On Wed, Nov 05, 2003 at 10:25:48AM +0800, Chin Kok Joon wrote: > Hi to all, > > I have a curiosity questions. can a normal handphone like say nokia 3110 > phone be use to act as a (virtual) smsc ? as I read in the doc., a gsm > modem can be use to act as a smsc. However, the price for one is pricey. > Due to tight budget and the (real) smsc provider is not giving me their > connection until (2 week to a month later), can one use a handphone > instead? >
Yes, but only certain phones that have built-in GSM modems will work. I have had success using the old Nokia 7110 and Nokia 6210 phones, probably there are more that can be used. I haven't found GSM modems particularly expensive. A Nokia 30 GSM Connectivity Terminal costs about US$300 or so, IIRC, roughly the price of a mid-range mobile phone like a Nokia 6510 or Ericsson T300. > Another question will the handphone burn (kaput)? I been told that using > a handphone to surf the net can burn the handphone, is it true ?!!! What do you mean by burn? Explode, the way an Amsterdam woman's phone did a month or two ago? I doubt it. The main problem with using a real mobile phone as though it were a GSM modem is the fact that you're running off battery power. Leaving a phone on 24x7 plugged into the wall socket will ruin the battery, certainly. For testing purposes, or in the interim you should be okay, but don't do this for extended periods of time unless you can afford to switch handsets and batteries every so often.
