Sim card readers

Tools of the trade
#1

Hello all - disclaimer I am a newbie to SM. i have been reading about people using USB sim card readers and sim cards.
Are these used for verification of accounts? if so how do you receive the text? is that software you put on your computer? or do you just swap sims out of your phone?

#2

I haven’t personally tried sim card readers but using my phone and changing the sim card of it will do the job. Will wait for others to chime in though.

#3

Yes, there are people doing this. A sim card reader is a device that will allow you to get the sms on your computer instead of your phone and you can switch sim cards a lot faster that on some phones… that’s basically it.

#4

The one thing I have a hard time understanding about computer SIM card readers is how do they connect to the cell tower. Dont they need the be able to receive incoming tower signals? All of the USB readers I have seen look just like SD card readers. I assume these USB SIM card readers are only for reading whats currently on the SIM rather than receiving new information from the cellular network.

Am I wrong? or am I looking at the wrong USB SIM card readers?

1 Like
#5

Yeah, that’s what I think too. That’s why I got one from ebay, chinese stuff, cheap as hell :slight_smile:
still haven’t tried it, but by looking at it I don’t think this crap can receive messages :smiley: There goes my $1.20…

#6

Happy to hear im not alone. You should try it to solve the question once and for all :slight_smile:

I highly doubt it would work, otherwise why on earth would they make and sell these:

https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?IndexArea=product_en&SearchText=32_sim_card_modem_pool&atm=&f0=y&moqf=MOQF&moqt=MOQT1

These also look promising for dirt cheep:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-Quality-HSDPA-3G-unlocked-modem_770135222.html

1 Like
#7

yep, saw that earlier, even talked with one of the sellers. too expensive for chinese stuff.

I’ll check what a hell is this in the morning and let you know, it’s pretty late here :slight_smile:

1 Like
#8

Sounds good! Ill lookforward to your reply tomorrow.

Crosses Fingers Please be good news, please be good news, please be good news.

1 Like
#9

:slight_smile: I do think some of them should be able to connect and receive messages, it’s not that high tech stuff to have that… but yeah, Adnan will tell us how it goes.

#10

There are laptops that support Sim cards by default, look for the business class from Lenovo (Thinkpad), Dell (Latitude) and HP (Elitebook). Thinkpads are the best laptops out there, you can find a 2011 model for as low as 130$.

Sim card readers do not connect to the cell tower. You need to have installed a WWAN card, that’s how the aforementioned laptops use the sim card.

1 Like
#11

After doing some research it seems that WWAN cards support only data plans so unless the carrier offers a way of forwarding sms that would not work as an option.

#12

Ah, thanks for the explanation.

So now that you have done some research, you are saying that the business class from Lenovo (Thinkpad), Dell (Latitude) and HP (Elitebook) & computers with WWAN cards will ONLY work for DATA and not standard cell signals like CDMA?

Do you know of any solutions to receive standard text messages VIA computer without the need for Data?

#13

I actually found 1 but havent got the time to fully do the research. If correct, then the cost of everything (and it takes up alot of space) is around 400$ for 100 unit.

If there’s someone that knows electronics, they could figure it out easily how to reduce the cost.

The orignal name for it is called SIM900. The price above is the “clones”.

You would need to include lots of high power USB ports. Which is why it’s expensive. But much cheaper than the made-for-telemarketing rigs. If you only needed 10, and be willing to swap it everytime, it’s cheaper ofc.

If you actually don’t want any of the hassle, only needed a few, then you can opt for the card phones. Cost 10$ each.

One thing about alibaba though, is that they list the price so low, it’s impossible to judge the pricing. I went and asked for one of the clones, and they gave me a higher price than their aliexpress counterpart. Part of the traditional business i guess. If you truly want it cheap, you’d need to personally fly there and buy it.

With that said, clone of SIM900, electronics knowledge, PC+networking knowledge, they would be able to build the next SMSPVA with API.

#14

thanks for the input. i will probably just get sim card - they are a ridiculous price in the US. Ill read over the boards and see what overs have used. would be a great gadget to have !