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NowSMS Support Forums ⬆ NowSMS Lite Support ⬆ |
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| Author | Message | |||
| MPI New member Username: Mpi Post Number: 13 Registered: 09-2011 |
Dear all, I am aware of https://www.nowsms.com/techsupport/supported-gsm-modems and I believe one of the modems was suggested by us. Now we are in the process of moving our servers to Windows Server 2019. So far, I was unable to identify a USB modem stick that is detect as modem and not network interface card only in Windows Server 2019 and therefore can be used with NowSMS Lite. I tried these devices: Option ICON 401, Huawei E3131, and Huawei E3372. As the servers running NowSMS Lite are used for network monitoring purposes, we want the modem to be connected by USB and not via a network connection. So in case everything goes wrong, at least the SMS warnings should reach us. Are there any suggestions for USB modems that work with Windows Server 2019? You might also post devices that are working with Windows 10 and we will give it a try. Thanks for your help! Best regards, MPI | |||
| Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support Board Administrator Username: Bryce Post Number: 8353 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi, That web page is in serious need of updating. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% certain what to recommend. GSM modem selection can be a frustrating process because there are hundreds of different models with constantly changing model numbers, with varying availability in different countries. I assume that this is because the manufacturers are working to strike deals with the mobile operators to sell them. These modems are designed primarily to provide internet access to laptops, and often include end user software for sending/receiving SMS...software that often gets in the way of NowSMS. This software can often be incompatible with server editions of Windows, and software for older models may not be compatible with Windows 10. Over the past year, I've had a change in thinking about GSM modems. We've been working on a version of NowSMS that also runs on Linux and Mac, so when I look at modems, I'm looking for a modem that can be used with Windows, Linux or Mac. And if you think finding a GSM modem that works with Windows Server 2019 is a challenge, then try finding one that works with Mac. In my opinion, forget about USB stick modems. The manufacturers dump them on the market, hope a mobile operator can sell their allocation, and move on. Software is never updated, and sometimes the built-in software is a disaster. What you want is a GSM modem that is independent, and does not rely on any software. In other words, the modem itself is somewhat generic. If you're old enough to remember the days of dial-up internet, landline modems were largely a generic commodity. For our testing and development needs, we've been buying random so-called "industrial" GSM/LTE modems, usually just based on what we can find on Amazon. (LTE support can be a bit of a challenge because there are a lot more frequencies in use in different countries.) What you're looking for is a GSM/LTE modem that supports the frequencies that you need, and has a 9-pin serial port. A USB-to-serial cable is used to connect the modem to the computer, which will usually come with the modem, and the manufacturer will offer drivers. This is actually less complicated than it sounds, because the modem itself does not need any drivers. The driver that is required is for the USB-to-serial cable...actually it is required to communicate with the chipset in the cable. A virtual COM port driver allows the computer to access the cable as a serial port, communicating with the device connected to the serial connector. The chipset in the cable is going to be either a PL2303 (Prolific Technology) or FTDI (Future Technology Devices International). And you're probably better off using drivers from the chipset manufacturer, as they will likely be more up-to-date. PL2303: http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?pcid=41&showlevel=0017-0037-0041 FTDI: https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm As the Prolific website points out, they have issues with low-quality counterfeit products being sold in China. If you experience random modem problems, it may be a cable problem. USB to serial cables are also available separately. Overall, I think this using an industrial GSM/LTE modem with a USB-to-serial cable is far preferable to a USB stick modem. (Except for one consideration: For sending/receiving MMS, we recommend using an Android device as a modem. Dedicated modem devices tend to be inconsistent with processing MMS notifications.) Regards, Bryce Norwood NowSMS Support | |||
| MPI New member Username: Mpi Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2011 |
Hi Bryce, Your reply was very helpful and I like the approach of using a modem with a serial connection to become operating system independent. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and giving such a detailed insight! Unfortunately, I am old enough to have made my first connection to CompuServe using a 9600 baud modem and was just a little bit too late for acoustic couplers.  Remembering those experiences I checked https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/computing-peripherals/wireless-components-modules/gsm-gprs-modems and ordered a modem there. Once everything is up-and-running with NowSMS Lite, I will post the results here. Best regards, MPI | |||
| MPI New member Username: Mpi Post Number: 15 Registered: 09-2011 |
A Siretta ZETA-NLP-LTEM starter kit arrived a couple of days ago and I installed the USB to serial adapter (providing COM3) as well as a Windows Standard 56000 bps modem connected to COM3. Unfortunately, NowSMS Lite doesn't seems to be happy with the new device. First, I get "Initialized modem at 115200 bps". However, the setup wizard doesn't move on to the next step but shows "Unable to initialize modem: lineMakeCall failed to init modem". This is the information I get from the Windows device manager query: ATQ0V1E0 - OK AT+GMM - ME910C1-E2 AT+FCLASS=? - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED AT#CLS=? - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED AT+GCI? - +GCI: 59 AT+GCI=? - +GCI: (59) ATI1 - 0 ATI2 - OK ATI3 - Telit ATI4 - ME910C1-E2 ATI5 - DOB v.2.0 ATI6 - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED ATI7 - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED I would appreciate any ideas about what should be my next steps in troubleshooting? Best regards, MPI | |||
| Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support Board Administrator Username: Bryce Post Number: 8354 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi, Have you tried configuring NowSMS to use COM3 directly instead of using the modem driver? lineMakeCall is a Windows Telephony API (TAPI), where NowSMS is asking Windows to open the modem and allow AT commands to be sent. When this fails (the first attempt is not reported), NowSMS takes some actions to try to recover. One of these actions is to identify the COM port, and attempt to talk to the modem directly. The "Initialized modem at 115200bps" message indicates that NowSMS was able to successfully talk to the modem directly. So, NowSMS tries TAPI again ... which fails. The only disadvantage of using the direct COM port reference is that NowSMS cannot support MMS without TAPI. Regards, Bryce Norwood NowSMS Support | |||
| Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support Board Administrator Username: Bryce Post Number: 8355 Registered: 10-2002 |
Oops ... I just noticed, as my previous message posted, that you are using NowSMS Lite. In its quest for simplifying setup, it only shows modems with a Windows TAPI modem driver, and does not support selecting a COM port directly. That said, the solution should be to use the "Windows Standard 33600 bps modem" driver instead of the "Windows Standard 56000 bps modem" driver. The "56000" driver tries to send AT commands that enable some ancient protocol that was used in ancient modems. The "33600" driver is more generic, and still communicates at the same speed speed of 152000bps. Regards, Bryce Norwood NowSMS Support | |||
| MPI New member Username: Mpi Post Number: 16 Registered: 09-2011 |
Hi Bryce, Switching to the "Windows Standard 336000 bps Modem" indeed did the trick and everything is running smoothly now. Thank you very much for your assistance! I hope other folks will find this thread useful. Best regards, MPI | |||
