SMS

RouterOS provides SMS messaging capabilities for MikroTik devices with LTE modems. Send and receive SMS messages, execute USSD commands for carrier services, and integrate cellular notifications into your network management workflow.

Overview

SMS functionality in RouterOS enables:

Sending SMS - Send text messages to phone numbers
Receiving SMS - Store and retrieve incoming messages in inbox
USSD Commands - Execute Unstructured Supplementary Service Data for carrier services like balance checks
Script Integration - Trigger actions based on incoming SMS

Requirements

SMS requires:

A MikroTik device with an LTE modem (built-in or USB)
A SIM card with SMS capability
RouterOS v6 or later

The SMS functionality is accessed through:

/tool sms - Main SMS configuration
/tool sms inbox - Received messages
/interface lte at-chat - Direct AT command interface

Configuration

Enabling SMS

Enable the SMS tool and configure the LTE interface:

/tool sms set receive-enabled=yes port=lte1

View SMS settings:

/tool sms print

Parameters:

Property	Description
`receive-enabled`	Enable or disable SMS reception (yes/no)
`port`	LTE interface to use (e.g., lte1)
`channel`	SMS channel number (default: 0)
`sms-storage`	Where to store SMS messages (sim or router)
`allowed-number`	Restrict SMS commands to a specific phone number
`secret`	Password to restrict SMS commands
`sim-pin`	SIM card PIN code for unlocking the SIM

Sending SMS

Basic SMS Send

Send a simple SMS message:

/tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Hello from RouterOS"

Send to a contact saved on the SIM:

/tool sms send phone-number="John Doe" message="Status check"

Sending to Multiple Recipients

Send the same message to multiple numbers:

/tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890,0987654321 message="Network alert"

Send from Script

Automate SMS sending from RouterOS scripts:

/system script add name=send-alert source={
    /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Router reboot detected"
}

Receiving SMS

Viewing Inbox

List all received messages:

/tool sms inbox print

View messages from a specific phone number:

/tool sms inbox print where phone~"+1234"

Inbox Properties

Property	Description
`phone`	Sender’s phone number
`message`	Message body
`timestamp`	Time when the message was received (from operator, not router local time)
`type`	Message type

Delete Messages

Delete a specific message:

/tool sms inbox remove numbers=0

Delete all messages:

/tool sms inbox remove [find]

Auto-Respond

Password-Protected Commands

Require a secret for SMS commands:

/tool sms set secret=MySecret123

When a secret is set, only messages starting with the secret will trigger responses or scripts.

Custom Auto-Response Script

Use a script for dynamic responses:

/system script add name=sms-response source={
    :local msg [/tool sms inbox get [find] message]
    :local phone [/tool sms inbox get [find] phone-number]

    :if ($msg = "status") do={
        :local uptime [/system resource get uptime]
        :local cpu [/system resource get cpu-load]
        /tool sms send phone-number=$phone message="Uptime: $uptime, CPU: $cpu%"
    }
}

Schedule the script to check for new messages:

/system scheduler add name=check-sms interval=30s on-event=sms-response

USSD Messages

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is used for carrier interactions like checking account balance, activating services, and managing prepaid accounts.

Sending USSD Commands

Send a USSD command directly:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="*123#"

Use the AT+CUSD command for explicit USSD handling:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CUSD=1,\"*123#\",15"

Common USSD Commands

Code	Service
`*123#`	Balance check (common)
`*101#`	Data balance
`*102#`	Voice balance
`*121#`	Active offers
`##002#`	Cancel call forwarding

USSD Response Handling

Capture the USSD response:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CUSD=1,\"*123#\",15"

Response appears in the log:

/log print where message~"CUSD"

USSD Script Example

Create a script to check balance:

/system script add name=check-balance source={
    :local response ""
    /interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CUSD=1,\"*123#\",15"
    :delay 2
    :log info "USSD balance check completed"
}

SMS-Triggered Actions

Trigger Scripts with SMS

Execute RouterOS commands via SMS for remote management:

/tool sms set secret=AdminPass

/system script add name=sms-command source={
    :local msg [/tool sms inbox get [find] message]
    :local phone [/tool sms inbox get [find] phone-number]

    :if ($msg = "reboot") do={
        /system reboot
    }
}

Remote Reboot Example

Configure SMS command handler:

/system script add name=remote-reboot source={
    :local cmd [/tool sms inbox get [find] message]

    :if ($cmd = "reboot") do={
        :log warning "Remote reboot command received"
        :delay 5
        /system reboot
    }
}

Set up scheduler to check:

/system scheduler add name=sms-check interval=60s on-event=remote-reboot

Signal Alert Script

Receive alerts when LTE signal drops below threshold:

/system script add name=signal-alert source={
    :local rssi ([/interface lte monitor [find] once as-value]->"rssi")
    :if ($rssi < -95) do={
        /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Warning: LTE signal low: $rssi dBm"
    }
}

Debugging

Enable SMS Logging

View SMS-related logs:

/log print where message~"sms\|SMS\|sms"

AT Command Interface

Send direct AT commands to the modem:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT"

Check modem SMS capability:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CMGF?"

List stored messages:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CMGL=\"ALL\""

Common AT Commands

Command	Description
`AT`	Test modem
`AT+CMGF=1`	Set text mode
`AT+CMGS="number"`	Send SMS
`AT+CMGL="ALL"`	List all messages
`AT+CMGD=1`	Delete message 1
`AT+CUSD=1,"code",15`	Send USSD

Modem Information

Get modem signal and status:

/interface lte monitor [find] once

Check SIM information via AT command:

/interface lte at-chat lte1 input="AT+CIMI"

Troubleshooting

SMS not sending:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CMGS=\"+1234567890\""
> Test message
<ctrl+Z>

/log print where message~"error\|failed"

No messages in inbox:

/interface lte at-chat number=0 input="AT+CPMS?"

SIM not recognized:

On physical RouterBOARD devices with supported cellular hardware, you can reset the SIM with:

/system routerboard sim reset

Note: /system routerboard sim reset is a physical-router-only command. It is not available on CHR or other virtual RouterOS installations.

Examples

SMS Notification on Router Events

Send SMS when router reboots:

/system script add name=startup-notify source={
    :delay 30
    /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Router booted: $[/system identity get name]"
}

Add to startup:

/system scheduler add name=startup on-event=startup-notify startup-time=startup

WAN Failure Alert

Monitor primary WAN and alert via SMS:

/system script add name=wan-failover source={
    :local pingResult [/ping 8.8.8.8 count=3]
    :if ($pingResult = 0) do={
        /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Primary WAN down! Checking LTE..."
        :delay 10
        :local lteStatus [/interface lte get [find] running]
        :if ($lteStatus = true) do={
            /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="LTE is up - failover active"
        } else={
            /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="ALERT: Both WANs down!"
        }
    }
}

Schedule periodic checks:

/system scheduler add name=wan-monitor interval=5m on-event=wan-failover

Temperature Alert

Monitor device temperature and alert:

/system script add name=temp-alert source={
    :local temp [/system health get temperature]
    :if ($temp > 70) do={
        /tool sms send phone-number=+1234567890 message="Warning: Router temperature is ${temp}C"
    }
}

Mobile Networking - Overview of mobile networking
LTE/5G - LTE interface configuration
Dual SIM Application - Multi-SIM management
Signal Monitoring - LTE signal metrics

SMS

SMS