Sending SMS from computer

[squidgy]

Has anyone ever managed to get this to work?

I'm not interested in the internet-based services like Genie and ICQ, I'd prefer to use a TAP client to dial SMS service centres directly with my modem, because I reckon that this will be more reliable. You see, I don't have a mobile phone at the moment.

I've found a freeware one at http://www.mawnet.com called SMS-it! but so far, it doesn't work. It makes my modem dial ok, but messages never get through.

Anyone have any ideas? Could it be that I've configured modem wrongly? Or is it more likely that the SMS service centres are rejecting my messages for some reason? How do I tell the difference? In the message log, it says "SMS service does not respond =>" for all the service centres I've tried so far.

Thanks.

[squidgy]

It's occurred to me that if I can get it to work at all, then using a USA-based service centre number might be cheaper than using a UK-based one. Have tried Orange and Cellnet in the UK, and NexTel and Ameritech in the USA, but it always fails. Here's the terminal response I got when I tried Ameritech. (3125149243 is the SMS service centre number in the USA, by the way, so I just configured it to make an international call to it using Superline indirect access.)

[2001/06/24 23:25:37.430] DIAL 1461,0013125149243
[2001/06/24 23:25:50.230] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:52.320] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:52.320] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:54.400] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:54.400] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:56.490] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:56.490] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:58.520] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:25:58.520] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:26:00.610] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:26:00.610] Command {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:26:02.640] Timeout error {,ID=,,,2000}
[2001/06/24 23:26:02.640] SMS service does not respond =>1461,0013125149243

I can't make head nor tail of this. Mind you, I noticed modem noises which actually stop shortly after the call is answered. If you try dialling the number from an ordinary phone, you get modem whistles, but they don't stop! So presumably something's going on. Anyone got any ideas? Thanks.

[Rainbow Warrior]

I'm only guessing here, but have you registered with the SMSC ? Just that it looks like the server at the other end is waiting for the password/username. It says on the website:


Setting up an account with an Internet SMSC

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to send a message through one of the Internet SMSC you need to set up an account with one.

They usually charge you for a block of messages, so if you intend to send only one or two, you may be better of using one of the direct dial-up SMSC. (The direct dial-up SMSC charge you through the cost of the phone call, on a per message base)

SMS-it supports the following Internet SMSC

CrazySMS
(Deltica does currently not work with SMS-it as they are changing their protocols...)

Once you have registered with one of the above companies they will e-mail you a userID and a password. Then you need to enter those detail in SMS-it under System->SMS Centrals and edit the one you have registered with.


That's the only reason I can suggest at the moment

[Rainbow Warrior]

Have a look at "Cell Buddy" on this page:

http://www.nokia-mobile-phones.co.uk/software.htm

[squidgy]

Thanks for the suggestion RW. I'd have thought, though, that having to register only applies to SMSC's that you connect to using the internet, and it doesn't apply to dial-up SMSC's that you dial directly, without using the internet. Could be wrong, though .....

I mean, my modem quite happily connects to the internet and sends faxes, so I don't see why it shouldn't be able to send text messages to a dial-up SMSC. Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the modem, but it still doesn't work.

Thanks for the link, though, it could be a problem with the SMS-it! software, the description of Smart SMS describes it as doing the same thing, so will give that a try as well.

[squidgy]

Oops ... SmartSMS only sends flash messages, icons and ringtones. It doesn't send ordinary messages. Fortunately download of Cell Buddy has completed as I type this, it's only 269kbytes. Trying again ... :)