can't send e mail from OS X mail anymore!

[QCassidy352]

it started happening a few days ago. Whenever I try to send a message from within OS X mail, I get an error message saying
"The outgoing mail server [name of any outgoing server] failed to deliver this message. The server [name of server] refused to allow a connection on port 25."

It's not a problem with the sever because I get the same message trying 3 different servers. I've never had any trouble before, and don't remember changing any settings related to mail servers or ports. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[redAPPLE]

i had this similar problem once... can it be, that the program is trying to send an email in the outbox?

try deleting the email in the outbox or try deleting your configuration. be sure you have your username and password and the server names, though.

 

[question fear]

I had this problem too. as it turned out my school had re-organized outgoing mail so that off campus students had to use their isp's smtp server and not the schools.
so i reset my outgoing server and everything was bette.r
try calling your imap or pop provider and then try your isp.
hope that helps.
--carly

 

[QCassidy352]

the problem is that the same error occurs on all three outgoing mail servers that I try. I have e mail accounts with two colleges, and a trial .mac account.

Since I used to be able to send messages from both of the colleges' servers (just added the .mac -- to test this problem in fact) it seems pretty unlikely that both of them reorganized outgoing mail at the same time.

Because I get the same message when trying 3 unrelated outgoing servers, I can only conclude that the problem is either with some setting I have, or with some setting of the isp.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Hmm... perhaps there's a port conflict at work here... another program is using port 25, and when Mail tries to send, it just knows that that port isn't working here...

when it tries to send, does it actually try to connect to the outgoing server? Or does it just throw you the error message, without taking even a moment to try to connect?

Try changing the port in one of them, it's under Preferences -> Accounts -> Edit -> Outgoing Mail Server Options (button)... I don't know what other port number to try, perhaps someone else here knows a common one...

pnw

 

[scem0]

are you using a different outgoing mail server for each email address? You might be using your ISP's SMPT server for all 3 email addresses and it is really your ISP that is messing up/updating/whatever.

 

[QCassidy352]

Paul- what you suggest is the type of thing that I've been thinking is likely. Yes, when mail tries to send, it does first attempt to connect to the server. I don't know what other port to try though (does anyone else?)...

Scem0- in theory, yes, each e mail address is using a different smtp server. That is, in the mail preferences dialouge, each address has a different outgoing server listed.

 

[buffsldr]

had the same prob a couple days ago and it seem to take care of itself. weird.

 

[Rajj]

What version of X do you have?
If it is X.1~4 then upgrade to X.1.5.

If it is X.2~X.2.3, then upgrade to X.2.6, because apple has taken care of the problem. Trust me, I have to tell my customers everyday about this same issue.

 

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by Rajj
What version of X do you have?
If it is X.1~4 then upgrade to X.1.5.

If it is X.2~X.2.3, then upgrade to X.2.6, because apple has taken care of the problem. Trust me, I have to tell my customers everyday about this same issue.

I have 10.2.6. I had it when my outgoing mail was working, and I have it now that my outgoing mail has stopped working.

 

[zimv20]

Originally posted by QCassidy352
the problem is that the same error occurs on all three outgoing mail servers that I try. I have e mail accounts with two colleges, and a trial .mac account.

who is your isp, and is it the same outfit that provides smtp for any of those accounts?

if not, maybe your isp changed policy to not relay email. (i.e. it will only send email for accounts using its domain).

e.g. if your isp is "foo," it would only send emails from @foo.com accounts, and reject (from port 25) emails from accounts bar.edu and mac.com.

 

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by zimv20
who is your isp, and is it the same outfit that provides smtp for any of those accounts?

if not, maybe your isp changed policy to not relay email. (i.e. it will only send email for accounts using its domain).

e.g. if your isp is "foo," it would only send emails from @foo.com accounts, and reject (from port 25) emails from accounts bar.edu and mac.com.

Ah HA! Zim, you must have gotten it. My isp is RCN, and they do not provide smtp for any of those accounts. To test your theory, I just added a fourth account: this one being my mother's @rcn.com account. Messages sent from that account transmit, no problem.

Now, the funny thing is that I have never been able to send mail within OS X mail from any of my accounts to anyone except people who had accounts @ the same domain as the account I was using. So from my @xyz.edu account, I could only send mail to others with an @xyz.edu account (except for when I was connected to the xyz college server). Now I can't even do that.

Ok, so given all this, is there anything that can be done? Port 25 is the one being used by the rcn server, so changing the port won't help. Is there any possible way to make this work? Or am I stuck using webmail?

Why would my isp do this? It seems to serve no purpose except to annoy customers with more than one e mail account.

 

[zimv20]

Originally posted by QCassidy352

Ok, so given all this, is there anything that can be done?

sure. send everything w/ RCN's smtp server. i.e. configure your xyz.edu profile to use pop3.xyz.edu to get mail and smtp.rcn.com to send it.

i like Mail.app 'cuz it handles multiple accounts well and this is an example of it.

 

[Nermal]

Originally posted by QCassidy352
Why would my isp do this? It seems to serve no purpose except to annoy customers with more than one e mail account.

Apparently it's to reduce spam or something. But I agree with you, it is extremely frustrating. When I had a similar problem I contacted my mail provider and they told me what to do, so I think you should contact your ISP and explain your situation and hopefully they'll offer a solution.

 

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by zimv20
sure. send everything w/ RCN's smtp server. i.e. configure your xyz.edu profile to use pop3.xyz.edu to get mail and smtp.rcn.com to send it.

i like Mail.app 'cuz it handles multiple accounts well and this is an example of it.

zim, you da man. That's so simple and yet so great. This is even *better* than I had it before because now I can use OS X mail to send e mail to anyone, not just people with an @xyz.edu account. I'd give you a big cookie if I had one. Thanks a lot.

 

[zimv20]

Originally posted by QCassidy352
I'd give you a big cookie if I had one. Thanks a lot.

woo-hoo! i love me some cookie.

glad i could help.