@localish GSM modems are getting rare because hotspots have become popular. I can’t find them in local shops anymore. Not sure brand is important but I’d want a model that is linux-supported & #wammu / #gammu compatible for versatility. In principle an openwrt or ddwrt router could look for wifi & use the GSM as a secondary option. It could VPN somewhere, or be a tor gateway.

After some painful trial and error I managed to backup all SMSs, contacts and images stored on my 2005 Nokia phone.

I was able to even convert the SMS backup to an mbox archive thanks to #Gammu and #Wammu, so now I can import them on Thunderbird.

Also, now I can make calls and send SMSs from the command line 😌