One Windows gateway, two SMPP roles: client and server
SMPP v3.4 works in both directions. Connect out to an SMSC or aggregator as a client, or start the built-in server so CRM, ERP and monitoring systems can submit messages through your own SIMs. Both roles are part of the Ultimate edition.
Two roles, one service
Both roles speak SMPP v3.4. The difference is which side opens the session and what carries the message afterwards.
| SMPP client | SMPP server | |
|---|---|---|
| Who connects | SMS Deliverer connects out to an SMSC, aggregator or another SMPP server | CRM, ERP, monitoring or any SMPP client connects in to SMS Deliverer |
| Message path | Your outbox, over the session, to the provider's SMSC and routes | Client session, into the outbox, out through your modem pool or Android phones |
| Hardware on site | None required; the provider owns the radio side | At least one GSM/LTE modem or Android phone with a live SIM |
| Typical reason | You already hold an SMPP account and want one outbox and one report | Your systems already speak SMPP and the SIMs must stay under your control |
SMPP is an interface, not a route. In client mode the messages travel on the provider's network; in server mode they travel on your SIMs. Both roles require the Ultimate edition.
SMPP client mode: send through someone else's SMSC
Use this when you already have SMPP credentials from a carrier, an aggregator or an SMS provider. No modem and no Android phone are needed on the PC.
Open the SMPP connection settings
Create an SMPP connection in SMS Deliverer. The form takes the server address, the port, the user name and the password issued by your provider. Save with OK.
Let the session come up
Once the connection is saved, the software holds an SMPP v3.4 session to that server. If the provider filters by IP, give them the public address of the PC first.
Queue the message in the outbox
Compose the message, add it to the outbox and press Start. The queue is picked up and submitted over SMPP instead of waiting for a local modem.
Read the delivery report
The provider returns the final state on the same session. Delivered, failed and pending counts appear in the report next to the messages that produced them.
Channel switch
While an SMPP client connection exists, the software sends over SMPP by default and stops using the connected modem or phone. An option in the settings disables that switch, so both channels can stay active. Choose one deliberately; do not let a test session silently take over a production modem queue.
No local fallback
If the provider session drops, queued messages wait for it. Client mode has no SIM of its own to fall back to, which is the trade-off for using the provider's routes.
Setup detail
Step-by-step screenshots live in the online help: SMPP client setup.
SMPP server mode: let your systems bind in
Use this when the application that creates messages already speaks SMPP, but the messages must leave through your own SIM cards. The software listens locally, accepts SMPP clients and drives the modems or phones.
Start the server
Open the SMPP server section and press Start server. The listener uses the port you set; the default is 2775.
Open the port on the firewall
Allow inbound TCP on that port from the machines that will connect. Keep the rule narrow: the listener is meant for your network or VPN, not the open internet.
Create one account per client
The built-in account is admin / admin. Use User Management to add a separate user name and password for each application, so one client can be disabled without touching the others.
Bind the client to the listener
In the CRM, ERP or gateway, enter the PC's IP address, the port and the account credentials. Several clients and concurrent connections can be bound at the same time.
Send and confirm
Every message a client submits enters the outbox and is distributed across the connected GSM ports. Incoming SMS from those modems or phones is passed back to the connected SMPP clients.
Delivery reports go back
After a message is sent, the software returns a delivery report to the SMPP client. The sample in the help carries the message id, submitted and done timestamps, stat, err and the SIM's IMSI in the text field.
Load spread across ports
SMPP traffic is distributed across multiple GSM ports rather than pinned to one modem. Add modems or phones to raise capacity; the listener does not change.
Do not loop the gateway into itself. Running the client and the server on the same computer and pointing the client at that local server creates a dead loop. Point the client at an external SMSC, or run the two roles on different machines.
Screen-by-screen setup steps and the delivery-report sample are in the online help: SMPP server setup.
Addressing: number, TON and NPI
SMPP carries an address and two type flags. Getting them wrong is the usual reason a provider rejects a submit even though the session is up.
| Address | TON | NPI | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
+79171234567 | 1 — International | 1 — ISDN (E.163/E.164) | Mobile number in country-code format |
55555 | 3 — Network specific | 0 — Unknown | Short code |
MyService | 5 — Alphanumeric | 0 — Unknown | Sender name, where the carrier allows it |
TON accepts 0 unknown, 1 international, 2 national, 3 network specific, 4 subscriber number, 5 alphanumeric and 6 abbreviated. NPI covers ISDN, data, telex, land mobile, private and other plans. The full value lists and the original examples are in SMPP Address.
Where each role fits
Four situations that come up in real integrations. Each one names the role and the part of the product that does the work.
Interconnect with an aggregator
Client mode. The aggregator supplies SMPP credentials and routes; SMS Deliverer supplies the outbox, scheduling, contact list and one consolidated report. Useful when a team wants a desktop workflow on top of an existing SMPP contract.
CRM or ERP that already speaks SMPP
Server mode. Point the application at the PC instead of rebuilding its integration around HTTP. The CRM keeps its SMPP client and the messages leave through your SIMs, with no per-message cloud fee.
Internal alerting with replies
Server mode. Monitoring tools submit alerts over SMPP; replies from staff arrive as inbound SMS and are forwarded back to the connected client. Delivery reports close the loop per message.
Keep message data on site
Server mode. The listener, the outbox and the delivery data stay on the local network. The modem or phone is the only path to the carrier, so numbers and message text do not pass through a third-party gateway.
Comparing the two delivery models? The on-premise vs cloud page covers cost, data location and control. For the HTTP path instead of SMPP, see the integration section of the setup guide.
What SMPP does not remove
The protocol changes how messages enter the gateway. It does not change what the carrier or the SIM will accept.
| Boundary | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Edition | Client and server are Ultimate-only. Standard and Enterprise do not expose either role. |
| Throughput | Server-mode capacity is the sum of the connected modems and their SIM plans. SMPP does not add routes or raise a carrier's rate limit. |
| Delivery reports | States and error codes come from the carrier. A report marked UNDELIV or REJECTD is the network's answer, not a gateway failure. |
| Sender identity | Alphanumeric sender names and short codes depend on the carrier and the account. The gateway can put them in the PDU; the network decides whether to accept them. |
| Message type | SMPP carries SMS. MMS needs the Android phone channel; see the Android gateway setup. |
| Long messages | Long text is split into segments and billed per part, exactly as on a modem. The segmentation table has the character counts. |
| Network exposure | The server listens on a TCP port. Bind it to your LAN or VPN and limit the firewall rule; do not publish it to the internet. |
Questions buyers ask
Is SMPP included in every edition?
No. Both the client and the server are part of the Ultimate edition. Standard and Enterprise run the modem and Android channels without the SMPP roles.
Can I use client mode without a modem?
Yes. In client mode the provider owns the SMSC and the radio side, so the PC needs no modem or phone. The trade-off is that the provider's routes and rates apply.
Can the client and server run on the same computer?
Do not point the client at the server running on the same machine; that creates a dead loop. Point the client at an external SMSC, or run the two roles on different computers.
Which port does the server listen on?
The default is 2775. Change it in the server settings and allow the same port inbound on the Windows firewall for the clients that need it.
Are delivery reports passed back to the SMPP client?
Yes. After a message is sent, the server returns a delivery report with the message id, state, timestamps and error code. The text field carries the IMSI of the SIM that sent it.
Does SMPP bypass carrier limits?
No. Client mode is bounded by the provider's account; server mode is bounded by your SIM plans, modem count and the carrier's rate limits. SMPP only changes the interface.