevent users from submitting new faxes to the Outgoing folder. Clear this check box to restart fax submissions.
Select Disable transmission of outgoing faxes to prevent faxes from being sent from the Outgoing folder. Clear this check box to restart fax transmissions.
Configure the outbox and outgoing transmissions
The outbox folder is the queue of all faxes that are waiting to be sent or are in the process of being sent. If you send faxes using multiple fax devices, the outbox is the collective queue for all these devices. After a fax is sent successfully, it is moved to the archive.
You can view the Outbox folder by using Windows Fax and Scan.
Administrators can use Fax Service Manager to configure the following properties for the outbox and outgoing faxes:
Include banner. You can add a banner to outgoing faxes. A banner is text that is added to each page of a transmitted fax. The banner format cannot be modified. However, if all the banner information does not fit, a shorter version appears. Information in a banner includes:
Date and time of transmission
TSID of sender
Recipient phone number (full version of banner only)
Page of total pages
Allow use of personal cover pages. You can enable users to attach custom cover pages to outgoing faxes. If you do not enable this feature, then users connecting to a fax server with a remote fax printer connection can only choose cover page templates located on the fax server computer.
Use device Transmitting Subscriber ID (TSID). You can specify that the TSID specified for the device should be used. If you do not enable this option, the TSID used in the outgoing fax is the sender's fax number, as specified on the Sender Information properties page. However, if you send a fax programmatically, the TSID parameter specified in the application programming interface (API) will be used instead of the sender's fax number.
Number of retries. You can set the number of retries for attempting to resend faxes following an unsuccessful connection attempt or transmission failure. If the maximum number of retries is reached, the outgoing fax remains in the outbox until it is deleted or until you restart the failed transmission.
Retry after. You can set the number of minutes between attempts to retry fax transmission. When the maximum number of retries has been exhausted, the user can restart the transmission, which resets the transmission attempts.
Discount rate start and stop. You can specify times when discount rates for the fax line apply and send faxes during these times. A discount rate fax job can never start transmission outside the specified discount period. However, for a long fax, a discount rate fax job might have some part of its transmission outside the specified discount period.
Automatically delete faxes older than. You can specify that failed faxes in the fax queue should be automatically deleted periodically. The fax queue consists of the Outbox folder and Incoming folder.
To configure the outbox and outgoing fax transmissions
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
On the Outbox tab, do the following:
Select Include banner to print transmission information on the edge of each page of outgoing faxes.
Select Allow use of personal cover pages to allow users to use cover pages from their personal cover pages folder when sending faxes.
Select Use device Transmitting Subscriber ID (TSID) to include identification information about a fax device to a fax recipient.
In Number of retries, enter the number of times to attempt to resend a failed outgoing fax.
In Retry after, enter the number of minutes to wait before trying to resend a failed outgoing fax.
In Discount rate start, specify the time at which discount line rates will be taken into account when sending faxes.
In Discount rate stop, specify the time at which discount line rates will no longer be taken into account when sending faxes.
Select Automatically delete faxes older than <number> days to set a duration to automatically delete failed faxes that are not sent and remain in the outbox.
Configure fax delivery receipts
Delivery notification receipts provide users with information about the success or failure of their sent faxes. The following options can be configured for delivery receipts:
Enable SMTP e-mail receipts delivery. An e-mail receipt is sent to the user who sent the fax, to confirm whether the fax has been sent correctly. To configure this option, you must specify an e-mail address from which receipts will be sent to fax senders, the IP address of the SMTP server, and the port number of the SMTP service. You must also select the appropriate authentication method for accessing the SMTP server. The following authentication methods can be chosen:
Anonymous access. All users can access the SMTP server, which in effect disables authentication.
Basic authentication. You can specify a user name and password for access to the SMTP server. The password is sent over the network in standard text.
Integrated Windows Authentication. You can specify a user name and password for access to the SMTP server using Integrated Windows Authentication.
After this receipt option is enabled and configured, a user who sends a fax by using Windows Fax and Scan (or using Fax Console in Windows XP) can request an e-mail to confirm that the fax was sent without error.
To configure delivery receipts for sent faxes
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
On the Receipts tab, select the Enable SMTP e-mail receipts delivery check box and then do the following:
In From e-mail address, type the e-mail address from which the receipt will be sent.
In Server address, type the IP address of the SMTP server from which the receipts will be sent.
In Port, type the port number.
Also on the Receipts tab, click Authentication, and then, based on how your SMTP server is set up, do one of the following:
Click Anonymous access if this is sufficient to access the SMTP server.
Click Basic authentication, click Credentials, and then type a user name and password.
