SMTP From external network

[M76]

I'm having problems with using the smtp server from an external interface. I'm using outlook express and I set it up that my smtp server requires login and wingate has "trust senders who verify credentials using smtp authentication" but it still refuses the sending of messages.

As a workaround I'Ve entered my own address to trust as sender, but this solution is not very good since it enables anyone to send emails using my server if they try to send using my address as the sender. So I need help in this as soon as possible.

[adrien]

Hi

Can you turn on debug logging on the SMTP service, and see in the log files what is going on?

Are you sure authentication is succeeding for instance?

Regards

Adrien

[M76]

No, the authorization fails, according to the log. But outlook express doesn't report it. I'll try again using debug logging tomorrow when I'll be on an external network.

[M76]

OK, I'm back, so to continue the story I enabled debug logging, and from then on it miraculously started working. So I left it there. But I didn't send an email from outside during the winter holidays and now when I tried the problem returned, only its different. Outlook keeps asking for the password over and over again. Its the right one since the imap and the smtp password are the same but it just keeps asking and won't send the message. The wingate log shows no record that there was even an attempt to authenticate. with debug logging turned on.

[adrien]

Hi

Does the SMTP log even show a connection from the outside?

It's possible the ISP is intercepting the SMTP connection so it's not even hitting WinGate. Lots of ISPs do this or block port 25 altogether.

Adrien

[M76]

There is no connection according to the log. Is there a way to check if the 25 port is intercepted and by whom?

Its probably true, because it works with port 26.

[adrien]

the easiest way is probably to check with your ISP directly.

It's unusual (unheard-of) for any other provider in the chain to intercept.

They may have an option to let you turn it off so you can connect directly to servers on port 25, otherwise there are a couple of options.

a) get the mail sending working with the ISP smtp server (most likely the one you've been redirected to). this will require most likely configuring the client to not use authentication for smtp, or if the ISP does require auth for smtp, use the credentials you use to access your ISP.
b) use a different port for mail in WinGate specifically for your external users.
c) use SSL - Commonly companies use secure mail on port 465 - this is achieved by adding a binding to the SMTP server in WinGate on that port, and specifying it to use SSL connections (enterprise license required).

Regards

Adrien

[M76]

I've created a binding to port 26 for external adapters, so its ok now. Thanks