Vodafone and Open TAP log run test results update

[PASUK]

Hi all:

I often ask questions on here and don't make as much of a contribution back as I hope but maybe this is a little useful...

A few years back I started installing Texecom alarm systems to a small group and completed a handful over the years. many of the users of these systems could not afford a ARC so we decided to use SMS TAP approach realising this was not intended to be a comms channel with high nor guaranteed reliability.

SMS centre #1 was set as vodafone TAP service
SMS centre #2 was set as Open TAP service

Two mobile numbers were set up to receive the msgs, mine being one of them.

Alerts were set for Alarms, power outages, program start/end, automated test calls on a fortnightly cycle and a few other items

In total over the years and the installed systems a total of 388 notifications should have been sent.

239 (61.6%) Vodafone
147 notifications (37.8%) Open tap
2 notifications (0.5%) entirely dropped

I'm actually now dropping the use of this approach (and my ocd in reporting on reliability) in favor of switching over to a giffgaff SIM module to fire off the SMS without dialing out via the telephone line to a TAP service and only alarm and line check test notifications. Main reason is for the families who need to further contain costs.

Not sure if this helps anyone but just in case

 

[secureiam]

Its useful to have data.

I would ask if you can make it clearer on how many should have been sent and received.

 

[PASUK]

Hi
388 SMS should have been sent and subsequently received on our mobiles.

From what I can tell all 388 did attempt to go out and the SMS centres were dialled.

239 of this voda as the primary caught and successfully executed the SMS msg.

147 did not work on voda for whatever reason but did go out on open tap as the back up centre.

But 2 slipped through the net entirely and failed to result in a sms

Sorry not sure if that answered your question.

 

[secureiam]

excellent that makes it much clearer.

What device were you using to send out the messages.

when an SMS goes out from a TAP, the system gets acknowledged and then stops or goes to the next number.(not center)

With a sms center if one fails the other is tried to get the message out.

Looks like it has worked really well, the question for two of the calls were they missed or was the system reset before the messages got out.

 

[PASUK]

Hi - they've all had the texe COM2400 communicator that came with the bundle (oh not the bundle topic again!)

The only thing I could think of doing is to cross ref with the telephone bill and I could see a charge for calling voda and also another (more expensive) charge to opentap for both these calls. So not sure what happened but I'm fairly certain the system wasn't reset before the calls went out.

 

[secureiam]

so the way it would work is as follows.

the com2400 would dial the service centre and send to the mobile numbers in the list, when the sms is successful it goes onto the next mobile number, once its sent to all the numbers it stops

if the service centre isn't reached or doesn't complete it would go onto the next call, all this takes time.

if the alarm was disarmed during the time the messages were in progress then they wouldn't have completed.

So looks like the system worked rather well, however without information on the events from the panel cant say if the two missed for an particular reason.