Re: [asterisk-users] improved SMS?
On 7/12/07, Russ McBride [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Newbie question(s): From what I can determine it sounds like the SMS messaging isn't as robust as it could be (?). I'm wondering if there's active work on that right now or if it's more of an issue about PSTN carrier that one would be using who would be responsible for passing the messages into the PLMN. Background-- I'm looking into the possibility of setting up an emergency messaging system here at the University that would send out voice, SMS, and emails. Any input relevant to that goal would probably be appreciated. Thanks, IMO the support for SMS in Asterisk is very poor. I think you should not consider Asterisk as part of your SMS solution but instead either talk with your preferred mobile carrier and see what sort of arrangements you can work out with them, or look at one of the SMS broker services. Another option could be using a GSM mobile phone along with a serial cable and some software, but I'm sure if you are doing this on a long-term basis it would be better to get a direct connection with the carrier. ___ --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com-- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
Re: [asterisk-users] improved SMS?
On 17 Jul 2007, at 11:26, Steve Kennedy wrote: On Tue, Jul 17, 2007 at 11:56:35AM +0200, Anselm Martin Hoffmeister wrote: Am Donnerstag, den 12.07.2007, 16:57 -0700 schrieb Russ McBride: Newbie question(s): From what I can determine it sounds like the SMS messaging isn't as robust as it could be (?). I'm wondering if there's active work on that right now or if it's more of an issue about PSTN carrier that one would be using who would be responsible for passing the messages into the PLMN. Background-- I'm looking into the possibility of setting up an emergency messaging system here at the University that would send out voice, SMS, and emails. Any input relevant to that goal would probably be appreciated. Hi Russ, my personal experience with short messages is that the system sometimes chews on them for minutes, sometimes several hours, even inside one mobile network, from cell phone to cell phone. This surely screws using it as a primary tier emergency system, but as a backup after e- mail and automated phone-out that could be OK. Sending from web-interfaces or via Uwhatever-that-protocol-is-called will not improve the overall performance. SMS was never designed for guaranteed delivery (or guaranteed timed delivery). There are options for messages to time out if they're not delivered in a specified time, or new messages can override old messages that haven't been read yet - but delivery isn't guaranteed. A phone sending an SMS will try and establish a connection (sort of) all the way through to the receiving phone and then deliver the message, if it cant it will be sent to the receiving network's SMSC which will then try and deliver it. If it gets put into a queue then the delivery time will vary drastically depending on the load on the SMSC and other network characteristics. Fixed to SMS always goes through an SMSC, so delivery times vary. Steve Just to add, that there is a delivery receipt option you can set on the sending message. If your code watches for this receipt , it can tell when/if an SMS has been delivered to the destination phone. Tim. ___ --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com-- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
Re: [asterisk-users] improved SMS?
Am Donnerstag, den 12.07.2007, 16:57 -0700 schrieb Russ McBride: Newbie question(s): From what I can determine it sounds like the SMS messaging isn't as robust as it could be (?). I'm wondering if there's active work on that right now or if it's more of an issue about PSTN carrier that one would be using who would be responsible for passing the messages into the PLMN. Background-- I'm looking into the possibility of setting up an emergency messaging system here at the University that would send out voice, SMS, and emails. Any input relevant to that goal would probably be appreciated. Hi Russ, my personal experience with short messages is that the system sometimes chews on them for minutes, sometimes several hours, even inside one mobile network, from cell phone to cell phone. This surely screws using it as a primary tier emergency system, but as a backup after e-mail and automated phone-out that could be OK. Sending from web-interfaces or via Uwhatever-that-protocol-is-called will not improve the overall performance. Considering all options to send out SMs: - Asterisk, SMS() app to a landline SMS gateway - Web interface with script/wget - Uwhatever-modem-dialup the second seems the easiest to use to me, and in my experience the first tends to choke on some messages, be it 1 in 100 - still not 100% perfect. The web interface method surely is by far cheaper than the other two, at least here in Germany, where #1 will be charged as a call-to-cellphone, first minute, about 17 cent, and #3 if available for the network you want to use will be similar. With the web interface approach you also get rid of the problem of number portability: The #3 approach will only deliver the message if you connect to the provider that the number currently is contracted to, while #2 will not care about that (#1 should also work). You see I tend to prefer the web-based thing. If you intend to send emergeny SMs, please try and find a trustworthy supplier. In the European price scale the cheapest readily found providers will charge about 3 cent per message, but if you go for the 10 cent providers you will find higher reliability (without routing messages to Germany through a Romanian mobile network to save money). Those messages directly inserted into the destination network are sold as provider messages here, opposed to cheapest or economy or whatever euphemism for crap they invent. Do not mistake me though: For fun messages they use to be good enough. If you talk about emergency, a few cent probably will not make a huge difference though, and time might be an issue. BR Anselm ___ --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com-- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
Re: [asterisk-users] improved SMS?
On Tue, Jul 17, 2007 at 11:56:35AM +0200, Anselm Martin Hoffmeister wrote: Am Donnerstag, den 12.07.2007, 16:57 -0700 schrieb Russ McBride: Newbie question(s): From what I can determine it sounds like the SMS messaging isn't as robust as it could be (?). I'm wondering if there's active work on that right now or if it's more of an issue about PSTN carrier that one would be using who would be responsible for passing the messages into the PLMN. Background-- I'm looking into the possibility of setting up an emergency messaging system here at the University that would send out voice, SMS, and emails. Any input relevant to that goal would probably be appreciated. Hi Russ, my personal experience with short messages is that the system sometimes chews on them for minutes, sometimes several hours, even inside one mobile network, from cell phone to cell phone. This surely screws using it as a primary tier emergency system, but as a backup after e-mail and automated phone-out that could be OK. Sending from web-interfaces or via Uwhatever-that-protocol-is-called will not improve the overall performance. SMS was never designed for guaranteed delivery (or guaranteed timed delivery). There are options for messages to time out if they're not delivered in a specified time, or new messages can override old messages that haven't been read yet - but delivery isn't guaranteed. A phone sending an SMS will try and establish a connection (sort of) all the way through to the receiving phone and then deliver the message, if it cant it will be sent to the receiving network's SMSC which will then try and deliver it. If it gets put into a queue then the delivery time will vary drastically depending on the load on the SMSC and other network characteristics. Fixed to SMS always goes through an SMSC, so delivery times vary. Steve -- NetTek Ltd UK mob +44-(0)7775 755503 UK +44-(0)20 79932612 / US +1-(310)8577715 / Fax +44-(0)20 7483 2455 Skype/GoogleTalk/AIM/Gizmo/Mac stevekennedyuk / MSN [EMAIL PROTECTED] Euro Tech News Blog http://eurotechnews.blogspot.com ___ --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com-- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
[asterisk-users] improved SMS?
Newbie question(s): From what I can determine it sounds like the SMS messaging isn't as robust as it could be (?). I'm wondering if there's active work on that right now or if it's more of an issue about PSTN carrier that one would be using who would be responsible for passing the messages into the PLMN. Background-- I'm looking into the possibility of setting up an emergency messaging system here at the University that would send out voice, SMS, and emails. Any input relevant to that goal would probably be appreciated. Thanks, Russ Russ McBride Programmer/Analyst TAS/IST University of California at Berkeley 510-643-6853 ___ --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com-- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