Click Integrated Windows Authentication if NTLM authentication is needed to access the SMTP server, click Credentials, and then type a user name and password.
Configure outgoing routing
You can use Outgoing Routing in Fax Service Manager to configure routing rules for outgoing faxes to optimize use of available fax devices. To do this, you can create rules to associate a device or group of devices with faxes sent to a specific domestic area code or to a specific country/region.
Create a fax device group
You can use Fax Service Manager to create groups of one or more fax devices, and then associate outgoing rules with these groups. For example, you can designate specific fax devices to send faxes to only specific destinations.
By default, there is a group, All devices, that cannot be deleted. You can add or remove groups, or devices from groups, at any time. A device can also belong to one or more groups simultaneously.
When you create a new group, it is not active until you add a fax device to it. Groups that do not contain devices display a mark over the group folder icon.
Outgoing faxes are routed to groups according to the outgoing routing rules. Fax Service Manager notes the destination of the fax, routes it to the appropriate group, and accesses the first available device in that group for transmission.
To create or delete a fax device group
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Fax, double-click Outgoing Routing, right-click Groups, point to New, and then click Group.
In the Add New Group dialog box, type a group name then click OK.
To later delete the group, right-click the group name, and then click Delete.
Add or remove a fax device in a group
To perform this procedure, you must first have created a group. You can add or remove devices from groups at any time. A device can also belong to one or more groups simultaneously. Fax devices in a group can be sorted into priority order, so that the highest priority device in a group will attempt to send a fax first. If it is busy, the next highest priority device will attempt to send.
To add or remove a fax device in a group
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Fax, double-click Outgoing Routing, and then double-click Groups.
Right-click the group to which you want to add a device, point to New, and then click Device(s).
In Add New Device(s), click the device that you want to add, and then click OK.
To change the priority order of devices within a group, in the right pane, right-click a device, click Move Up or Move Down, and then click Yes to confirm.
To later remove the device from the group, in the right pane, right-click the device, and then click Delete.
Add or delete a fax routing rule
You can use Fax Service Manager to create rules for routing outgoing faxes. For example, you can create a group for local destinations and another for domestic long distance destinations, or a group for a specific foreign destination.
Using these rules helps you ensure that your fax devices are used efficiently, and outgoing faxes do not spend idle time in queues. If all of the devices in a group are constantly busy, or if faxes accumulate within queues, check the group and rule configurations.
To add or delete a routing rule for outgoing faxes
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Fax, and then double-click Outgoing Routing.
Right-click Rules, point to New, and then click Rule.
In Add New Rule, if you know the country/region code, type it in Country/region code. If you are not sure of the code, click Select. In the list, click a country/region, and then click OK.
In Area code, select Specific to limit the rule within the selected country/region, and then type the area code, or select All areas to apply the rule to the entire country or region.
In Target device, if you want the rule to apply to a specific device or routing group, do one of the following:
If you want the rule to apply to a device, select Device, and then select a device from the list.
If you want the rule to apply to a routing group, select Routing group, and then select a group from the list.
Step 6: Set up user accounts
User accounts
Windows Server 2012 provides fax-related user accounts for more privacy and better organization and management of faxes. Users can use accounts for accessing different types of fax services such as the local fax modem and a fax server.
Your users must have an account to be able to access a fax server running Windows Server 2012. You can configure a fax server so that when a user uses Windows Fax and Scan for the first time to send a fax, an account is automatically created. If you use this option, as soon as a user connects to the fax server, the account is automatically created.
If you want to limit users connecting to the fax server, you can disable this setting, in which case you must manually create the user accounts for all the users who need to access the fax server. In such a setting, if a user tries to connect to the server without having an account already, the connection attempt fails.
To automatically create a user account for a fax server
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, right-click Fax, and then click Properties.
On the Accounts tab, select the Auto-create accounts on connection check box so that an Administrator does not need to explicitly create each user account.
In Reassign Setting, do one of the following:
Click On if you want messages that are received to be reassigned to individual accounts.
Click Off if you want to allow all accounts to access the fax server inbox and view incoming messages.
You can also add or delete user accounts directly.
To manually add a user account for a fax server
Open Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Fax Service Manager.
In the left pane, double-click Fax, and then click Accounts.
In the right pane, view the existing accounts, and then determine which new accounts you want to add.
To add a new account, right-click Accounts, click New, and then click Account.
In Create New Account, provide a user name and domain, and then click OK.
To later delete an account, right-click the account, and then click Delete.
Additional Resources
For more information about Print and Document Services, see the following resources on the Microsoft Web site: