Chapter 3. Using the gateway

Running Kannel

To start the gateway, you need to start each box you need. You always need the bearer box, and depending on whether you want WAP and SMS gateways you need to start the WAP and SMS boxes. If you want, you can run several of them, but we’ll explain the simple case of only running one each.

Starting the gateway

After you have compiled Kannel and edited configuration file for your taste, you can either run Kannel from command line or use supplied start-stop-daemonand run_kannel_box programs to use it as a daemon service (more documentation about that later).

If you cannot or do not know how to set up daemon systems or just want to test Kannel, you probably want to start it from command line. This means that you probably want to have one terminal window for each box you want to start (xterm or screen will do fine). To start the bearerbox, give the following command:

./bearerbox -v 1 [conffile]

The -v 1 sets the logging level to INFO. This way, you won’t see a large amount of debugging output (the default is DEBUG). Full explanation of Kannel command line arguments is below.

[conffile] is the name of the configuration file you are using with Kannel. The basic distribution packet comes with two sample configuration files, smskannel.conf and wapkannel.conf (in gw subdirectory), of which the first one is for testing out SMS Kannel and the second one for setting up a WAP Kannel. Feel free to edit those configuration files to set up your own specialized system.

After the bearer box, you can start the WAP box:

./wapbox -v 1 [conffile]

or the SMS box:

./smsbox -v 1 [conffile]

or both, of course. The order does not matter, except that you need to start the bearer box before the other boxes. Without the bearer box, the other boxes won’t even start.

Command line options

Bearerbox, smsbox and wapbox each accept certain command line options and arguments when they are launched. These arguments are:

Table 3-2. Kannel Command Line Options

Set verbosity level for stdout (screen) logging.

-v <level>Default is 0, which means ’debug’. 1 is ’info, 2 ’warning’, 3 ’error’ and 4 ’panic’

21

Page 27 Page 29
Page 28
Image 28
Nokia WAP and SMS gateway manual Running Kannel, Starting the gateway, Command line options, Or the SMS box
Page 27 Page 29

WAP and SMS gateway specifications

Nokia has long been a pivotal player in the telecommunications industry, and its contributions to mobile communication technology are numerous. Among these contributions, the Nokia WAP and SMS Gateway stand out as essential elements in enabling mobile internet access and messaging services in the early days of wireless communication.

The Nokia WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) gateway was introduced to facilitate mobile access to the internet and to allow users to interact with web services through their mobile devices. Built on a client-server architecture, the WAP gateway acted as a bridge between the mobile network and the internet, translating traditional web content into a format that mobile devices could effectively render. This conversion was crucial, given the limitations of early mobile devices regarding screen size, processing power, and network bandwidth.

One of the main features of the Nokia WAP gateway was its ability to provide users with real-time access to information such as weather updates, news, and stock prices. By using a lightweight markup language called WML (Wireless Markup Language), the gateway allowed developers to create mobile-friendly websites that could be accessed via WAP-enabled devices. This marked a significant step toward the mobile internet we know today, creating a new realm of possibilities for developers and users alike.

Another critical aspect of Nokia's offering was the SMS (Short Message Service) gateway. The SMS gateway provided a robust platform for sending and receiving text messages across various mobile networks. It enabled seamless communication between devices, regardless of the underlying technology. This feature made SMS a popular choice for both personal communication and business applications, such as marketing campaigns and customer service notifications.

The Nokia SMS gateway utilized established protocols, such as SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer), to ensure reliable message delivery and efficient interaction between SMS applications and mobile networks. Its characteristics included scalability, allowing service providers to handle large volumes of messages, and flexibility to integrate with existing applications and systems.

In summary, the Nokia WAP and SMS gateway played a vital role in the evolution of mobile communication. With features that enabled mobile internet access and streamlined messaging capabilities, these technologies laid the groundwork for the mobile-centric world we live in today. Their legacy continues to influence mobile application development and the broader telecommunications landscape. As the industry progresses, the innovations introduced by Nokia serve as a reminder of the foundational technologies that paved the way for modern mobile experiences.
Top Page Image Contents