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NowSMS Support Forums ⬆ NowSMS Support - SMS Issues ⬆ Archive through May 07, 2008 ⬆ |
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| Author | Message | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2007 |
We have a licensed version of NowSMS 2007 for 5 messages per minute. When the queue gets more than 5 messages in it the modem stops responding. When this happens we have to remove the modem from NowSMS, power it off, reboot the machine and clear the queue before we can readd the modem and get back to sending/receiving messages. We have tested this by getting the modem back to working and dropping 5 messages into the queue and it will work fine, as soon as we drop 6 messages in there the modem will stop responding. This is also the second Multitech modem we have tried using. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2007 |
Mike Hi, Thanks for your email. Normally, to reach technical support you need to go to www.nowsms.com. Click on Discussion Board and post to the Product Support forum. I went ahead and talked to support on this for you. Here is the response below: Assuming that it is a USB modem, I would suggest de-installing the modem drivers .... and then re-installing. Maybe try a different USB port, or if possible a different computer (since a different modem has already been tried). When the problem occurs, if they shut down the NowSMS services ... and go into the Windows Control Panel ... Phone & Modem Options ... Modems ... Diagnostics ... if they "Query Modem", does Windows report an error connecting to the modem? If it does, then it sounds like something is going wrong at the hardware or modem driver level. It is very odd that the problem seems to be related to the number of messages in the queue. Let me know your results, as I may try to generate a serial number with say 2mpm to see what happens. Thanks and regards, Lisa Smith Now Wireless, Ltd. +1.410.833.8711 mailto:Lisa.Smith@nowwireless.com E&OE | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2007 |
When the problem occurs, if they shut down the NowSMS services ... and go into the Windows Control Panel ... Phone & Modem Options ... Modems ... Diagnostics ... if they "Query Modem", does Windows report an error connecting to the modem? It does report an error. This is the second modem we’ve gotten. The first was the USB version of MultiTech Modem GPRS MTCBA-G-U-F2. The latest modem is the Serial version of the same. Only when we try to queue up more messages than our license allows does the modem stop responding to the point we have to remove it from NowSMS and reboot the machine to get it working again. Windows cannot talk to the modem until we’ve rebooted the server. It’s like the software is locking the modem down. Also… I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell me to use your Discussion Board that has not been used by your support staff since the 8th. The only person that ever seems to respond on their for your company hasn’t logged in since the 8th. Username: Bryce Full Name: Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support E-mail Address: NowSMS@now.co.uk Last Logged In: October 08, 2007 You should also note that I DID post to your board on the 11th. http://support.nowsms.com/discus/messages/1/22949.h tml I waited 5 days before emailing directly. I tried to follow what your site says for support but received none. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2007 |
Since I wasn't getting a response I emailed directly. I'm including that interaction here so that when support comes back to the boards they'll see what has already happened regarding my question. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2007 |
From Support: The modem is definitely having a problem. Those errors indicate that there is not a driver problem ... there is just no response coming back from the modem. I suspect that they would have to restart the modem in order for it to come back. Rebooting the PC, restarting NowSMS would likely have no effect. Some modems get confused when they are sending and receiving at the same time ... which is the type of activity that the previous log seemed to show happening. Changing the "SMS Message Storage" option to be "Direct to Modem" may resolve the problem. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2007 |
Indeed changing the "SMS Message Storage" option fixed this problem with both of my multitech modems! Woohoo! | |||
| Malcolm - Now Support Moderator Username: Malcolm Post Number: 187 Registered: 12-2006 |
Hi Mike, Thanks for posting your follow-up information. I wish we could make the "SMS Message Storage" = "Direct to Modem" be the default setting. Unfortunately, it causes problems with some mobile phones that have built-in modem capability. But it is a much better choice for dedicated modem devices. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2007 |
Well, I apparently spoke too soon as the problem is still presenting just not nearly as bad. I sent 4 messages to the queue via http post. 1 of the messages failed to send (so nowsms told me) but I did get the message. The other 3 messages went to different people. Not sure why nowsms tells me it didn't send the message when I got it though. It also put the modem into the unresponsive state. Here's the tail end of the log where the error happened. 10:57:52:234 [5] ThreadProcessModem: OUT: 0001190B814101859807F4000075D9775D0E6AA6E7F33219347CBBDDE5313DFD7683D0E139485C2E BB41F0F79C5E26BB1A8A8662882E8FD7A0341DF4AED375A0FBFDEE1ABFDF73F4FBED1ABFDB0D4543 519D97E5EE70BBAC03C56831580D87CBDD60B486021A9ECFEF6F395907AAC5E230320D6E06 10:59:53:031 [5] ThreadProcessModem: ERROR - Modem Response (2): OK OK 10:59:53:031 [5] ThreadProcessModem: Error: ERROR - Modem Response (2): OK OK 10:59:55:109 [5] ThreadProcessModem: modem test failed 10:59:56:109 [5] ThreadProcessModem: AT+CNMI=0,0 11:00:01:109 [5] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem 11:00:01:109 [5] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem 11:00:07:109 [5] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemAllocate - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem 11:00:07:125 [5] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemAllocate - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem - OK 11:00:07:125 [5] ThreadProcessModem: Re-initializing modem: MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem ... 11:00:08:796 [5] OpenDevice: Unable to initialize modem: Error 80000018 from lineGetID 11:00:08:796 [5] HammerNonResponsiveModem: Begin 11:00:08:796 [5] HammerNonResponsiveModem: Unable to access modem at COM1: -- Error 5 -- Access is denied. 11:00:08:796 [5] HammerNonResponsiveModem: Another application is already using this device. 11:00:08:796 [5] HammerNonResponsiveModem: FAILED 11:00:08:796 [5] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem 11:00:08:796 [5] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - MultiTech Systems GSM_GPRS Wireless Modem | |||
