SMS Deliverer

Huawei E173: SMS compatibility and AT notes

One of the classic 3G sticks with real serial ports: the documented AT path is PDU mode, and most reported problems trace back to the wrong port or the wrong charset.

3G USB stickHSPA up to 7.2 Mbps downlink, UMTS, GSMListed by the original site, not re-tested

Verdict

One of the classic 3G sticks with real serial ports: the documented AT path is PDU mode, and most reported problems trace back to the wrong port or the wrong charset.

Verification status: Listed by the original site, not re-tested

Specification and SMS behaviour

Chipset / module	Huawei E173 stick (internal baseband chipset not verified)
Interfaces	USB 2.0. Enumerates as several virtual ports: a modem COM port, a PC UI COM port and an NDIS network device.
Power supply	5 V from USB, up to 500 mA; consumption up to about 2.5 W
AT command notes	Answers on the modem COM port. Vendor material documents AT+CMGF=0/1 and AT+CMGS in PDU mode. In text mode the character set must be set with AT+CSCS; a wrong charset raises CMS ERROR 305.
Concatenated (long) SMS	PDU mode with a UDH is the documented path for long messages; multi-part behaviour on this stick was not re-tested.
Receiving SMS / OTP	Vendor documents delivery into modem storage (AT+CMGL) and +CMTI notifications; not re-tested.
MMS	Not verified
Date tested	Listed on the original smsdeliverer.com hardware notes; not re-tested in this rebuild (2026-11)

Fields we could not verify are written as "Not verified" rather than filled with estimates.

Known failures and troubleshooting

CMS ERROR 305 in text mode means the charset is wrong — switch to PDU mode or set AT+CSCS="IRA" before composing.
Several virtual ports appear at once; the application must use the modem port, not the PC UI port.
If the carrier dashboard (Mobile Partner) is holding the port, detection fails — close the dashboard first.

Data sources

Sources: the original smsdeliverer.com hardware notes for this model, plus vendor documentation. This rebuild did not re-test the device; unconfirmed fields are marked Not verified instead of being filled with guesses.

Other models

Guides

Questions about this model

Which COM port should SMS software use on the E173?

The modem port. The E173 creates several virtual ports; the PC UI port answers diagnostics but is not the sending channel.

Why do I get CMS ERROR 305 when sending text-mode SMS?

The character set is not configured. Set AT+CSCS="IRA" (or use PDU mode, which avoids the issue entirely).

Was the E173 re-tested for this library?

No. The entry follows the original site hardware notes and vendor documentation; fields we could not confirm are marked Not verified.

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