What are the reasons for SMPP response error 13 (decimal)?

Symptom

When attempting to connect to the Vonage SMPP server, I received error code 13.

Applies To

• SMPP
• SMS
• Error 13

Resolution

The generic meaning of this error (0x0d - 13 - ESME_RBINDFAIL) is Bind Failed.

The error can occur due to connecting to an incorrect endpoint or port, due to the account not being SMPP-enabled, or due to bad credentials.

For incorrect endpoint/port, please see Which host and port do I use to connect to the Vonage SMPP server?

For accounts that are not SMPP enabled, please submit a Support request.

For error due to bad credentials:

1. Ensure your SMPP password is the same as your Vonage API Secret.
2. Ensure the password (API Secret) meets the following requirements.
   
   • Alphanumeric Characters (a-z , A-Z, and 0-9) only
   • Minimum 1 lower case character
   • Minimum 1 upper case character
   • Minimum 1 digit
3. Restrict the API Secret to the number of password characters limited by your SMPP system. The default Vonage API secret is 16 characters. If your SMPP system follows the SMPP standard of 8 characters maximum, please shorten your API secret to a maximum of 8 characters. You can change the API secret in your Vonage API account dashboard, under the menu Settings.