| Malcolm - Now Support Moderator Username: Malcolm Post Number: 241 Registered: 12-2006 |
I'm not sure what to tell you. The modem is failing to respond to basic AT commands. I think the "Another application is already using this device" is not a real error, and that it is a timing problem. The timing problem is that when Windows fails to init the modem, we then attempt direct COM port access to send some commands that can often bring modems out of non-responsive states. However, when Windows encounters a problem accessing the modem, Windows is delaying releasing the COM port, so we can't send these commands. This is strictly a timing issue, and basically we need to delay a bit and retry. But the bottom line is that this shouldn't be happening in the first place. When the modem sends the message, it should respond "+CMGS: xxx" and then OK. Instead this modem is responding with 2 OK responses, and it is not acknowledging that the message has been sent with the +CMGS response. After we see this "OK OK" response ... we send the modem a very simple command to test to see if the modem is responding (ATE0V1) .... and we don't get a response from the modem. At that point, we close the connection to the modem and attempt to re-initialise it. The Windows modem driver sends a series of AT commands to initialise the modem, and if the driver gets invalid responses from the modem, this is what triggers the "Error 80000018 from lineGetID" in the debug log. NowSMS then tries direct COM port access to send a series of commands to try to wake up a non-responsive modem. I'm not too optimistic about making any suggestions, because this is just very odd behaviour. But here are a few ideas. What version of NowSMS is being used? It may be worth trying the version at http://www.nowsms.com/download/nowsmslatest.zip to see if this behaves any differently. Also, when using that "SMS Message Storage" = "Direct to Modem" setting, note that there are two different choices ... "Direct to Modem" and "Direct to Modem - phase 2+". Some modems do not work well with the "phase 2+" setting (and this might be why we are seeing the double OK). Another suggestion ... since the attempts to bring the modem out of a non-responsive state are failing because of timing issues, it may be worth re-configuring NowSMS to go direct to COM1 instead of going through the modem driver. In the "SMSC" list, remove the entry for the named modem driver, and use "COM1:" instead. If the modem goes into a non-responsive state again, then hopefully NowSMS will be able to send the various commands it knows about to try to wake up the modem if it is configured to go direct to the COM port. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2007 |
I've updated NowSMS to the latest. It was 2007 but I don't know what minor revision we had before. The Direct to Modem setting is not set to the phase 2+ setting. Set the modem up as COM1 instead of the device. Hope it all works! Since the Direct to Modem change it takes about a day before it will error. | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007 |
Okay, it finally failed again. 14:48:16:703 [11] ThreadProcessConnection: Request processing complete 14:49:19:093 [3] ThreadProcessModem: ERROR - Modem Response (2): OK 14:49:19:093 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Error: ERROR - Modem Response (2): OK 14:49:21:171 [3] ThreadProcessModem: modem test failed 14:49:22:171 [3] ThreadProcessModem: AT+CNMI=0,0 14:49:27:203 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemRelease - COM1: 14:49:27:203 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemRelease - COM1: 14:49:33:203 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Before ModemAllocate - COM1: 14:49:33:203 [3] ThreadProcessModem: After ModemAllocate - COM1: - OK 14:49:33:203 [3] ThreadProcessModem: Re-initializing modem: COM1: ... 14:49:35:218 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 3E4 - 14:49:35:218 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: CancelIo 14:49:36:437 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 3E4 - 14:49:36:437 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: CancelIo 14:52:41:140 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 3E4 - 14:52:41:140 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: CancelIo 14:52:41:531 [3] OpenDevice: Could not negotation modem speed 14:52:41:531 [3] HammerNonResponsiveModem: Begin 14:52:44:750 [3] ReceiveModemCommand: Error - 3E4 - Anymore ideas? | |||
| Malcolm - Now Support Moderator Username: Malcolm Post Number: 265 Registered: 12-2006 |
The same thing is happening on two different Multitech GPRS modems, right? Previously you were using USB, and now serial, correct? The errors in the log ... basically are indicating that we are not getting any responses back from the modem. They are timeout errors. At this point, I'm pretty confident if you tried to query the modem from the modem diagnostics section of the Windows Control Panel Phone & Modem Options, Windows would not be able to talk to the modem either. Or if you tried to talk to the modem with HyperTerminal, that wouldn't work either ... until the modem is rebooted. Maybe there is a firmware issue with the modem. We have one of these modems laying around, so I will fire it up for some testing to see if I can recreate any problems. I probably will not be able to do that until late tomorrow. In the meantime, all I can suggest is black magic, and maybe we'll stumble across something. If I haven't mentioned it already, try setting "SMS Access" to "GPRS". Also, try the "Direct to Modem - phase 2+" option. -malcolm | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2007 |
How is your testing coming? | |||
| Mike Nestor New member Username: Mnestor Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2007 |
It's been over a week now. What's going on? | |||
