Sending Commands to the Router by SMS

SMS Utilities for RUTX50 / RUT200 / RUT901 / OTD500

Applies to: RUTX50, RUT200, RUT901, OTD500 (confirmed: Jola's firmware keeps the standard SMS Utilities feature and commands enabled)

What this is

This is the reverse of SMS forwarding: instead of the router sending a text, a text is sent to the router to trigger an action. This is most useful when a device is unreachable over the network, for example following an incorrect configuration change, but its SIM can still receive a text message, allowing certain issues to be resolved remotely without a site visit. On Teltonika devices this feature is called SMS Utilities, and it comes with a long list of ready-made commands ("rules") already configured.

Services → Mobile Utilities → SMS Utilities, showing the built-in Reboot and Send status rules (Teltonika RUT200 documentation).

Sending a command

1. Each rule has an Authorization method. By default this is By device admin password, meaning the device's admin password must precede the command text.

2. Send a text message to the router's own SIM number in the format: <admin password> <command>. For example, to reboot the device: admin01 reboot (replacing admin01 with the device's actual admin password).

3. To check status instead, send: <admin password> status.

4. To change the APN remotely, send: <admin password> cellular apn=internet (replacing "internet" with the required APN).

The same format applies to any of the commands listed below: the admin password (or other authorization, see Good to know), followed by the command text.

Device control

●       reboot: restarts the device.

●       reset_conn: reconnects to the best available mobile operator, without restarting the whole device.

Connectivity

●       cellular: updates the APN and other internet settings remotely, as shown above. This command is more powerful and should be used with care.

●       mobileon / mobileoff: turns the router's mobile data connection on or off.

●       wifion / wifioff: turns the router's Wi-Fi radio on or off. Does not apply to RUT901, which has no Wi-Fi radio.

Status and diagnostics

●       status: returns a general status report.

●       monitoring_status: returns the device's RMS connection state, serial number and MAC address.

●       rms_status: returns the state of the device's connection to RMS.

Remote access control

●       sshon / sshoff: turns SSH access to the device on or off.

●       webon / weboff: turns HTTP and HTTPS access to the device's web interface on or off.

●       ipunblock: removes an IP address from the device's access block list.

Good to know

●       The admin password must be kept confidential, as anyone with knowledge of it can send these commands to the device.

●       This is a useful addition to a "device unreachable" troubleshooting checklist, as it does not require the device to have a working data connection, only mobile signal.

●       Each rule can alternatively be set to No authorization, By serial (using the device's serial number instead of a password), or By password (a separate custom password). The authorization method actually configured on a given device should be checked before assuming the format shown above.

●       A number of further commands exist beyond those listed above, including firmware and factory-reset commands. These are not covered in this guide, as they are more specialist and carry more risk if used incorrectly; contact support if one of these is required.