Vaguely OT:Phone for use as SMS gateway

Following the brainfart with trying to send emails when the power is cut (router and modem *not* on UPS), I had this idea that it should be relatively easy to hook a cheap mobile phone, with a PAYG SIM upto the server and send text alerts when power goes.

This is just for fun - no operational life or death requirements.

Seems there's a Linux package called SMSD, which can control a GSM phone via a serial cable.

So really it's a question of using a phone which can be charged via the USB connection. I'm pretty sure my old Nokia 5800 doesn't charge via USB, as it has it's own separate socket.

Comments anyone ?

Reply to
Jethro_uk
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Do you need USB charging? If the power goes off the phone should have enough battery to send an SMS (or three).

If for any reason you do, Nokia do has USB leads for some models which convert from USB to Nokia jack . I've had varying success with these though - works when connected to one PC, but not another.

Biggles

Reply to
Biggles

Do you need USB as a power source for charging? If the power goes off the phone should have enough battery to send an SMS (or three).

If for any reason you do, Nokia do (search for Nokia USB Charger Cable) USB leads for some models which convert from USB to Nokia jack. I've had varying success with these though (Nokia 6300) - works when connected to one PC, but not another, maybe the voltage is critical.

Biggles

Reply to
Biggles

If you've a spare USB port to control and charge a phone, plug in a 3G dongle with a voice plan SIM in it, and use that to send your SMS messages.

Reply to
John Williamson

In the olde days you could simply use a Nokia 3100 ish phone. Just plug its lead in and windows would see it as a modem straight away and ask for drivers. Then just treat is as a normal modem. I know it worked, but I never use it because of cost and speed. It was slower than a modem.

IIRC, there was a round charge lead and a nasty proprietary connection lead that ended in a USB socket.

Nowadays, I have an old phone still, a 6500c, and it shows no signs of a modem. On top of that, I don't know if the mobile network (Virgin in my case. In the olde days I was using vodaphone.) allows modem function and, I have no idea where one can dial in to now. Actually, what's it got to do with the network? Its just a phone phoning another "phone", what goes on in-between is surely not down to the network, right? Or has something changed?

OK, I've googled it and there are quite a few free dialup services. Im sure I have an old phone, only problem is finding a connection cable.

Reply to
AC

I don't want the modem functionality. I want it to send an SMS

Reply to
Jethro_uk

The idea is the phone will stay charged until needed. True I could plug a charger in as well as the USB cable, but it strikes me as more clutter

I was thinking of combined charging/data down the USB cable.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Use the phone normally?

Reply to
AC

Another method is to power the router & modem from the UPS, and use an email to SMS service, like this:

formatting link
do this, and get texts when the power goes out, as well as when the doorbell is pressed (via an x10 interface) so I know about it when down in the garage!

Reply to
Alan Deane

If the modem & router were powered on, I'd just send an email - not bother with SMS. Unfortunately they can't be moved to the server location

My intention was to make *some* form of connectivity available in the event of an outage, with minimal cost. Hence the idea of a cheap phone connected by USB sending an SMS.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

3G dongles are cheap, especially second hand, and can send SMS's, normally by installing the Telco or maker's generic software.

Otherwise, how far away from your UPS are the router and modem? You could probably safely run a 5A power cable along the same line as your modem or network cable without too much faffing about. If the wallwarts for them are the sort with a plastic earth pin, it could even be twin core, not T&E.

Reply to
John Williamson

I did it a few years ago using an old Nokia phone, It needed a data cable and didn't have USB. The current phone could do it over bluetooth and many cheap ones can probably do so. There are web sites that do email to SMS so that is probably a better way.

There are also SMS gateways that do house alarms, etc. some can take inputs like mains fails and flooding, etc.

Reply to
dennis

My 5800 charges fine when attached to the Nokia cable - the one with USB one end, and micro-USB plus small jack plug on the other.

Paul DS.

Reply to
Paul D Smith

what a about a sheet of paper, an envelope, a stamp and a pencil?

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Can you extend the phone line to the server location? Connect an analogue modem and make it dial your mobile. You'll get a silent call from the house (showing your house CLI) and know that the power's off.

All the server has to do is shove ATDT..... out of the serial port

If not then there are intruder alarm GSM autodiallers that will phone or SMS on contact closure.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

They come as a bundle... I.e. the computer uses modem style "AT" communications with the device to send a SMS messages in much the same way as it would instruct a modem to make a POTS call or send a fax.

Reply to
John Rumm

Could they be fed power via PoE from an injector mounted where the server and its USP are?

A USB 3G dongle would probably be a bit tidier.

Reply to
John Rumm

If you can do that much you could also do:

AT+CMGF=1 AT+CMGS="" > Your message here+

Reply to
John Rumm

I did this with Gnokii and an old Nokia 6230 on a serial cable. I used MRTG to monitor and graph the UPS (and other stuff), and used Thresholds to kick off a shell script that emails and sends an SMS.

formatting link
's a bit crude, but works well.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Yeah, you could send the email via the phone...

Reply to
John Rumm

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