For more information on recommended modems for ActiveXperts SMS Component, click here.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200012: How can i determine whether a GSM Modem is supported by the SMS Component ?
ActiveXperts supports any modem that is compliant with both ETSI GSM 07.05 and ETSI GSM 07.07 standards.
Please note this doesn't necessarily mean that a modem that is compliant to these standards is automatically a good modem. There are many cheap modems around, with different firmware versions etc.
For a list of recommended modems, please click here.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200020: Which cell phones are supported by the SMS Component?
The use of cell phones is not recommended since there's a lot of difference in quality between cell phones make and model. But still most cell phones should work, as long as the phone has a build in modem which supports AT commands (GSM 07.05 and GSM 07.07 specification). Some older Nokia phones don't work, as they use the older F-bus protocol.
NOTE: a lot of modern cellphones running on operating systems such as iOS, Symbian or Android are not or not fully supported, because they cannot be used as...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200027: I have connected my GSM modem to my PC, but I am not able to communicate. What could be the problem?
Please make sure you have correctly installed the drivers for your GSM device (modem, mobile phone) and that the GSM device is correctly connected to it. Then verify that the device is working fine under Windows, otherwise you won't get it to work with ActiveXperts.
To verify that the device is working fine under Windows, make sure you can connect to your phone through HyperTerminal.
On Windows XP/2003 you can install Hyper Terminal through:
Start > (Settings) > Control Panel > Add or Remo...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200030: What's the throughput when sending SMS messages via a mobile phone (or GSM modem)
The SMS throughput when using GSM is approx. 10 - 15 messages per minute per connected GSM modem or GSM phone.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200035: My mobile phone is connected to my PC running SMS Component.
I don't receive as many messages as there are in my mobile phone. My mobile phone (class 10) is connected to my local PC.
Most phones display the messages that are on both phone and SIM card. The SMS Component reads one message storage at a time.
You can indicate which storage to read from in the Receive function of the Gsm object. To read from all supported storage locations in one call use the 'GSM_STORAGETYPE_ALL' constant.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200040: Are USB GSM modems supported by ActiveXperts SMS Component?
Yes, ActiveXperts SMS Component supports USB modems. Usually, USB modems ship with a modem driver, so the modem can be accessed as it were a serial COM device. If the modem does NOT come with a modem driver, you'll need a USB to Serial converter, for example a 'FTDI UC232R' adapter.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200045: Do I need to set hardware flow control when using a GSM Modem?
This depends on the DCE (Data Carrier Equipment), the device to which you are connected. If this device requires hardware flow control, you'll need it too. In most cases, hardware flow control is required; that's why it is enabled by default.
NOTE: when using a Windows Telephony device, hardware flow control settings are inherited from the device settings and do not need to be set.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200050: Do I need software flow control when using a GSM Modem?
Software flow control is only used for data transfer. To send or receive SMS messages, the modem is in command mode, and therefore the software flow control settings are ignored.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200065: What is a GSM modem and how can I use it with ActiveXperts SMS Component?
a GSM modem is a dedicated device that you can connect to your PC or server to send and receive SMS messages. It works similar to a GSM phone connected to you PC, but it is faster and much more reliable.
here is a list of GSM modems that are recommended by ActiveXperts.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200070: Is it possible to check the signal strength before actually sending an SMS message ?
Yes it can be done, by using the 'SendCommand' function. The SendCommand function is member function of the Gsm object.
The following sample (VBScript) shows how to achieve this:
Dim objGsm, objSmsMessage, strCmdResponse, strBuffer
Set objGsm = CreateObject("AxSms.Gsm")
Set objSmsMessage = CreateObject("AxSms.Message")
objGsm.LogFile = "log.txt"
' Open the first TAPI device
sDevName = objGsm.FindFirstDevice
Wscript.Echo "Opening: " & sDevName
objGsm.Open sDevName
If objGsm.LastEr...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200075: What baud rate should I select for my GSM modem?
Make sure that your GSM modem is operating at 115200 bps. To change the baud rate of your GSM modem,
setup a connection to the modem using HyperTerminal and type the following command:
AT+IPR=115200 <ENTER>
Then, close the HyperTerminal sessions and open it again using the new baudrate (115200 in this case)
Type the following command to save the new baudrate in the modem :
AT&W <ENTER>
NOTE 1: When the modem is connected through Bluetooth or Infrared, we recommend 11...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200085: I want to use my WaveCom Fastrack modem but can't find a Windows Telephony driver for the modem. Can I only use the modem through the direct serial COM port ?
WaveCom Fastrack modems do not ship with a Windows Telephony driver. You should use the Standard 56000 bps modem.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200090: We use multiple GSM lines in our application, how can we identify which modem is on which line ?
