Fastrack (Wavecom) gsm modem becomes unresponsive spontaneously...

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Aabi Zharf
New member
Username: Aabi_zharf

Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2005 - 01:35 pm:   

We have two wavecom fastrack M1306B-PP gsm modems which we use in NowSMS. The modems are connected via the serial port. After a few hours of operation (usually 12-24 hours) the modem becomes unresponsive for no apparent reason. The LED on the modem which normally blinks, stays ON all the time. We have tried changing the modems and the SIM cards, but the problem persists.

Has anyone had this same problem on any wavecom-based gsm modem? Is there any AT command I can send to modem at this time to get more info on what has gone wrong?

Any help is greately appreciated.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 4539
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 09:36 pm:   

There's another forum participant out (Ashot S), who has mentioned that Wavecom modems seem to be unstable when sending SMS messages using SMS over GPRS for extended periods of time.

http://support.nowsms.com/discus/messages/1/4218.html

It sounds like Wavecom needs to issue a firmware update, but I don't have any further details.

When this problem happens, are you able to exit NowSMS and actually send any AT commands to the modem?

If you can, I would try sending AT+CGATT=0 to detach from GPRS, and see if that might wake things up.

What happens with NowSMS? Does the modem start rejecting messages?

-bn
Aabi Zharf
New member
Username: Aabi_zharf

Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 02:12 pm:   

We are using this modem to send SMS over GSM. The network does not support GPRS at all.

Yes, when the modem entered into the unresponsive mode, it stopped responding to NowSMS. We had the following lines in the log file:

ThreadProcessModem: ERROR - Error waiting for response from modem (2)
ThreadProcessModem: Error: ERROR - Error waiting for response from modem (2)

I'm also suspect this could be related to the operator. They have been quite sensitive to the new IMEI prefixes in the past. We're following the issue to make sure the device is not blocked in their system.

Yes, the modem responds to at commands at that time, but it is not registered in the network. I'm going to try the AT command you have recommended.

But I have been trying another modem, a Billionton GPRS wireless USB modem. This one worked fine for a couple hours, but it began failing to deliver sms messages over the network and showed the following lines in the log:

16:52:24:218 [3] ThreadProcessModem: ERROR - Error waiting for response from modem (2)
16:52:24:218 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Error: ERROR - Error waiting for response from modem (2)
16:52:24:218 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 5
16:52:30:226 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - COM3:
16:52:30:226 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - COM3:
16:52:36:235 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemAllocate - COM3:
16:52:36:235 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemAllocate - COM3: - OK
16:52:36:235 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Re-initializing modem: COM3: ...
16:52:36:235 [3] OpenDevice: Unable to open device COM3:, error 5
16:52:36:235 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - COM3:
16:52:36:235 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - COM3:
16:52:56:264 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemAllocate - COM3:
16:52:56:264 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemAllocate - COM3: - OK
16:52:56:264 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Re-initializing modem: COM3: ...
16:52:56:264 [3] OpenDevice: Unable to open device COM3:, error 5
16:52:56:264 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - COM3:
16:52:56:264 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - COM3:

I couldn't find anything about "error 5" when I searched the forum. Could you help us find what's going on?

Thanks
Aabi Zharf
New member
Username: Aabi_zharf

Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 03:14 pm:   

I just noticed that I can't connect to the Modem using Hyperterminal even when I stop the NowSMS service. By the way, I am using Remote Desktop to connect to the server all the time. Could it be the cause? I have read in posts that this makes a difference, though I have no idea how such a remote connection could affect the operation of a serial device attached to the server.
ashot shahbazian
New member
Username: Animatele

Post Number: 35
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 07:22 pm:   

. We have two wavecom fastrack M1306B-PP gsm modems which we use in NowSMS. The modems are connected via the serial port. After a few hours of operation (usually 12-24 hours) the modem becomes unresponsive for no apparent reason.

- disable the modem's Open AT interface by issuing AT+WOPEN=0 once.
- add a commandpreinitX=AT+WAC in the NOWSMS SMSGW.ini file in this modem section. It terminates some processes that make the modem freeze.
- contact your distributor for a latest Wavecom firmware update. Don't try to update it with any version which you are not 100% sure is made for your particular unit, or you would damage it. Wavecom has dozens of different models - some look very similar.
- Make sure that the modem's SIM card is cleared of received messages when the modem is reinitialised. In NowSMS, add a commandpreinitY=at+cmgd=1,4
- "receive SMS messages" for the modem must always be checked, whether you need the received messages or not. If the modem's SIM card and memory are full of incoming messages it would always act up, whether it's a Wavecom or any other GSM modem.
- make sure that the signal strength is not less than -74dbm
- use a directional antenna aimed at the closest BS and query the modem to compare the signal strength from the closest BS to that of the next strongest. The difference should preferrably be not less than 10-13dbm
- disable delivery status reports. If you receive messages with a report flag from third parties this might be causing the problem. I don't know how to make NowSMS remove the flag though. The same is true for incoming messages. If you have high volume of incoming messages it's better to separate the sending modems from the receiving ones.


But I have been trying another modem, a Billionton GPRS wireless USB modem. This one worked fine for a couple hours, but it began failing to deliver sms messages over the network...

It looks like a crappy USB COM port driver, which is very common. Try updating it, and if it doesn't work use COM-port modems, not USB

I just noticed that I can't connect to the Modem using Hyperterminal even when I stop the NowSMS service.

for Wavecom modems, reinitialise it by issuing AT+CFUN=1 - the only command it would accept in its hung mode. Once it's rebooted it would work normally.

I am using Remote Desktop to connect to the server all the time. Could it be the cause?

No, definitely not. RD has no relation to serial connection to your modem. If the USB Comport has crashed sometimes the only way to bring it up would be to either physically unplug/plug it back or reboot the server (to do so remotely, issue shutdown -r -f from the command prompt and log off.)

Hope this helps.






Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 4584
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 09:16 pm:   

This "Error 5" is a new one to me, at least in the context that you are receiving it.

Basically, when talking directly to a COM port, it means "access denied".

Usually this would mean that another application has the COM port open.

However, this statement is bizarre in this context:

16:52:24:218 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 5

Basically, it means that the first instance of Error 5 happened while we already had the modem open.

Based upon this, I would agree with Ashot's assessment. I believe the USB modem driver is buggy, and it looks like an unrecoverable error.

I'd go back to the Wavecom ... and try Ashot's suggestions about CommandPreInit settings. (In case you're not familiar with them, manually edit SMSGW.INI, and under the [Modem - ] section header for your modem, add CommandPreInit0=AT..., then CommandPreInit1=AT..., etc.)

-bn