ATT PC to Cellular SMS TAP Dialup Access discontinued

[Guest]

Notepage Users-
For over 8 years, first to SkyTel pager and later to ATT Cell phones, we have been monitoring the health of over 150 manufacturing critical process computers, using AirSource to connect by Dialup Access to an ATT carrier. As of 3 September 2003 2pm, the ATT Dialup Access carrier was discontinued! Conversations with ATT Customer Service has ALMOST convinced me that not only can I no longer monitor my computer from a cell phone but that I was never able to do it and must be hallucinating. Our Group has become very dependent on these cellular text messages because there is no time lag as with SMTP email messages. We would also prefer NOT to be forced to replace off the shelf cell phone with other Internet enabled devices.
I was wondering if anyone else was in the same fix and would appreciate comments and suggested workarounds.
Thanks in Advance.
-John

[Tech Support]

This has been the topic of many tech support calls this week. AT&T has shut down their TAP gateway. And just like Microsoft, AT&T did not call us for our opinion before making the decision :-) I would have been able to tell them how bad of an idea it was.

I have been forwarded some quotes from letters and emails from AT&T representatives. They basically say that their TAP interface has be replaced with an SMPP interface, because it is more reliable, secure, etc. What all the quotes fail to mention is that you need an AT&T frame relay circuit to use their SMPP gateway. This type of circuit typically ranges around $500 a month. I'm not sure how this could possibly be considered a reasonable replacement for the existing TAP system. I suppose that if you are a large customer that currently has a direct T1 connection to AT&T using TAP, that this may be a reasonable replacement. What about the other 90% of their customers.

I am already aware of customers of ours that have switched to other carriers because of this issue. Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, and others continue to support their TAP interfaces.

For those looking for alternatives, there are two Internet based protocols used in the USA that are far superior to SMTP for text message delivery: SNPP and WCTP. Their reliability and speed are at least as good as TAP, and don't have the problems that SMTP does. You can check the support section of our website for carriers that support these protocols: http://www.notepage.net/support.htm

In the meantime, all existing AT&T customers should complain as loudly as possible to AT&T so that they are aware of what a HUGE mistake it was to turn the TAP service off. I think if AT&T comes to realize the amount of business they may loose, that there is a chance of them turing it back on.

Another possible solution would be for AT&T to enable access to their SMPP gateway over the Internet. I can't imagine this would cost them anything extra, and can't understand why they didn't do this in the first place. Perhaps frame relay sales are slow :-)

We would really appreciate posts from anyone that has newer, better, or just different information on this topic.

[Guest]

Forum-

Interesting . . . possible solution.

Discovered following links:

http://www.mail-archive.com/whatsup_forum@list.ipswitch.com/msg05831.html

http://corporate.unimobile.com/default.htm

-John

[climapr]

I'm trying to setup my conection but it said SMTP-Failed, and my carrier is AT&T.


Help

[Tech Support]

If you would, run this connection test:

1) In Windows, go to Start - Run.

2) In the run line, type the following and click ok: command

3) In the command prompt, type the following and hit enter:

telnet atlsmtp.cingularme.net 25

Let me know what the response is.

_________________
Tech Support
support@notepage.com
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