How to Use a Modem to Send an SMS

By Stephen Lilley, eHow Contributor

updated: January 5, 2010

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Though SMS text messages can be a great way to communicate with friends quickly and efficiently, they have fees attached. That is, if you're sending SMS text messages from a cell phone. Many don't realize that you can send SMS text messages for free to any cell phone number using your computers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Download and install an instant messaging utility. These are programs like AIM or Windows Messenger (see References below) that many people have installed on their computers already. Any IM client will do. These programs send messages from computer to computer, but are also capable of sending messages from computer to phone.
   
2. Open your instant messaging utility.
   
3. Start a new message. This involves clicking a "New Message" button or selecting "New Message" from the "File" menu in most programs of this type.
   
4. Type the telephone number (including the area code) you want to send an SMS message to, proceeded by a +1, in the "Recipient" box. In the end, your phone number should look something like this:
   
   +11234567890
   
5. Type your message into the "Message" box and hit "Send." This will send your text-based message to the cell phone attached to the phone number you entered.
   

Tips & Warnings

• You can also send an SMS message to a cell phone through email, as long as you know the corporate email extension for the cell phone service provider your recipient uses. Create a new email message and type the recipient's phone number into the "Recipient" box. Then, follow it with @ and the corporate email extension. If your recipient is on Verizon's network, you would type "1234567890@vtext.com." If your recipient is on T-Mobile's network, you would type "1234567890@tmomail.net." See the link in the References section below for a complete listing of corporate email extensions.