Odd Issue with Sending MMS Messages to CDMA Networks

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Author Message
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 03:35 pm:   

We are currently running 4 different NowSMS machines and all of a sudden yesterday one of them stopped sending MMS messages, but only to CDMA networks. You can go to the test screen, and then say test SMS and it comes through fine on all networks, but when you test MMS messages it says it is successful but it doesn't work on the following networks:
-Verizon
-Sprint
-Boost Mobile

Why would this happen? I looked through the log files and everything looks fine.
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 07:12 pm:   

Just an update, it seems that after restarting the NowSMS service it is working again for all carriers?

Why would this happen but only to some carriers, someone please help!
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 07:23 pm:   

My apologies, I was wrong, please ignore the post above. MOD if you could delete this post and the one above and leave the original question please.
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 5392
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 - 08:18 pm:   

Hi,

I assume modems are being used to send messages?

Usually problems of this nature are account related...i.e., the issue is associated with the SIM card in the modem (or its account).

Can you test the SIM in a phone and see if the problem follows the SIM? I expect it will.

Most likely you've triggered a spam trap or a message volume trap somewhere at an interconnect provider that connects the operator whose SIM card you are using with the other operators. This is just speculation....I have no past experience to suggest this is the case. But i do suspect that interconnects are using heuristics to look for abuse...like with email providers, I would expect it to clear itself after some period of time, and with no explanation.

It is also possible that you've triggered a bug somewhere at an interconnect provider and a queue is stuck. Again, this is just speculation.

I wish I had some better ideas, but it does sound like the issue is somehow tied to the modem SIM.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 10
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2015 - 12:31 am:   

Just to update this it does seem that we have set off or triggered some spam alert even though we do not send out unsolicited messages.

While changing the SIM does work, our clients add the numbers we use to their contact list so it can have a special ringtone so changing the numbers each month or using new SIM cards does bring up a new issue.

Any ideas?
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 5437
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2015 - 01:04 pm:   

Hi Robert,

It's hard to know what triggers the problem. I've heard theories about volumes of messages going across an interconnection being a potential issue when all communication is one way. In other words, if the clients never reply, the volume is out of balance. Interconnections tend to have a peering business model, with an expectation of roughly equal volumes going over the interconnect in each direction. When there is an overall imbalance, heuristics look for extreme cases to bring the levels back to balance.

I do not know this to be fact, but this is my suspicion.

Unrelated to this, we have seen a couple of reports of special characters leading to dropped messages between some U.S. carriers. Some accented characters used in Spanish seem to trigger some problems.

--
Des
NowSMS Support
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 11
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2015 - 11:41 pm:   

I appreciate your input, since we are only sending MMS messages with images in them then I don't think it is the character issue, I found out that some providers are blacklisting the numbers for spam, even though people are not reporting it.
Robert G.
New member
Username: Rbgcode

Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2015
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2015 - 03:34 am:   

Ok here is another odd part of this situation. I was running 4 ATT usb modems for almost a year and they were working fine, now I have changed the setup and I am running 4 ATT Androids and 4 CDMA network Android Phones and then have the NowSMS software connect to them to send out the messages instead of setting up the 33.6k modems on the AT command interface of the modem and not a month after switching to android phones all of the numbers have been black listed.

Ever heard of that having an effect on it?
Des - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Desosms

Post Number: 5441
Registered: 08-2008
Posted on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 - 05:06 pm:   

Hi Robert,

Sorry for the delay in response.

If the messages are just images, I find the whole black listing to be a mystery. Except for the interconnect peering/balance theory.

Another thought that comes to mind is that the USA is somewhat odd in that subscribers are charged to receive a message, which is a particular concern for prepaid accounts. Most of the rest of the world uses a "sender pays" model, where receiving a message is free (except sometimes for data charges).

I can only suggest more experimentation.

I assume, when blacklisted, the built-in Android client can also not send MMS to subscribers on the other CDMA network?

Can the subscriber on that other network send an MMS to your Android device? If so, can you reply?

Any difference with a text only MMS or different image sizes?

--
Des
NowSMS Support