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The thing is, I have seen many apps on android and apple marketplaces that allows you to send texts via a device that is not necessarily a phone, some of those apps can give a number, and persons can call you from any phone to that number or send you texts to that number.

My question is, how do I register a "number" in a way that every single phone knows to which server that number belongs to?

Le me focus on the text message scenario, I know that a text message is nothing but an e-mail address, so if you send a message to 333 4444, I am sending something like

3334444@sms.somecarrier.net

How do my cell phone know, that 333 4444 needs to be sent to sms.somecarrier.net?

My first guess is that it doesn't... and there are some kind of DNS servers that maps the phone number to a carrier server and it works, in general, the same way a domain name is mapped to an IP address. However, that line of thought leads me to:

In case that such servers exists, How do I let those servers know who I am, or which server I belong to? Is there anything like 333444 needs to be forwarded to sms1.somecarrier.net sms2.somecarrier.net ? Or is there a company (like domain registrars) that will register that for me, or any institution like ICANN?

Any help on this matter would be of great help to me! Thank you!

P.S. if this question doesn't belong to this site, please delete

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While it's certainly an interesting question, I'm not sure this belongs here. We rather deal with actual computer hardware/software problems than this. Maybe someone knows another good place to ask? – slhck♦ Apr 28 '12 at 21:47
@slhck: If it's not a question for serverfault, then superuser should be the right place ;) – Informaficker Apr 28 '12 at 21:52
Hmmm, I don't follow that logic — just because my question is off-topic on X.SE doesn't automatically make it on-topic for Y.SE. You don't really need to look at other sites to judge the scope of your own @wal – slhck♦ Apr 28 '12 at 21:55
@slhck: What I meant is basically that it clearly is a question related to networking, which makes it suitable for superuser as long as it's in a nonprofessional way and for serverfault otherwise. (I think of the later one, because this question might be more interesting for further visitors of SF instead of SU). – Informaficker Apr 28 '12 at 22:16

closed as off topic by ChrisF, slhck♦, Traveling Tech Guy, Randolph West, Chris W. Rea Apr 28 '12 at 23:47

Questions on Super User are expected to relate to computer software or computer hardware within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

I know that a text message is nothing but an e-mail address

The GSM short message service (SMS) allows text messages to be sent in a way that is completely independent of email. Unlike email, SMS doesn't rely on IP-addressing nor on DNS domain names. SMS messages are delivered using normal phone numbers, The Telcos have to keep track of which phone numbers are served by which networks - since phone numbers can be ported between betworks, they essential have to track individual phone numbers (at least within a country). Since GSM phones are mobile, the network has to track which mast is currently providing service to each phone number.

To send an SMS text message using a non-GSM-phone device you have to use an SMS Gateway

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Not sure if this is helpful, but you might take a look at these guys for determining carrier from phone number:

http://sms411.net/2006/07/finding-out-someones-carrier/

You might have to maintain a database of the carrier's SMS gateways to stick to the number when you figure out the carrier.

Hope this helps.

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