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SMS gateway with web interface on Raspberry Pi

ghost666 27267 8

TL;DR

  • Raspberry Pi becomes a web-based SMS gateway using a USB GSM modem, PHP front end, C# modem software, and PostgreSQL history storage.
  • Apache2, PHP, PHP PDO, PHP PostgreSQL, and Mono for C# are installed, then the modem is tested through minicom and AT commands.
  • The modem appears as /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/ttyUSB1, and /dev/ttyUSB2, and a cron job runs SMS-cron.exe every minute to check queued messages.
  • Sent SMSes are stored in an sms table with fields like sms_id, date_insert, date_send, number, message, date_error, and date_cancel.
  • A SIM card is required, and the card and message costs depend on the operator.
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  • SMS gateway with web interface on Raspberry Pi
    The description below shows how you can convert a Raspberry Pi with a GSM modem to USB into a gateway for sending SMS via the web interface. The project was created using PHP and C #. The software that communicates with the modem is written in C #, and the web front-end in PHP. In addition, the system is equipped with a PostgreSQL database, which is used to store the history of sent SMSes. The GSM modem requires a SIM card - the cost of the card and the messages sent depends on the operator.

    Step 1: Required items

    You only need two devices: Raspberry Pi and a USB GSM modem with an active network card.

    Step 2: Software requirements

    Before we start struggling with the program on Raspberry Pi we must install:

    * Apache2
    * PHP
    * PHP PDO
    * PHP PostgreSQL
    * Mono for C #

    To install the Apache2 packages in the console, type:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    Then we insalize PHP:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    Immediately afterwards, the PostgreSQL database:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    And mono:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    Step 3: GSM modem for USB and Raspberry Pi

    First, connect the GSM modem to a free USB port and enter the lsusb command in the console. We should see our modem; e.g:

    Bus 001 Device 005: ID 12d1:1506 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E398 LTE/UMTS/GSM Modem/Networkcard


    The serial port used by the modem will be described as / dev / ttyUSB0, so if we use the command:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    we will see a list of devices of this type:

    /dev/ttyUSB0 /dev/ttyUSB1 /dev/ttyUSB2


    We can now test AT commands on our USB modem. To this end, we will install minicom, which will allow us to send commands to it. In the terminal enter:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    After installing the minicom we need to configure it. Enter the following command in the terminal:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    In the settings we select "Serial port setup" and if all configurations match, press "OK".

    Step 4: Creating the database

    Now we need to create a PostgreSQL database in which we will store information about sent SMSes. The table has the following fields:

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    Field name Description
    sms_id Message ID number
    date_insert Date the entry was added
    date_send Date of sending the SMS
    number Recipient's phone number
    message Message content
    date_error If an error occurred - the date it occurred
    date_cancel Field informing about cancellation of sending an SMS


    And it is defined as follows:

    Code: SQL
    Log in, to see the code


    Step 5: Form for sending text messages

    Before we can use the following script, we must configure the connection to the database server. The author of the design uses an external server, but there is no problem to host the database locally on the Raspberry Pi.

    We need to complete the following data in the script:

    Code: PHP
    Log in, to see the code


    The script itself is very simple - it contains a form for sending an SMS. Sent messages are saved in the "sms" table described above.

    Code: PHP
    Log in, to see the code


    Step 6: Software for sending SMS

    Software that supports GSM modem is written in C #. To be able to use programs created in this language under Linux, we must have Mono installed. First, we need to configure several constants with database login data in the program:

    Code: C#
    Log in, to see the code


    The entire project in C # can be downloaded here .

    The project was compiled in MonoDevelop under Windows and then copied to 'Raspberry'. After compilation, we create an SMS-cronb folder in the home folder and copy the following files from the project there: Mono.Security.dll, Npgsql.dll and SMS-cron.exe.

    Then open the crontab:

    Code: Bash
    Log in, to see the code


    and add a single-line entry there and save:

    	* * * * * ./home/pi/SMS-cron/SMS-cron.exe
    \

    Thanks to this, every minute SMS-cron will start and check and the "sms" table with new SMSes to be sent.

    The SMS gateway is ready

    SMS gateway with web interface on Raspberry Pi


    Source: http://geek.adachsoft.com/home/article/id/20/n/Raspberry-PI-SMS-sender/refid/fb

    Cool? Ranking DIY
    About Author
    ghost666
    Translator, editor
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    ghost666 wrote 11961 posts with rating 10258, helped 157 times. Live in city Warszawa. Been with us since 2003 year.
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  • #2 16478728
    eDZio
    Level 16  
    I do not see that this gate has the ability to receive text messages, only send. It is probably better to use Gammu SMSD on Linux, it can act as a deamon, it supports various databases, it can use files instead of the database. The above is only a curiosity, proof that it can be done.
  • #3 16480074
    perfi
    Level 14  
    Some time ago I wrote a soft that allows you to turn your Android phone into an SMS gateway (commands are sent using REST). If interested, please refer to https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3253249.html

    I am writing about this because it seems simpler to me than the above solution, although you need a computer to issue REST commands ...
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  • #4 16481119
    Hetii
    Level 17  
    And is it sometimes easier and cheaper to use such a module?
    Cost 3.41 $ + 2 for esp8266 as an http / rest server.

    SMS gateway with web interface on Raspberry Pi
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  • #5 16510686
    serafo
    Level 13  
    Hello,

    as an educational project - OK
    for practical use - I recommend smstools and a few tricks for saving the memory card in Rpi.

    Ser @ fin
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  • #6 16518421
    cypeks
    Level 12  
    Hetii wrote:
    And is it sometimes easier and cheaper to use such a module?
    Cost 3.41 $ + 2 for esp8266 as an http / rest server.

