External Email access problem

[EOTB]

Hi Guys,

I have just opened a ticket for this error, but it is so bizarrre, I want to get a wider opinion on it :

I am having issues sending email from Outlook using a created mailbox. The error is as follows:

--------
The message could not be sent. The authentication setting might not be correct for your outgoing e-mail [SMTP] server. For help solving this problem, go to Help, search for "Troubleshoot Windows Mail", and read the "I'm having problems sending e-mail" section. If you need help determining the proper server settings, please contact your e-mail service provider.

The rejected e-mail address was '[email]'. Subject 'testing', Account: 'NHG Mail', Server: '[MAIL SERVER]', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '503 This mail server requires authentication when attempting to send to a non-local e-mail address. Please check your mail client settings or contact your administrator to verify that the domain or address is defined for this server.', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 503, Error Number: 0x800CCC79
---------

The things I have tried to resovlve the issue:

- Made sure the 'My Server requires authentication' is set.
- Used Webmail - this sends without a problem.
- Tried sending to different email address - same issue
- Setup another mailbox and tested - same issue
- Emailed from one mailbox to another on the same domain - this works fine eg:
from mail@[DOMAIN] to newsletters@[DOMAIN]
- Setup the account on a different PC and different mail client but same issue
- Have also asked a friend to attempt to send a message from his PC on a different ISP with the same results.
- Used telnet to connect to port 25 at [SMTP SERVER] - this connected fine

I have also used telnet to actually send a message. This actually send the message without error.
Please view the output from the telnet session. Please note I have removed the crypto username and password from the text.

---------
220 eurofighter.eukhost.com ESMTP MailEnable Service, Version: 1.981-- ready at
06/16/07 12:26:17
helo [SMTP SERVER]
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
auth login
334 VXNlcm5hbWU6
[USERNAME]
334 UGFzc3dvcmQ6
[PASSWORD]
235 Authenticated
mail from: [EMAIL FROM]
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
rcpt to: [EMAIL TO]
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
data
354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
subject: Test Message from SMTP commands
Test Message
.
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
quit
221 Service closing transmission channel
---------

If I use the same commands above, but do not enter the auth login details it shows the message which is the same as the error message I am getting above:

---------
220 eurofighter.eukhost.com ESMTP MailEnable Service, Version: 1.981-- ready at
06/16/07 13:46:40
helo [SMTP SERVER]
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
mail from: [MAIL FROM]
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
rcpt to: [MAIL TO]
503 This mail server requires authentication when attempting to send to a non-lo
cal e-mail address. Please check your mail client settings or contact your admin
istrator to verify that the domain or address is defined for this server.
---------

It seems as though the Outlook application is not sending the correct connection details, or they are in the wrong order, but on the other hand, this is happening on Outlook, Outlook Express, on 3 different PCs and on 2 different ISPs, so I can't see it being a client connection issue.

I hope the above, makes sense, I have attempted to provide as much details as possible, as this is quite a bizarre error.

Thanks

Adam.

If anyone has any comments, please post them!

[WelshTom]

What e-mail client are you using? Outlook express or Microsoft Outlook?

[DPS Computing]

In the first post, it was already said that they were using Outlook!

EDIT - Thomas changed his question so the above statement is out of date a bit now! I assume "Outlook" refers to Microsoft Outlook though!

[WelshTom]

Originally Posted by DPS Computing

In the first post, it was already said that they were using Outlook!

EDIT - Thomas changed his question so the above statement is out of date a bit now! I assume "Outlook" refers to Microsoft Outlook though!

On MS outlook, I have to use an authentication method to send mail via the mail servers.

To do this, go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts > *Select the account you wish to edit* > Change > More Settings > Outgoing Server > *Check the box which says "My outgoing server requires authentication", and ask it to use the same settings as the incoming mail server*

Although from what I can gather you've already tried this, so I suggest you wait for your ticket unless anyone else can help.

[DPS Computing]

Strange - I don't have to do this!

[EOTB]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the reply. I have been using Outlook and OE/Express and setting the SMTP auth login on both of them.

Out of interest, I have downloaded and used Firefox Thunderbird. They way that it works in sending mail is slightly different from that of Outlook/OE Express. You have to enter the SMTP password the first time you send mail.

I tried this, but an error came back straight away stating that there was a bad sequence of commands - and never showed the password box.

I have also tried Eudora mail client and the same error occurs, even though I did authenticate the smtp server:

-----
Can't send to ''. The server gives this reason: '503 This mail server requires authentication when attempting to send to a non-local e-mail address. Please check your mail client settings or contact your administrator to verify that the domain or address is defined for this server.'.
-----

Thanks for your continued help

Regards

Adam.

