Receiving text messages in Windows using a 3G dongle

[kevinwilson]

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking about getting a USB 3G dongle for my home automation server (which runs Windows Server 2003). It will be partly to provide a backup data connection for the home security features in case the broadband goes down.

But I'd also like to be able to use it to receive SMS text messages and "do stuff" based on the content of the message. Does anybody know of any software that can monitor the dongle for incoming text messages and, for example, run a command-line program? Or can the standard software that comes with these devices do that?

If anybody with experience of this sort of thing has any thoughts, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!

[chris_j_hunter]

not a direct answer, but ISTR the GSM Auto include something of the sort:

http://www.wordpress-1219309-4387497.cloudwaysapps.com/New-Products/GSM-Auto-Controls-Anything-From-Anywhere-with-your-Phone.html

and AlertMe has some relevant capabilities :

http://www.alertme.com/home-security/

[toscal]

Have a look at these sites.

http://www.developershome.com/sms/howToReceiveSMSUsingPC.asp

http://www.asep.us/2006/01/20/how-to-receive-sms-using-a-computer/

http://www.text-connect.co.uk/info_overview.php

May point you in the right direction.

A client of mine uses Voipbuster and homeseer with RFXCOM to send text messages from his PC to his mobile phone.
Have a look here http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=127413


For Voipbuster www.voipbuster.com . I use voipbuster instead of Skype and think its excellent. Better value and I can use my normal land line phone if I want.

[jaffab]

Kevin,

Can you tell me why you feel the need for the mobile network - do you have a bad internet connection.

I have a similar setup as you (home server for my home automation, running Windows SBS 2003), and everything so far is via the internet (I get emails via Exchange to my mobile phone when alarms are set, unset (useful for keeping track of the cleaners comings and goings) as of course in the event the alarm is actually triggered. I have never thought about the need for backup connection, but now you mention it....

Let us know how you get on, what you decide, which option you go for, and costs please.

Thanks

Jaffa

[TimH]

This looks like what you might need:

http://www.xapautomation.org/index.php?title=xAP_SMS

(NB the note about the "sendmytxt" receive service...)

I guess you'd use the 3G dongle purely as a 'net connection as the SMS part is hosted by sendmytxt.

Have a look at the other xAP applications too

HTH,

Tim.

[chris_j_hunter]

just a thought, but ...

I'd be surprised if a 3G dongle could be relied-on to keep connection 100% of the time - ours loses it every now & then when the signal fades to nothing (it's five-bars, so not a marginal area, nearly all the time - but not all the time) ... plus the network slows to a crawl at peak times - typically early evening, occasionally at other times - at a guess, it's v.fast 85% of the time, and making some sort of connection 99.5% of the time ... but it's funny how it's unusable just when it's critical !

ie: if it needs to be really reliable, some management of the connection could be required ...

[kevinwilson]

Thanks for all your replies so far - I'm looking in to a lot of the information you've suggested.

and AlertMe has some relevant capabilities

I've been thinking about going down the AlertMe route for my whole security solution, but I'm put off by the ongoing monthly charge for the monitored service with the GPRS backup. Something to consider, though!

Can you tell me why you feel the need for the mobile network - do you have a bad internet connection.

Well, the connection goes down every now and then. I suppose I'm more concerned (from a security point of view) about a burgler cutting the phone line where it enters the house before breaking in (if they thought I might have a monitored alarm connected to the analogue line). It's probably overkill, but I thought if I'm going to connect the server to a UPS to make it resiliant against the power being cut, I should probably do the same for the phone line.

I've seen an offer for a pay-as-you-go 3G dongle on the Three network for about £5, so it seemed like a good opportunity to try it out. I still need to look in to which networks let you top-up data without it expiring each month, otherwise it would work out too expensive (after all, it would only be used to send me the odd alert when the ADSL wasn't available, so a 1GB top-up should last almost indefinitely!). The incoming SMS part isn't really going to be used much, it's just because I like a challenge!

I'll let you know how I progress.

[kevinwilson]

I'd be surprised if a 3G dongle could be relied-on to keep connection 100% of the time - ours loses it every now & then when the signal fades to nothing (it's five-bars, so not a marginal area, nearly all the time - but not all the time)

That's a bit of a concern. Does it automatically reconnect, or does it need manual intervention?

[chris_j_hunter]

exactly the point, unfortunately - manual ...

now & then, it bumps out & has to be re-connected, manually ...

unless, maybe, more recent software is smarter than ours (we've had ours six months, or so)

or unless anyone can point me at anything to make it better ...

[TimH]

Maybe you'd be better off with a different router than can manage separate WAN connections, rather than trying to do it directly in the PC.

e.g. Draytek routers can offer ADSL *and* 3G support, check out the comparison table below:

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/comparison.html

Quoting from the 2820's features page:

The Vigor 2820 Series's USB port can host a compatible 3G modem or cellphone for access to the cellular network for full Internet Access. Most UK networks now provide high speed HSDPA data connections at up to 3.6Mb/s download speed. The 3G connection can be used as your primary/only Internet access, or as backup to your main ADSL line connection.

Other routers are available etc

HTH,

Tim.

[chris_j_hunter]

yep, that's a thought ... seems very promising ...

'though depends exactly how it does it, of course, because managing the realities of a 3G connection can be quite complicated / confusing ... ie:the software for managing the situation might (IMO) have to be quite sophisticated ...

3G USB dongles are (ISTM) still relatively new to the US - it being the dominant the market - and I suspect they're not yet got very far down the line with them ... certainly it looks that way with our current set-up, which might have been able to do the job properly, if only only the authors (of the software / OS) had been aware USB connections in routers could be used for anything other than printers, or maybe disc drives - or that we might not have a landline, or an unlimited tariff !

[jaffab]

Well, the connection goes down every now and then. I suppose I'm more concerned (from a security point of view) about a burgler cutting the phone line where it enters the house before breaking in (if they thought I might have a monitored alarm connected to the analogue line). It's probably overkill, but I thought if I'm going to connect the server to a UPS to make it resiliant against the power being cut, I should probably do the same for the phone line.

The cutting the phone line is something I hadnt thought of - is it accessable, cant you cover the wire to make it harder to cut? I will have to take a look if mine are accessable from outside - inside, the phone wires to the arm centre are in the wall.

But using your logic, why cant the burgler get in and just pull the power? No power, no dial out and no power to the USB 3g dongle.

At the end of the day, we have to relax a little, and just do the best that we can?

[chris_j_hunter]

these bits & bobs might be useful :

http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-intro.htm

NB: we're planning to use an external aerial, but were surprised by how much of the signal was lost in the coupler - eg: best aerial gives 10-12dB gain, but 5-7dB is lost in the coupler to the dongle, leaving maybe 5dB ... but, with the aerial outdoors & the dongle indoors, hopefully the reality will be better (we're due to move house to a marginal area, hence the interest ... indoors, best we get is a few bars less than outdoors and, if we stray not very far from the front window, we get none) !

also this (*) :

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=7321

and this :

http://www.solwise.co.uk/net-powerline-pl-200av11nrt.htm

(*) - thanks to Tim for lead, back in January

[toscal]

Before investing in the 3G technology, I would check to see if 3G is really available at your location. I did a job where the house was in a marginal area for 3G. In reality 3G was only available up stairs in a cramped cupboard. No where else in the house would get it. I had a Nokia N73 and my client had a blackberry or similar I think and he couldn't even get a signal in the cupboard.
For those that are wondering why I would be in a small cupboard, it was the upstairs access point for the cabling, before it went to the patch panel.
So be careful.

[chris_j_hunter]

aye - hence the interest in (external) antenna !