SMS alerts
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:53 pm
Introduction
This article discusses how to trouble shoot SMS alerts.
If you are interested in learning how to create SMS alerts or other alerts go to Camera settings -> Alerts tab -> On Alert and click on the Help button in the Action set dialog. This will immediately take you to the Alerts and Actions section of Help.
Furthermore, the Triggers and Alerts section of the online Checklist provides references to articles and webinars for deeper understanding.
Troubleshooting
Log files
Confirm alerts are being sent from the server
Understanding the logs is key to understanding what is going on.
This camera was setup for Motion trigger and DeepStack AI. In the above log snippet, ADF1 (camera name) detected motion at 12:41:27.834 AM.
DeepStack identified a person at 12:41:28.809 AM. At 12:41:31.734 AM an SMS alert was sent. Note the gap between the MOTION event and the Alert should not be more than 1-2s.
If the logs state the SMS alert was NOT sent, skip below section and jump to No SMS alert section to troubleshoot your server settings.
SMS alert
If the logs state alerts are being sent, then you can be confident the camera is triggering on motion and alerts are being sent by BI.
The issue must reside with your email server settings or your ISP provider.
Send alternative alerts
If you are only sending one type of alert, e.g. an SMS alert, create an Email alert to try and isolate the issue. Does the Email alert work?
If so, the email server must be setup correctly. SMS and Email alerts both leverage the email server. Assuming the same email server is being used for both Email and SMS alerts, if one alert works then the email server must be setup correctly.
SMS alert dialog
It's possible a setting in your SMS alert dialog is blocking the alert from being sent. Double-check your Profiles and Trigger and Zones section.
ISP Provider
It's very possible you were sending too many alerts and your ISP provider throttled your service. It's also possible that you selected image attachments with the text and your ISP provider blocked sending the message because the data size was too large.
FYI, many users send SMS alerts with no image. They also create an Email alert with image attachments. When an SMS arrives, the user checks his email to see the images.
Telegram is also becoming popular with users as an alternative to SMS alerts.
Email server
If an Email alert does not work either, the common denominator is the email server.
Global settings -> Email servers.
Email process: BI Server -> Email server -> Email notification
SMS process: BI Server -> Email server -> Mobile provider email to text service -> SMS message
Easy to check if SMS and Email alerts are being processed correctly by your email server. Simply login to your email server. Go to the sent folder.
If you see sent emails to your cellular provider (for an SMS text) or to the email address specified in the Email alert settings, your mail server processed the alert correctly. BI emails are easy to spot because the subject starts with Blue Iris. If you do not see any BI sent emails, your email server is not setup correctly.
No SMS alert
If you are here, the logs state no SMS alert fired. The question is why?
First understand how alert actions(SMS, Email, Push etc) are generated.
Camera triggers (trigger tab settings) -> AI (if enabled) -> Alert filters (if any, alerts tab settings) -> Alert action filters (if any, alert action settings)
Details
Trigger tab: Camera triggered (motion event in logs). Easy to confirm whether camera triggered (besides checking the logs). In the Trigger tab, set Add to alerts list: = Hi-res JPEG files. If the camera triggers, a corresponding alert image is created in your Alerts folder! Easy way to use BI to tell you what is going on.
If the logs state the camera triggered (i.e. Motion event in logs) and NO alerts are being sent, then you can be confident there has to be an issue with Camera settings on the Alert tab and/or the SMS Alert action. You need to figure out why alerts are being blocked, since you know the camera triggered.
If the logs state the camera did NOT trigger (i.e. no Motion event in logs) then you will have to revisit your Trigger tab settings.
This article discusses how to trouble shoot SMS alerts.
If you are interested in learning how to create SMS alerts or other alerts go to Camera settings -> Alerts tab -> On Alert and click on the Help button in the Action set dialog. This will immediately take you to the Alerts and Actions section of Help.
Furthermore, the Triggers and Alerts section of the online Checklist provides references to articles and webinars for deeper understanding.
Troubleshooting
Log files
Confirm alerts are being sent from the server
Understanding the logs is key to understanding what is going on.
Code: Select all
3 12/3/2021 12:41:27.834 AM ADF1 MOTION_A
0 12/3/2021 12:41:28.809 AM ADF1 DeepStack: person:76% [484,287 525,378] 111ms
0 12/3/2021 12:41:31.734 AM ADF1 SMS: 1112223333@tmomail.net with 1 attachment/s
DeepStack identified a person at 12:41:28.809 AM. At 12:41:31.734 AM an SMS alert was sent. Note the gap between the MOTION event and the Alert should not be more than 1-2s.
If the logs state the SMS alert was NOT sent, skip below section and jump to No SMS alert section to troubleshoot your server settings.SMS alert
If the logs state alerts are being sent, then you can be confident the camera is triggering on motion and alerts are being sent by BI.
The issue must reside with your email server settings or your ISP provider.
Send alternative alerts
If you are only sending one type of alert, e.g. an SMS alert, create an Email alert to try and isolate the issue. Does the Email alert work?
If so, the email server must be setup correctly. SMS and Email alerts both leverage the email server. Assuming the same email server is being used for both Email and SMS alerts, if one alert works then the email server must be setup correctly.
SMS alert dialog
It's possible a setting in your SMS alert dialog is blocking the alert from being sent. Double-check your Profiles and Trigger and Zones section.
ISP Provider
It's very possible you were sending too many alerts and your ISP provider throttled your service. It's also possible that you selected image attachments with the text and your ISP provider blocked sending the message because the data size was too large.
FYI, many users send SMS alerts with no image. They also create an Email alert with image attachments. When an SMS arrives, the user checks his email to see the images. Telegram is also becoming popular with users as an alternative to SMS alerts.Email server
If an Email alert does not work either, the common denominator is the email server.
Global settings -> Email servers.
Email process: BI Server -> Email server -> Email notification
SMS process: BI Server -> Email server -> Mobile provider email to text service -> SMS message
Easy to check if SMS and Email alerts are being processed correctly by your email server. Simply login to your email server. Go to the sent folder.
If you see sent emails to your cellular provider (for an SMS text) or to the email address specified in the Email alert settings, your mail server processed the alert correctly. BI emails are easy to spot because the subject starts with Blue Iris. If you do not see any BI sent emails, your email server is not setup correctly.
If you are here, the logs state no SMS alert fired. The question is why?
First understand how alert actions(SMS, Email, Push etc) are generated.
Camera triggers (trigger tab settings) -> AI (if enabled) -> Alert filters (if any, alerts tab settings) -> Alert action filters (if any, alert action settings)
Details
Trigger tab: Camera triggered (motion event in logs). Easy to confirm whether camera triggered (besides checking the logs). In the Trigger tab, set Add to alerts list: = Hi-res JPEG files. If the camera triggers, a corresponding alert image is created in your Alerts folder! Easy way to use BI to tell you what is going on.
-> AI: If using AI, DeepStack analysis will tell you if an object was found, i.e. confirmed alert. Fortunately a DeepStack event will also be registered in the logs.
-> Alerts tab: Filters in the AIerts tab can block an alert. Easy to check. Do you see the event in the Alerts list. If not, then you know the Alerts tab is somehow blocking the Alert!
-> Alert action: Filters in the Action map settings can block an alert
If the logs state the camera triggered (i.e. Motion event in logs) and NO alerts are being sent, then you can be confident there has to be an issue with Camera settings on the Alert tab and/or the SMS Alert action. You need to figure out why alerts are being blocked, since you know the camera triggered.
If the logs state the camera did NOT trigger (i.e. no Motion event in logs) then you will have to revisit your Trigger tab settings.