Connection of modems in different countries

Connection of modems in different countries SearchSearch
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yzhou
New member
Username: Zy_sakura

Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 04:02 pm:   

Hi, I meet some problems while getting a new task as optimization our NOWSMS services for lower the consume.

We'd like to settle down some modems in each country for the local testers, and connect all these modems to one NOWSMS. Does it mean that we need to add the modems in the type “HTTP over TCP/IP”? Is there anything need to be noticed?

And moreover, if all these modems are inside their private networks, do we need to make the mapping or something else?

Look forward to your response, thank you.
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 770
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 04:28 pm:   

Hi yzhou,

If you need separate NowSMS servers, the best way to link them together is using SMPP.

Enable the SMPP server in the NowSMS installations that need to accept connections from other servers. From the other NowSMS servers, connect using the SMPP SMSC connection type.

It is, of course, also possible for end users to connect to NowSMS servers via a web browser using HTTP, so you may not need as many separate NowSMS installations as you are thinking.

Private IPs are ok ... you just need to have IP connectivity between the servers and/or workstations that need to communicate with each other.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
yzhou
New member
Username: Zy_sakura

Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 04:47 pm:   

Thank you, but I'm a little bit confused.
In fact, all the testers do connect to our testing website, but the modem we are using is only one. That means, no matter who in where sends the requests, our poor modem which is a mobilephone needs to send abroad the messages, that costs a lot.

In your mention, I think you suggest we install NowSMS server in each country. Is there any way that we can use only one NowSMS to connect with all the other mobiles? The mobiles are connected to the local computers. If so, I'll use the SMPP as you advised.

On the other hand, here is another question.
In order to handle the waiting messages efficiently, we would like to assign each TM 2 queues (does it mean that I need to create 2 SMS Users for each TM?), one is for the single request, and the other is for a bulk of messages (ig. 200 messages request by one user). But I find that in NowSMS, there is a configuration in SMS Users – User Queue Size Threshold. So, which method do you think might be better?

Thank you so much!
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 773
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 10:08 pm:   


quote:

In your mention, I think you suggest we install NowSMS server in each country. Is there any way that we can use only one NowSMS to connect with all the other mobiles? The mobiles are connected to the local computers. If so, I'll use the SMPP as you advised.




One in each country. Enable the SMPP server in the NowSMS servers. Then define SMPP SMSC connections in the different NowSMS servers to route the messages to the server in the appropriate country.


quote:

Is there any way that we can use only one NowSMS to connect with all the other mobiles?




We've tested one GSM modem where the modem has Ethernet capability ... and made changes to NowSMS to support connectivity to the modem over TCP/IP.

However, I cannot recommend that solution. The modem in question was unreliable over TCP/IP.


quote:

In order to handle the waiting messages efficiently, we would like to assign each TM 2 queues (does it mean that I need to create 2 SMS Users for each TM?), one is for the single request, and the other is for a bulk of messages (ig. 200 messages request by one user). But I find that in NowSMS, there is a configuration in SMS Users – User Queue Size Threshold. So, which method do you think might be better?




Hmm ... that is a good question.

However, I do not think I have a good answer to the question.

The separate user queues that NowSMS maintains will not be remembered when messages are passed from one server to the next.

At the server with a particular country's modem, NowSMS will see each other server (and local users) as separate message queues. But it will not see multiple queues from the other servers, only one from each server.

Therefore, I don't have a good solution for managing this bulk scenario.

A bulk submission from country A to country B would be queued together with single messages submissions from country A to country B.

Messages from country C to country B would be in a separate queue, which is ok.

But there is not a good solution to separate bulk from single submissions going from one country to another.

I will think about this some more, but I don't think there is any good solution for this right now.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
yzhou
New member
Username: Zy_sakura

Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 09:28 am:   

Thank you Des, I get your point.

But actually, let me tell you in more details, there’s one validation department in each country. Our NowSMS locates in France, and the testing website which we create (not the one prefix by NowSMS) also locates in the same server. This website is being used by all the testers in different countries. What my supervisor demands is, connect the NowSMS in France to other modems (They are connected to local computers, one computer + 1 or 2 mobiles (as the local sender) for each countries) in different countries through Virtual Serial Port or something else, without install NowSMS in each countries….When the local testers send the requests to the website (server connected in France), NowSMS can route the messages sending commands to the correspond mobiles to send the messages. Ig. Poland tester need to do a test, the NowSMS in France makes the modem in Poland to send the message to the tester’s mobile. Which means, the SMS cost is only from Poland to Poland but not France to Poland.

I think your idea which with SMPP can make this possible, but as I said, I’m not supposed to install the NowSMS in each country. So...the method with VSP will work or...?

I'm so sorry to keep bothering you, thanks a lot.
yzhou
New member
Username: Zy_sakura

Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 04:39 pm:   

It works! With the software Serial to Ethernet Connector,although I just make the test inside company, but I hope it will also work well outside our intranet.
I begin to study the user queue issue,if anything in trouble, I'll keep looking for help here
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 780
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 04:40 pm:   

We haven't tested any serial port redirection software, so I don't know how well it works.

GSM modems can be tempermental regarding timing and buffering issues, so I'd have concerns about reliability.

The IP modem that we tested with was a Multitech GPRS modem with TCP/IP connectivity. We added support for that modem (described at http://support.nowsms.com/discus/messages/1/19505.html), however our experience was that the modem was not reliable and required periodic hard reboots of the device. Newer firmware versions might have improved the device, but in our tests it was too unreliable to recommend (and when it worked, it could only support SMS, not MMS).

If you try any serial port redirection software, I'd be curious to hear about how it works. Theoretically it could be a good solution, if it is reliable.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 781
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 04:40 pm:   

Which software are you using?
ashot shahbazian
New member
Username: Animatele

Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 10:18 pm:   

If the IP between the locations that have the handsets/modems connected is stable the serial over Ethernet encapsulation works quite reliably with DIGI Realport software.

Note that you don't need an actual server to connect the handsets, you need a "serial concentrator", or an "Etherlite" by DIGI. The modem is then connected to the Digi's serial port.

It does take a lot of effort to make a modem work reliably, and the Realport (the "virtual serial driver" running on your host where you have NowSMS) has individual per-port settings for timing and latency, which makes it possible to tune your modems to work over WAN. Note however that such connections are not safe - you should use IP address screening for port 771 at the routers where you have your DIGI concentrators.

Hope it helps.

Ashot
yzhou
New member
Username: Zy_sakura

Post Number: 7
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:04 am:   

I use Serial to Ethernet Connector 5.0 by Eltima Software, which is installed both in the computer with NowSMS (works as client, create a virtual port COM2, connect to port XXXX with server IP) and remote computer with Sony Ericsson mobile connected (works as server, real port COM3, listening to port XXXX). They are using the Telnet protocol to complete the connection.

I think what Ashot said is the same idea, I also doubt about the safety. But what does it mean by port 771? UDP?
ashot shahbazian
New member
Username: Animatele

Post Number: 6
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:16 am:   

771 is the (TCP I think) port number Digi serial concentator listens to. You could look up the specs on digi.com.

Digi works differently from how you describe Eltima - instead of using a host computer, you should use a standalone device- a serial "concentrator" or a "server" by Digi.

Give it a try over long distance anyway and see how the Eltima solution works.