TEXT MESSAGING / VSTREAM

Cross-carrier SMS is not fully deployed. ATT claims their system can now send SMS to any carrier by using only the phone number, but other carriers have not developed the software to do this.

One way around it is to to use the email address instead. For example, my phone's email is ##########@mobile.att.net, where "#" is the 10-digit wireless number.

 

MEssage center number doesn't matter aymore. All the companies VS bought just forward to the VS system now.

The reason you can't receive from Sprint and Verizon is that their systems are not compatible with other carriers. VS, Cingular, and AT&T are the only major companies that have announced this compatiblity. So....you can send to anyone, but receive from only one of those three. It's not VS problem tho.

As Kevin said, you can use the email functionality.

Here's the VS press release

Text

 

Another way around it is to go through a seperate source.

Here's a gateway that someone set up that is supposed to allow you to message to any carrier from any carrier.

I haven't personally used it (everyone I message is on Verizon too), but I have read where other people say it works pretty well.

 

I send and receive messages from AT&T, Sprint, & Verizon customers all of the time. I have Voicestream too. You have to type it as an email. Type it like this for example;
1234567890@mobile.att.net AT&T
1234567890@vtext.com Verizon Wireless
1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com Sprint
1234567890@voicestream.net Voicestream Wireless

Follow this format:
1234567890@serviceprovider.com, "space", subject, "space", message, SEND, 500
EXACT FORMAT: (AT&T for example)
1234567890@mobile.att.net phone Hey did you get that phone that you wanted?

WHEN ASKED FOR NUMBER, type in 500.

The "1234567890" is the person 10 digit mobile number. You can check other service providers email addresses by looking around on their website, or emailing me at my email address below, and asking me.

SHORTCUT:
If you have Voicestream, you can log into MyVoicetream.com, and give all of the emails that you send to a nickname. Just log into My Voicestream.com by going to "http://myvoicestream.com" You will see the Ping Pong Message Zone on the screen. Then under the POWER MESSAGING heading, click on 'Give Your Friends A Nickname' Then just type in the nickname (all lowercase) that you want to give the person, then type in their mobile email address (like the above example - 1234567890@serviceprovider.com/net). Then click add and you are all set. You can do that for as many emails as you want, I have 17 so far. You can do that for ANY email address, not just mobile address. Ok, you are probably wondering how you would send a message using the nick names.
Instead of typing out the whole email address when you are sending a message, just type;
nickname, then a space, then the subject, then the message, send to 500 like normal.
The subject of the message is always optional.

To messages to other Voicestream customers you don't have to do all of this, just;
type the message, send it to their 11 digit mobile number ( "1" "areacode" "number")
Email me if you have any questions.

Christopher

 

aiwapro - you are correct, but....with Cingular, AT&T and VS, you should be able to send and receive using just the 10-digits. No need for email anymore. Send it just like they were on VS.

You can do the same to send to Sprint and Verizon, but they will still have to use email to send to you. Check the press release I linked above.

 

Thanks Matt, I haven't visited the Voicestream press release site since they put on their about the Cingular thing out west.

 

I tried out the 10 digit messaging throughout the day today, and it worked, but it was alot slower than just typing the email address. It was extremely slower. I'm gonna try it again tomorrow too. Hopefully it will speed up.

 

Well I beleive it depends on the email provider. I know with MSN/Hotmail, you can have it put into multiple messages. However, I have the 3390 and I always send messages way over 100 characters. Actually, I beleive that Voicestream allowed amount is 140 or 160. You should be able to send over a 100 characters to anyone whether it be email or another Voicestream phone. You be able to receive long (over 100 characters) messages from other Voicestream customers that have the 3390.

 

Not to discount the need for msgs longer than 100 characters, but just to note that SMS means Short Message Service. 100 characters is roughly the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 sentences which should be sufficient for most needs.

Here are two samples, one a personal msg., the other a business msg. Both are 100 characters:

I will be home late for dinner. Please pick up the dry cleaning. I forgot to feed the cat this morn

Prospect accepted bid. Need blueprints now! Fax final contract: 800-700-6000. Call me for more info.

 

Here's a story about the possiblity of inter-carrier SMS messaging.

 

Matt, you are incorrect. A Sprint customer needs only the 10 digit mobil number also. I have sent many SMS messages to VS customers. However, when they receive it, it says it is from the e-mail address, e.g. myphone#@xx.whatever.net. I didn't look very closely. But, indeed, it does work.

 

I beleive email is alot faster, unless you are sending within your own carrier. When I send messages as emails from my Voicestream phone to Sprint PCS phones, it takes about 2 seconds for them to receive it. It takes about a day when I just do the number.

 

i have sent to voicestream phones with just the phone number and the text message got there in under 2 minutes. however i havent received one yet dont know how that works.

 

With my two phones I know Voicestream and Verizon send/receive messages in just a few minutes

Since neither phone is web enabled, email by phone is not an option for me

Seems the slowest part is text by number keys

I have also successfully communicated with both to Nextel

My biggest frustration has been Cingular. From Voicestream I understand you do +1 then 10 digits.
From Verizon I understand it's 1 then 10. Neither one seemed to reach Cingular.

 

You can send email from Voicestream phones by typing:
email address, space, subject, #, space, message, then send it to 500.
Follow that exactly.

Subject is optional; If you don't add a subject, then don't add the # sign or the extra space after the subject either.
It would like like this without the subject:
email address, space, message, then send it to 500.

