Today we use a product from MultiTech Systems call MultiModem iSMS to send SMS text messages from our monitoring system to our on call staff. This is a 2G product and we need to replace it soon. I know there are more generic cellular modems that can do texting if you are willing to put in the effort, the product we use currently though has a simple HTTP based API specifically to send SMS. Is anybody out there using something similar that can work on 3G or 4G networks?
Graham Johnston
Network Planner
Westman Communications Group
204.717.2829
johnstong@westmancom.com<mailto:johnstong@westmancom.com>
P think green; don't print this email.
Hi,
Today we use a product from MultiTech Systems call MultiModem iSMS to send SMS text messages from our monitoring system to our on call staff. This is a 2G product and we need to replace it soon. I know there are more generic cellular modems that can do texting if you are willing to put in the effort, the product we use currently though has a simple HTTP based API specifically to send SMS. Is anybody out there using something similar that can work on 3G or 4G networks?
we have a Linux box with a 3G device attached via serial port. some
local scripts and a lookup table - sends SMS alerts for monitoring to
the required people. very basic, very simple. RaspberryPI territory.
alan
Take a look at
https://learn.adafruit.com/network-interface-failover-using-fona
If you want to see what Alan is talking about. I’ve not used the Adafruit card, yet. But it’s on my hacking list of to-do.
johno
I know a bunch of people who just use email -> sms gateways (although I
think all carriers have a disclaimer that messages aren't guaranteed).
Depending on your SMS costs, you could also outsource this to a service
such as Twilio.
As Alan said, RaspberryPi should be able to handle this for under $100
worth of equipment (including the Pi & Cell modem).
For most of us, the issue is that we don’t want to do this over the Internet, since that’s what we are monitoring 
-mel
Wow, that brings back some memories - they made rock-solid datasets and modems and terminal concentrators, back in the day.
Good to know they're still around!
If you don't mind integrating a solution (for greater flexibility)
Take a look at the Mikrotik router + Cellular Modem + M2M Plan.
e.g.
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Cellular_SIMcom_modems_01
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Option_Globetrotter_HSDPA_USB_Modem
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Tools/Sms
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Monitoring_Network_thru_SMS_Alerts
https://aacable.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/howto-enable-mikrotik-to-sendreceive-sms-using-gsm-modem/
BTW. One of the folks who is a subject matter expert on Mikrotik + Cell Modem etc is Brian Vargas of Baltic Networks.
etc etc etc...
Faisal Imtiaz
Snappy Internet & Telecom
7266 SW 48 Street
Miami, FL 33155
Tel: 305 663 5518 x 232
Help-desk: (305)663-5518 Option 2 or Email: Support@Snappytelecom.net
Here we use SMSTools (http://smstools3.kekekasvi.com/) on a Linux box
with a Multitech Serial/USB modem. It takes formatted text files from a
spooling directory. It never let us down since some years.
HTH
- leo
I dropped the SMS messages after I found the aNag Android app. Granted it
requires that people on call stay within areas with cell data or wifi
coverage, but I found that this is not a great problem around here.
The app approach gives a much richer experience. It will keep buzzing until
acknowledge, unlike a message that can be overheard. It even solves the
problem with using the internet for communication while monitoring the
internet - because if the monitoring server is unavailable that is an alarm
by itself.
Even though it polls once a minute, it does not ruin your dataplan. Last
month my aNag used 25 MB on mobile and 17 MB on wifi according to my
cellphone.
And best of all, it is really simple. No need to buy any hardware or put a
lot of effort into it. It is an app that monitors your existing monitoring
system directly.
Regards,
Baldur
The multitech multimodems I run seem to like rebooting an awful lot, they do it at least daily.
At another position I did like the SMS FoxBox ( http://www.smsfoxbox.it/ ), which had a simple http put command (amongst other interfaces) which allowed you to send text messages. The do seem to have gone up in price a bit since 2008 however, but they did never fail on me over the 6years they were in service (sample size was 2 units, so not the best indicator).
// nick
With earlier releases I did see our unit "lock up", in the sense they
wouldn't send messages. A reboot resolved those issues. The last two or
three releases from Multitech for iSMS have been solid, none of those issues
anymore.
Frank