[EOTB]

Originally Posted by DPS Computing

Strange - I don't have to do this!

That is quite dodgy if you have not got SMTP auth login switched on, because this means that a spammer could use your SMTP server/domain name as a relay, as no un/pw has to be entered.

ISPs usually take two options:
1. Make everyone use the SMTP auth, which means they can send email from any other ISP with the same login details
2. Do not use SMTP auth, but just make sure the person sending the mail is on their own servers.

As eUKHost is not an ISP, they should have all their servers set up to auth login the SMTP, and if they arn't - it is a suprise they have not been blacklisted yet!

[eUKhost.com]

No one can relay spams from our servers. We've never had any sort of problems with SMTP Authentication but our major problem previously was due to spams sent using scripts. We've managed to sort that as well so now none of our servers get blacklisted.

[EOTB]

But if 'DPS computing' is correct in that he doesn't need to set the auth option in outlook when sending mail to the server at eUKHost, then surely this means that anyone, anywhere can send mail through it?

DPS - Is your SMTP set to your domain or ISP?

May this needs investigation?

Thanks

Adam.

[DPS Computing]

Originally Posted by EOTB

But if 'DPS computing' is correct in that he doesn't need to set the auth option in outlook when sending mail to the server at eUKHost, then surely this means that anyone, anywhere can send mail through it?

DPS - Is your SMTP set to your domain or ISP?

May this needs investigation?

Thanks

Adam.

Sorry, to clear up the confusion.

1. I am not using Outlook / Outlook Express.

2. SMTP auth is set in the global settings - when I looked at an individual accounts settings it didn't seem to be enabled but it didn't need to be for each account as it is enabled globally for every account added.

Sorry for the misunderstanding!

[eUKhost.com]

Password of your mailbox is your authentication for email service. You cannot send emails from any email account if you don't have password for that mailbox and we also have limit of 200 emails per hour per mailbox so one who manages to detect your password will get trapped immediately.

[AndyBrad]

i have the same issue and it hasnt been resolved after 5 days!!

[EOTB]

Woohoo! It is now fixed.

Now you ask - what was it? Well it was neither the clients I was using or the eUKHosts server, but actually my Cisco router.

The ESMTP protocol was not set in my inspection rules list - I only had SMTP. As the eUKHost server use an ESMTP server, the EHLO command which is send in the communications was effectively being blocked by the router, and therefore the Auth commands where ignored/not sent by the email clients.

So, AndyBrad, I would check your router/firewall to make sure you are allowing ESMTP protocol through.

And, I hope the eUKHost teckie staff can accept my apology the as it wasn't you lot at all

---------------------------

Can I bring up one further point:

Password of your mailbox is your authentication for email service. You cannot send emails from any email account if you don't have password for that mailbox and we also have limit of 200 emails per hour per mailbox so one who manages to detect your password will get trapped immediately.

I assume this means there is no way of sending out newsletters to the subscribers of the website hosting? Do you have a facility for sending out newsletters programmically?

Thanks

Adam.

[eUKhost.com]

Originally Posted by AndyBrad

i have the same issue and it hasnt been resolved after 5 days!!

I can understand your frustration but there''s absolutely nothing wrong with your account. our guys have again and again configured your mailbox in outlook and they have managed to send / receive emails successfully. If its still not working on your end then I will make a video of how it works on my end and it will be sent to you to prove how it works on our end.

[DPS Computing]

Routers do my head in. I used to have one and they caused no end of problems so I told my ISP I didn't want it otherwise I would cancel as it was the hardest thing in the world to set up, configure and maintain and seemed to be very slow sharing the connection between different computers - even though I believe that is what they are designed to do!

So much easier to use the Internet Connection Sharing Wizard from the main computer and use LAN cables or a Wireless network to achieve good results.

[eUKhost.com]

most of the ISPs block port 25 in firewall of their routers as Virus and spamming scripts try to connect to port 25 by default to send emails. We keep port 26 open on our servers for those who have problems with port 25 but customers find it difficult to understand what all this means and they just want things to work and nothing else.

[DPS Computing]

Originally Posted by eukhost.com

most of the ISPs block port 25 in firewall of their routers as Virus and spamming scripts try to connect to port 25 by default to send emails. We keep port 26 open on our servers for those who have problems with port 25 but customers find it difficult to understand what all this means and they just want things to work and nothing else.

Yes I can understand that - you can start to lose people in a minefield of information if you start going off what is the standard.