Texting via PC connected to mobile phone

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zaptor

730 posts

Ultimate Geek

#13942 6-Jun-2007 15:48

Hi folks,

I recently learned it was possible to send text msgs by driving a mobile phone like a modem from a PC (with AT style commands).
http://www.developershome.com/sms/howToSendSMSFromPC.asp

Obviously, a program is required on the PC side to drive the phone (suggestions were listed from the above website).

What I'd really like to know, is exactly what phones (vodafone or telecom) I can use for this.

Can anyone recommend an appropriate model CDMA or GSM phone for this purpose please?

I'm after a cheap, will just do the job kind of phone - the minimum spec that will meet the requirement basically.

Thanks in advance.

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sbiddle

30853 posts

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#73654 6-Jun-2007 15:57

Virtually any GSM phone that has a data cable and will allow you to use it as a modem will work. In terms of CDMA handsets I believe from a previous thread there were a couple of external CDMA modems that supported the GSM AT command set for sending SMS's but apart from that most CDMA handsets are incapable of doing this due to the non standard nature of CDMA.

zaptor

730 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73660 6-Jun-2007 16:10

sbiddle: Virtually any GSM phone that has a data cable and will allow you to use it as a modem will work. In terms of CDMA handsets I believe from a previous thread there were a couple of external CDMA modems that supported the GSM AT command set for sending SMS's but apart from that most CDMA handsets are incapable of doing this due to the non standard nature of CDMA.

Excellent. Thanks for the clarification.

In that case, I'll grab a vodafone phone from somewhere and have a little play.

I'm just doing something for a mate who needs to receive a text msg triggered by an email, but doesn't want to pay the premium that Vodafone or Telecom charge for the service. So something like this should hopefully do the trick. The traffic will be on-demand, but, low-volume.

Cheers.

Filterer

489 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73662 6-Jun-2007 16:31

If you wanted a cdma version I would imagine the Telecom world mode phone Samsung somthingerathera would let you send it AT commands

Be aware that technically you are breaking the t&cs by using them connected to a computer

pɐǝɥ sıɥ uo ƃuıpuɐʇs

zaptor

730 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73663 6-Jun-2007 16:46

Filterer: If you wanted a cdma version I would imagine the Telecom world mode phone Samsung somthingerathera would let you send it AT commands

Interesting. Is that the Samsung W531?

Be aware that technically you are breaking the t&cs by using them connected to a computer

I couldn't find the wording in the T&C on the Vodafone website (possibly looking in the wrong place). Where is that specified?

sbiddle

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#73665 6-Jun-2007 16:56

zaptor:
Be aware that technically you are breaking the t&cs by using them connected to a computer

I couldn't find the wording in the T&C on the Vodafone website (possibly looking in the wrong place). Where is that specified?

If you use a Telecom phone to send SMS's using a computer you're breaking their T&C's. There is nothing wrong with this if you're connected to Vodafone.

If you want a more permanent (and reliable) solution have a look on ebay for a Wavecom 1203 GSM modem. They appear reasonably frequently and I'd be surprised if you paid more than $100 to get one landed in NZ. I've purchased a few of these from various people and run one here as my own SMS Gateway.

BrentR

1315 posts

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#73669 6-Jun-2007 17:30

You can do it with most Motorola and Nokia handsets via the PC Suite/s

Filterer

489 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73676 6-Jun-2007 17:51

zaptor:
Interesting. Is that the Samsung W531?

Yes. An easier way would surely be to use clickatell or another similar gateway, from memory around 15c or so, If your sending less then 66 texts on telecom's txt 1000 plan it would make more sense to use a gateway instead

zaptor:
I couldn't find the wording in the T&C on the Vodafone website (possibly looking in the wrong place). Where is that specified?

T&cs here
http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,205306-204204,00.html

pɐǝɥ sıɥ uo ƃuıpuɐʇs

nzbnw

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Spark NZ

#73700 6-Jun-2007 21:01

Back in the day when Nokia 3310's where the phone, I had a data cable for it and did exactly this. I doubt you would pay very much for a Nokia 3310 and data cable now, perhaps less than the price of a simcard. I can’t remember the program, but I think it was SMS bomber, although I didn’t use the bombing side of it.

This was also the time where it was popular to change SMS centre numbers to obtain free txt's for a few weeks if you where lucky. I don’t think that’s possible anymore through, and I would't condone it.

nzbnw

{Edit} Grammatical

Jama

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#73702 6-Jun-2007 21:22

The Telecom T&C's only exclude 'machine generated' texts on the $10 plan... I should know I wrote them.

zaptor

730 posts

Ultimate Geek

#73709 6-Jun-2007 22:25

Thank you one and all for the very helpful replies.

We did investigate Message Media and Clickatell. However, even then the cost was still too high for what he would be doing.

I had a check on TradeMe and there are certainly a few second hand Nokia 3310s around, and the pricing looks very affordable.