 

<< With my two phones I know Voicestream and Verizon send/receive messages in just a few minutes

Since neither phone is web enabled, email by phone is not an option for me

Seems the slowest part is text by number keys

I have also successfully communicated with both to Nextel

My biggest frustration has been Cingular. From Voicestream I understand you do +1 then 10 digits.
From Verizon I understand it's 1 then 10. Neither one seemed to reach Cingular. >>


Someone from another forum experimented with their Cingular to test interoperability

Messages from email address and from phone #
were received by my Voicestream,
neither received by my Verizon

I was able to reply successfully w/ VS to Cingular by their email address
seems results of sending msg keyed to their phone # was incomplete

 

<< Good idea... You know what, sometimes I can't send e-mail from my phone and sometimes I can... does the Message Center Number matter? >>

I assume you're referring to Short Message Service Center (SMSC) ?

This post asks similar question about VS to Cingular SMS

Anyone have VS Nokia or other info ?


http://www.howardforums.com/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&postid=185987

Originally posted by lgingell
after a couple of days trying (very trying!) I got through to a very helpful chap at Cingulars tech support (yes, i was amazed!).

A few interesting notes from that call:

1. Cingular *does* have at least a couple of enthusiastic techs.

2. cingular moved their tech supp (or at least for us CA GSM folks), back to Fresno (has been on the east coast etc.)

3. Messaging from VS to 415 area code Cingular GSM - The tech sent a message from his 209 area code (same as cingulars SMSC) and it got to VS. A reply from VS got back to him. Still didn't work for me on my 415 number. He checked and said that the reason for this was that VS don't have my 415 number in their database.

After a little reading up on this (http://www.bryte.net/gsm/sms.asp), i suspect that their are a bunch of Cingular 'number ranges' (like 415 827 xxxx) that aren't in VoiceStreams SMSC database. ...Although I guess that the numbers must be in their roaming database, or my phone wouldn't roam...

The tech suggested that I try a nokia on VS and set "reply via same center" to see if it would work then, since the reply to a Cingular originated SMS would then go via Cingulars SMSC. I'll have to find an unlocked Nokia and try it.

I've sent an email to VS (never heard back on the trouble ticket from last month ).

Any VS folks out there know anything about this?

..lance

 

Good idea... You know what, sometimes I can't send e-mail from my phone and sometimes I can... does the Message Center Number matter?


Message center is very important. I can send/receive text messages outside the States like to INDIA.

 

Yes amphibian I know about the 'reply via same center' thing. I have it marked off on my phone and my text messaging works fine to all different providers. Well I have never tried sending to Nextel, but other than that, everything is fine. I think reply via same center routes it back on the same number that it came in on. For example when you receive a message from anything other than another person, it says a number, like 402, 501, etc. With the reply via same center on, it would send it back on that same number, instead of creating another I guess. Voicestream requires that when you type an email and send it, that you send it to 500. That's just a Voicestream thing, other providers may require another number, that the phone automatically sends the message to.

 

For the record NEXTEL has the best 2-way messaging around. You can send up to 500 characters from the handset, and forward, copy etc.

I was a 5000min/month user with SPCS, and am down to 700 just by using 2-way messaging to communicate.

It only adds $5 a month to my bill (reasonable) and it DOES NOT ERODE MY MINUTES. In other words, it's unlimited!!!

They use packet-data so I can also get phone calls while I'm on the web or messaging. When I'm done with the call, I can go right back to the exact place on line that I left of (mid-message, on a site, whatever...).

I can also send to e-mail addys, other wireless users, and they can send to me. It's pretty cool, y'all........

 

~KewlChyk Are the messages sent real time? Like IM or ICQ ?
The text feature is great and the Direct Connect is pretty cool. I have to be honest, I never thought nextel would ever make it this far and do this well. I think I would be willing to try the service in my area, seeing as I am looking to open a cell store. I think it's important to test the services I plan on dealing with or competing with.

) aiwapro (
Thank you, for that tip!
I have used VoiceStream for many months, even seen what you described on their site and never figured out what it was for!
Thanks again, I am going to have a great time emailing from my phone now!

This was a greatly informative string, thanks to all the posters!

 

Handset to handset is very fast (they are inter-carrier operable); handset to browser/browser to handset is almost as fast (depends on the ISP, etc.).

I went with Nextel last fall after 5 years with SPCS and have been thoroughly impressed thus far. The network is better in most areas than any of the other 7 carriers here, and the rates are very comparable. You can't roam off their network (don't need to nor do I want to pay out the whazoo for a crappy sounding call that might sustain long enough for me to speak).

The web (heard it was rated #1 by JD Power) is far superior to Sprint's with the packet data. I even prefer it to Voicestream's. It does help to have colleagues with Nextel to take advantage of the Direct Connect, but I use that feature less often than the cell or 2-way messaging.

I think their steady growth across the country and the fact that they stuck with one thing --wireless-- gives them an advantage. Their customer care system is easier to navigate than most, and just about everything can be done online -- with a response!

just imho

 

Hey KewlChyk, Voicestream is exactly the same way. They have all of the features that you described. Yes, with Voicestream the messages are real-time. Also KewlChyk, even though you (Nextel) can send 500 character messages, other providers only allow their customers to receive 160 characters, so that doesn't really work well, since more than half of the message will be cut off. It's 160 for Voicestream, and less for everybody else. I think Sprint PCS is only 100.

I can also send messages and receive call at the same time. Yes, while I'm on the phone with somebody, I can send and receive messages. Also, I'm pretty much sure that Voicestream's GPRS (wireless web) definately out performs Nextel's. I mean come on, Voicestream is 56k and has been tested at up to 100k. Nextel is about 14.4k or less. 56k is sure faster than 14.4k. I am sure of this, because this chart shows it. It is a reliable chart, made by Motorola, the maker of Nextel phones, they should know: Data Speeds.

 

does voicestream sell any chatboards

Jack

 

<< does voicestream sell any chatboards

Jack >>



not officially supported or sold...

 

ok thanks

Jack