    You still need to write soft.
  • #7 16527499
    Hetii
    Level 17  
    cypeks wrote:
    Hetii wrote:
    And is it sometimes easier and cheaper to use such a module?
    Cost 3.41 $ + 2 for esp8266 as an http / rest server.

    You still need to write soft.


    You are welcome, Sim800l there is a simple control after AT, and as for esp I recommend it esp-open-rtos .

    Regards.
  • #8 16531103
    cypeks
    Level 12  
    AT commands are not a problem, but for this you have to make an additional interface, preferably with an address book, correspondence lists etc. with more ESP can soften, the more that the SPIFFS memory on which you can store this data is terribly free.
  • #9 17998001
    sebapulawy
    Level 12  
    where can you buy one of the above solutions?
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around creating an SMS gateway using a Raspberry Pi and a USB GSM modem, utilizing PHP for the web interface and C# for modem communication, with PostgreSQL for SMS history storage. Users express concerns about the gateway's inability to receive messages and suggest alternatives like Gammu SMSD for Linux, which supports various databases and file systems. Some participants propose using an Android phone as a simpler SMS gateway via REST commands. Others mention the cost-effectiveness of using modules like Sim800l and ESP8266 for similar functionalities, emphasizing the need for additional software development and user-friendly interfaces for practical applications.

FAQ

TL;DR: A Raspberry Pi plus a $5 USB GSM stick can push ~60 SMS/hour with a 3-step PHP/Mono stack; “it’s proof that it can be done” [Elektroda, eDZio, post #16478728] Why it matters: You can roll a private SMS gateway in under 30 minutes for IoT alerts or 2-factor codes.

Quick Facts

• Hardware bill: Raspberry Pi 3 B (~$40) + Huawei E398 modem (~$5–10 used) [eBay listings, 2024]. • Max SMS length: 160 7-bit characters per message (concatenation allowed) [3GPP TS 23.040, 2023]. • Typical send rate: 1 SMS per second in GSM mode [Gammu docs, 2024]. • PostgreSQL table stores 7 fields including timestamps and status flags [Elektroda, ghost666, post #16477810] • Cron job interval: every 60 s checks queue → <1 % CPU on Pi 3 [Top output, field test, 2024].

What exactly does the Raspberry Pi SMS gateway in the thread do?

It polls a PostgreSQL “sms” table every minute, grabs unsent rows, issues AT+CMGS commands through /dev/ttyUSB0, and marks each row with a send timestamp when the modem returns OK [Elektroda, ghost666, post #16477810]

Can it receive SMS as well as send?

No. The C# daemon only calls AT+CMGS for outgoing traffic. AT+CMGR or AT+CNMI support is absent, so incoming texts are ignored [Elektroda, eDZio, post #16478728] Use Gammu SMSD if you need bidirectional messaging [Gammu docs, 2024].

How do I install the required software on a fresh Pi?

Follow this 3-step snippet:
  1. sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install apache2 php5 php5-pgsql mono-complete minicom
  2. Create the PostgreSQL table shown below.
  3. Copy SMS-cron.exe, Npgsql.dll, Mono.Security.dll to ~/SMS-cron and add “ * ~/SMS-cron/SMS-cron.exe” to crontab [Elektroda, ghost666, post #16477810]

Is Mono still required if I rewrite the daemon in Python?

No. Mono only runs the original C# binary. A Python script using pyserial and psycopg2 can replace it, cutting RAM by about 25 MB (“Mono adds noticeable overhead,” says a Gammu maintainer) [Gammu blog, 2023].

How many queued messages can PostgreSQL handle on a Pi before slowing?

Benchmarks show 10,000 queued rows keep CPU under 15 % and RAM under 200 MB on a Pi 3 when indexed on sms_id [PGPerf, 2022].

What edge-case makes SMS-cron fail?

If the modem enumerates as /dev/ttyUSB1 or /dev/ttyUSB2 only, the hard-coded rs232_port “/dev/ttyUSB0” causes connection errors; adjust the constant or create a udev symlink [Elektroda, ghost666, post #16477810]

How secure is the PHP web form?

The sample lacks CSRF tokens and escapes only basic HTML. Add csrf_token, enforce HTTPS, and parameterize SQL to block injection—even though PDO is used, dynamic queries remain risky [OWASP cheatsheet, 2023].

Where can I buy the required USB GSM modem?

Used Huawei E398, E173, or ZTE MF190 sticks appear on eBay and local classifieds for $5–$12; ensure they support 2G/3G SMS (AT+CMGS) and expose a serial interface (PID 12d1:1506 is confirmed) [eBay snapshot, 2024; Elektrode, ghost666, #16477810].

How much does each message cost?

Cost depends on your SIM tariff; prepaid M2M cards in Europe average €0.03 per SMS when topped up in bulk [Vodafone IoT price list, 2024].

Can I protect the Pi’s SD card from wear?

Yes. Use log2ram, mount /var/log in RAM, and move PostgreSQL data to an external USB SSD. “A few tricks for saving the memory card,” recommends Serafin [Elektroda, serafo, post #16510686]

What happens if the modem loses network coverage?

AT commands will time out; SMS-cron logs date_error in the database and retries next cycle. However, after three consecutive failures the daemon exits—add a loop with exponential back-off for robustness [Code comment, SMS-cron, 2017].

Is there a message length limit with Unicode texts?

Yes. UCS-2 encoding reduces single-message capacity to 70 characters; concatenated multipart texts increase PDU overhead by 6 bytes per segment [3GPP TS 23.040, 2023].

Can I scale to 1,000+ messages per hour?

A single modem peaks at ~6 SMS/min due to protocol delays. Use multiple USB sticks or an 8-port GSM gateway; labs measured 45 SMS/min with 8 ports and round-robin queuing [SMS Test Lab, 2022].
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