"+CMS ERROR: 38" and "+CMS ERROR: 21"

"+CMS ERROR: 38" and "+CMS ERROR: 21" SearchSearch
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Daniel Liu
New member
Username: Daniel5211

Post Number: 3
Registered: 06-2009
Posted on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 06:53 am:   

Dear Board Administrator,

During using NowSMS, I met a confused problem recently.

The software I used about 2 years,three days ago, I tried to send a wap push or provisioning, but sent failed, the error info get from log as below:
Retry Pending - ERROR - Modem Response (2): +CMS ERROR: 38 -- COM1:

I inserted another operators 3G SIM card to Modem,send all of the messages are normally.

But I inserted this operators's 2G SIM card to Modem, send wap push or provisioning, sent also failed,but the error info change to:
Retry Pending - ERROR - Modem Response (2): +CMS ERROR: 21 -- COM1:

Please help to clear the problem.What the "+CMS ERROR: 38" and "+CMS ERROR: 21" means? What can I do for this?

Thanks very much.
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 1857
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 08:45 pm:   

Hi Daniel,

Are text messages ok and only WAP Push messages affected?

What operator?

"CMS ERROR: 21" means that the mobile operator is actively rejecting/blocking this message.

We have heard reports that AT&T in the USA has started blocking all mobile originated WAP Push messages for some reason.

"CMS ERROR: 38" means that the "network is out of order" ... in other words that something is not working properly. I wouldn't rely too much on this meaning, however, as it could be that the modem is receiving an unexpected response that is rejecting the message, and it is returning error 38 instead of 21.

What are the mobile operator SIMs involved? Perhaps someone else will have some first-hand experience.

The only setting in NowSMS that might make a difference is the "SMS Access" setting under "Properties" for the modem in the "SMSC" list. The GPRS or GSM settings are not 2G specific, they refer to packe8t-switched (GPRS) or circuit-switched (GSM) submission of SMS to the operator SMSC.

If only WAP Push messages are failing, I am suspicious that the operator might be blocking them.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
Daniel Liu
New member
Username: Daniel5211

Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2009
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2010 - 03:04 am:   

Dear Desosms,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm a user come from china, both of the two operator CMCC&CU met these problem.

Not only WAP Push messages, but also provisioning have the same problem;maybe provisioning is another kinds of the push message?

After I test, the result as below:
send wap push or provisioning with CMCC SIM card, error 38 will be returned;
send wap push or provisioning with Beijing CU SIM card , error 21 will be returned;
but send the same message with Guangzhou(another city of china) CU SIM card, send is normal.

About error 38, your means maybe the operator rejected and sent a unexpected response to modem,and modem return 38? Is possible the modem problem not operator?

thank a lot.
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 1873
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2010 - 05:10 pm:   

Hi Daniel,

OMA Provisioning Content uses WAP Push. So if WAP Push messages are being blocked, it would also block OMA Provisioning Content.


quote:

About error 38, your means maybe the operator rejected and sent a unexpected response to modem,and modem return 38? Is possible the modem problem not operator?




I don't think it is a modem problem. What I am saying is that if the operator is blocking the message, they might be returning an error code that the modem does not expect, so the modem returns error 38 indicating a network failure.

Unfortunately, my only suggestions are:

1.) Try more SIMs.

2.) Edit SMSGW.INI, and under the [SMSGW] header, add BinaryDCS=4. Then restart the NowSMS service. This changes the data coding value that NowSMS uses when sending WAP push messages ... it uses 4 instead of 0xF5. Usually 0xF5 works best, but in a few environments it has been necessary to use 4 instead. Note that when you change this setting it only effects messages submitted after the service is restarted. It does not effect messages already in the queue.

If this setting does not seem to make a difference, remove it from the SMSGW.INI file to go back to the default setting.



--
Des
NowSMS Support
Daniel Liu
New member
Username: Daniel5211

Post Number: 5
Registered: 06-2009
Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 02:19 am:   

Hi Desosms,

I had do the change according to your suggestion, but the result is same as before.

Thanks for your explanation,if I confirm that it is the operator's block, I will update the information here.
young
New member
Username: Young

Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2010
Posted on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 04:27 pm:   

Hi Daniel,

I encounter same problem in Shanghai.
Do you resolve this issue?
young
New member
Username: Young

Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2010
Posted on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 05:00 pm:   

Hi Desosms,

If Modem Response (2): +CMS ERROR: 21, is it possible to relate with mobile terminal support to send binary SMS or not?

In my previous company, I can use Alcatel OT-735i + CMCC SIM card to send WAP Push, OTA Provisionging, binary SMS for MMS Notification message.
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 2412
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 10:48 pm:   

Hi young,

It can be extremely difficult to determine if push messages are being blocked, or if there is a problem with the modem.

Some modems (mostly Motorola phones) do have problems with messages that include user data header.

Aside from the suggestions above (different SIMs and trying BinaryDCS=4), I'd suggest this:

1.) Try sending a long text message that requires multiple SMS segments. (> 160 text characters or > 70 Unicode text characters) If that works ok, it is not a problem with the modem not being able to handle User Data Header.

2.) Try sending a simple text message to an arbitrary destination port using the NowSMS web interface. The port number doesn't matter, try 9000 for example. If that message goes, try sending to the WAP Push port 2948 ... does that message get sent?

Let me know, and I'll try to interpret what the test results mean, and if there is anything else that can be tried.

--
Des
NowSMS Support

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