The Gsm object has properties to return the manufacturer, model, revision and the serial number of an open device. Use the 'SerialNr' property to distinguish between multiple identical modems.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200095: I can't see my Windows Telephony Devices in the ASP sample. How come?
No, this is not a bug. On the web server, the IUSR_<computername> credentials are used for all SMS operations. The IUSR_<computername> is only member of the Guests group by default, and has no privileges to list the TAPI devices. By adding the IUSR_<computername> account to the Local Administrator group, you will be able to see all telephony devices.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200100: What's the meaning of +CME ERROR: 3 ?
It means that the GSM modem is hanging. You need to reset (power-off/power-on) the GSM modem manually.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200107: Can ActiveXperts SMS Component read the mobile number associated with the SIM card in my GSM modem?
Unfortunately, this is not possible. This is not a restriction of the software, but a security restriction of SIM cards.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200110: Is it possible to send one SMS message to multiple recipients in one go?
No this cannot be done. This is not a limitation of ActiveXperts SMS Component, but the network accepts only one message at a time. You need to set the
ToAddress property and call the SendSms function for each recipient.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200115: Can I send SMS messages using GPRS ?
First of all, you need a modem that supports GPRS. You also need a provider that supports GPRS (not all providers support GRPS).
To send an SMS through GPRS, add the following to your modem initialization string:
AT+CGATT=1;AT+CGSMS=0
The first command enables GPRS (disabled by default); the second command specifies to send SMS over GPRS instead of GSM.
You can now send SMS messages over GSM. However, if the provider does NOT support GPRS, you will receive the following error:
+CM...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200120: What happens to new incoming messages when the SIM/Phone memory is full ?
You won't loose the message. The new message is simply not accepted by your GSM modem, and the provider will queue the messages (usually for a few days) until there is free space on the memory card again.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200125: I am not able to receive any messages using my GSM modem. Sending is OK. What can be the reason for this?
There can be various reasons for this problem, depending on the phone or modem model you are using:
The software is not able to detect the correct message storage. In this case, select the storage manually by clicking the "Receive Options" in the demo application.
In your own application you can set the storage as a parameter to the Receive function.
On some GSM modem models, the combined storage does not work as expected: It is not a combined storage containing the SIM + Memory messages, but a...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200130: When I try to retrieve SMS messages from my mobile phone, I am getting the following error message: "Preferred message storage not supported on this phone".
Most probably, you are using a GSM phone running on the Symbian OS. This phone does not allow you to receive messages through the built in GSM modem. The only solution is to use another phone or a GSM modem (recommended). Some phones which cannot be used to receive SMS:
Nokia 6600
Nokia 7200
Nokia N-series
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200145: Can I send SMS data messages using GSM?
Yes you can. If you set the BodyFormat property of a Message object to BODYFORMAT_HEX, it is possible to fill the Body property with HEX encoded data.This can be send though all supported SMS protocol (GSM, SMPP, HTTP).
Don't forget to set the DataCoding property to DATACODING_DATA if required.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200147: I want to use the ActiveXperts SMS Component to dial a number. Is this possible ?
Yes, it is possible. You can let the modem dial to a phone number by sending an AT dial command to the modem.
You should to use the SendCommand function. For example:
Dim objGsm
Set objGsm = CreateObject( "AxSms.Gsm" )
objGsm.SendCommand( "ATD+31638740161", 20000 )
It is not always possible to check whether the call was successful, the response can be different on various modem models, some
reply with "OK" when the connection is setup, while others only return an error when the call ...
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200150: I'm using a GSM modem (WaveCom Fastrack). The following error comes up: "Error#30351: Unexpected response from modem". In the log file, I see some undisplayable characters being received from the modem. What could be the problem?
Most probably, the baud rate causes the problem: COM port and modem are not sending/receiving at the same speed. We strongly recommend to use 115200bps. Two things you need to do:
1. Make sure that your COM port is configured to use 115200bps. To do so, open
the Windows Device manager and click on COM1-properties. There you can set
it to 115200bps.
2. Set the modem to 115200bps. The following FAQ item describes how to set
your modem to a different speed: FAQ#Q4200075.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200210: Is it possible to use USSD queries, for instance to check the credit-level of my prepaid card ?
Yes, It's possible to send USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) commands.
These messages are different from standard SMS messages, and such requests are usually not charged by the provider.
These messages can be sent using the SMS Component by using the "SendCommand" function of the Gsm object.
The trial version of the SMS Component also contains a number of samples which illustrate the use of USSD over GSM
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
Q4200220: Is it possible to change the SMSC address stored in my GSM modem ?
By setting the PreferredSmsc property, you can specify which SMSC should be used to send out SMS messages.
SMS Component > SMS via GSM
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