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What is an SMPP connection?
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The Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) protocol is an
open, industry standard protocol designed to provide a flexible data
communications interface for the transfer of short message data between
External Short Message Entities (ESME), Routing Entities (RE), and Message
Centers. SMPP is capable of carrying any message type, similarly to UCP/EMI.
SMPP can be used as a protocol that transfers messages between
applications, such as Ozeki NG SMS Gateway and the Short Message Service Center
(SMS Center) of the GSM Service provider
over an IP link. SMPP is also used in TDMA, CDMA and PDC networks. The protocol
is widely deployed in the mobile telecommunications industry. This link can
be a leased line or the Internet. The IP connection between your PC and
the SMSC might be protected by VPN.
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How can i use SMPP to
send/receive SMS messages? |
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You need to connect your Ozeki NG SMS Gateway
installation to an SMS service provider who supports the SMPP protocol.
For information on how this can be done, you can check the
SMPP link setup page.
After the SMPP link has been configured, you can send SMS messages. To receive
SMS messages via an SMS service provider who supports the SMPP protocol,
they have to setup a virtual number (IMSI) where the messages can be sent to.
This can be an international number, national number or a shortcode. When using
a national number or shortcode, your service can only be reached from within
the same country. When using an international virtual number, users can also
access your service from other countries. When someone sends an SMS message to
this virtual number, the messages are routed automatically to your Ozeki NG SMS
Gateway installation through the SMPP link.
Concerning configuration, the Ozeki software is configured to receive SMS
messages by default on all SMPP connections. This means it operates in
transceiver mode. Transceiver mode makes it possible to send and receive
SMS messages on a single connection. So to setup receiving, all you have
to do is talk to your provider, and ask them to configure receiving on their
side (the service
provider side). They will give you the telephone number (or a short code) during
this discussion. After they have configured their system, if you send an SMS
message to this telephone number (or short code), you will receive it in your
Ozeki system immediately. You can track incoming messages in the event log.
In some cases your SMPP provider will use a very old version of the SMPP protocol.
This old version will probably be SMPP v3.3. In this case you need to setup
two connections: one for sending messages and another for receiving messages.
The connection used for sending should be configured into SMPP transmitter mode,
and the connection used for incoming messages should be configured for receiver
mode.
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What kind of parameters do I need to connect to an SMPP service provider?
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SMPP Server IP address and port number, SMPP user name
and password, SMPP version number, Sender address, system type, address range.
The SMPP server IP address (or server hostname) specifies the TCP/IP
address or host name of the SMPP server.
The SMPP server Port number specifies the TCP/IP port on the SMPP server
to which the gateway should connect.
The User Name parameter specifies the user name (sometimes called System
ID) for the gateway to use when connecting to the SMPP server.
The Password parameter specifies the password for the gateway to use when
connecting to the SMPP server.
The SMPP version number - specifies the version of the SMPP protocol to
use. Ozeki NG SMS Gateway supports "v3.3" and "v3.4".
The System Type parameter is a string that is used during login. It should
be set only if required by the SMPP server. The SMPP system administrator will
provide this value, which when required, is usually a short text string. Often
it is "SMPP".
The Sender Address parameter specifies the default sender address (phone
number) to apply to outbound SMS messages.
The Address Range is a parameter used primarily when
receiving messages. It is sent to the SMSC after login, and is useful if several
telephone numbers are used on a single SMPP link
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What is an SMPP transmitter
connection? |
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A connection that is used for transmitting messages
only.
For SMPP v3.3 service providers you will need to setup two links a transmitter
and a receiver connection. The outgoing messages will go out on the transmitter
link.
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What is an SMPP receiver
connection? |
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A receiver connection is used for receiving messages
only.
For SMPP v3.3 service providers you will need to setup two links a transmitter
and a receiver connection. The inbound messages will come in through the
receiver link.
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What is an SMPP transceiver
connection? |
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A connection that is used for both transmitting and
receiving messages.
For SMPP v3.4 service providers you will use a single TCP/IP connection, that
will be used for both sending and receiving messages. This connection will be
a transceiver connection.
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Can I become an SMPP service
provider? |
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Yes. You can provide an SMS service through SMPP.
Ozeki NG SMS Gateway has a built in SMPP server. It allows you to create SMPP
user
accounts with a username and password and it gives you the ability to provide an
SMPP service. To start using the built in SMPP server, you need to following the
instructions on the "How to setup an SMPP
user account" page.
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Which SMPP version is the most
common? |
| | SMPP v3.3 and SMPP v3.4.
The most commonly used versions of SMPP are v3.3, the most widely supported
standard,
and v3.4, which adds transceiver support (single connections that can send and
receive messages). Data exchange may be synchronous, where each peer must wait
for a response for each PDU being sent, and asynchronous, where multiple requests
can be issued in one go and acknowledged in a skew order by the other peer. The
latest version of SMPP is v5.0.
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What is SIM hosting and how is
it related to SMPP? |
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Sim hosting is a service. The provider of this service
operates a large number of GSM modems. Each modem has a SIM card with a unique
phone number. SIM hosting service providers forward incoming messages received
on their modems to the customers over SMPP.
In other words SIM hosting means that a service provider hosts a SIM card
with associated phone number in one of it's GSM modems. When a message is
received on their modem, it is forwarded to the customer through an SMPP link.
The customer can use Ozeki NG SMS Gateway software to attach to a SIM hosting
provider, by configure the SMPP link.
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Can I become a SIM hosting
provider? |
| | Yes.
When using the Ozeki NG SMS gateway, you can setup a SIM hosting service and
you can provide
connectivity through SMPP to your customers. All you
need is a set of GSM modems attach to your Ozeki NG SMS Gateway installation.
Once your GSM modems are attached to your computer, and you have placed SIM
cards into your modems you can send and receive SMS messages through them. The
next step to
become a commercial SMS service provider is
to add SMPP user accounts to your Ozeki NG installation, that will allow your
customers to connect to your system. You will also have to setup
inbound routing and
outbound routing to make sure your
customers will send and receive SMS messages through
the appropriate modems (telephone numbers).
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Can I define a unique service
type parameter for each message? |
| | Yes.
To set a custom service type, you need to provide it when you submit the SMS
messages. For example if you use an SQL to SMS gateway configuration, please
add a new varchar column called "servicetype"
to the ozekimessageout table. When you submit a message, please put the value of
the servicetype field into this column.
In the Ozeki NG SMS Gateway, in the Database user configuration form, modify the
SQL Select statement in the "SQL for sending" tab to include the service type
field.
When you modify the SQL statement change this:
SELECT id,sender,receiver,msg,msgtype,operator FROM ozekimessageout WHERE
status='send'
to this:
SELECT id,sender,receiver,msg,msgtype,operator,servicetype FROM ozekimessageout
WHERE status='send'
Note the new column called servicetype int the SELECT statement. After these
modifications, the servicetype field will be included in the SMPP submit PDU
when an SMS is sent.
When you specify the service type value in the database, please specify it in
hexadecimal format. For example if service
type should be 7777, write: 3737373700. Please note that the tailing
00 byte needed for C-string PDU values in your service type definition is also
included. This means, that if you wish to send 2005 should write 3230303500.
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