Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

I frequently have to set up email account for other people. When I try to test these accounts the 'send' part invariably fails. I assume this is because I am forced to use the NTL SMTP server.

Does anyone know if it is possible to use an alternative SMTP server with an NTL account and, if so, how do I go about it?

Thanks.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

The only type of SMTP server apart from the ntl one that you can use from an ntl connection is one which has an open relay... which is bad news. These are frowned upon as they are commonly abused by spammers.... see here for a bit more information.

I am quite confused about what you are trying to achieve... if you setup ntlworld email accounts for people, surely they are on ntl connections? if so, why do you need to need an smtp other than smtp.ntlworld.com. If they are not on ntlworld connections, why are these people using ntlworld email accounts?

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

Simple answer is yes it is possible.
just change smtp.ntlworld.com to your chosen smtp providers address in your email settings.
I have an smtp account with some webspace not provided by NTL where you get/ find yours is up to you, but with an alternative webspace hosting company is your best bet.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

Not so - I have my own domain with my own (shared) mail servers which require an authenticated login.

They are not NTL accounts but owned domains such as above. NTL is my ISP not necessarily theirs, and I want to verify that their account is working in the way that they will be using it.

It's common for 'no fee' dial up accounts to block SMTP access unless you are connected via their dial in, but this is just to ensure that they get the money for the use of the service. It is not so common with a paid for service, as they've already got their hands on your cash.

Using a laptop you cannot say which ISP you will connect to at any given time. It would be impractical to maintain a whole raft of email accounts for each potential ISP. Certainly I use mine on a BT account and it accepts my NTL SMTP server.

Tried that, but get an error saying the "server was found but not responding". It could be true occasionally, but it's the same for all that i have tried. I think the ports are closed at the NTL end.

Thanks anyway.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

This is either worrying or incorrect, because as far as I know NTL's SMTP servers are IP limited to NTL customers only.

Not to IP limit the SMTP servers would leave them open to be used as spam relays, which i'm sure NTL would not wish to encourage.

Jon T

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

if that is the case then you need to get onto the support departmant of your domain hosts because it should work.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

you could use this free SMTP server for your desktop
http://www.softstack.com/advsmtp.html

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

you are not being forced to use the ntl smtp server. rather, the host smtp server that your are attemting to use is blocking traffic from ntl. As others have pointed out this is to prevent spammers from utilising insecure smtp servers.

if ntl were closing these ports then no one would be able send email on port 25 (smtp) - which would render the srevice pretty useless.

the solution as others have pointed out is to use smtp.ntlworld.com

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

If you are setting up e-mail accounts for others on their machines then presumably you will be setting up a connection to their STMP server. If during the test session the "send e-mail" fails it could be for a number of reasons:-

a) their SMTP server is down
b) they are using an intermediary link like SpamPal and that's down or incorrectly set up
c) their firewall is blocking their e-mail client
d) various other reasons which forum members no doubt will point out

There are I believe other free servers but they do have problems and may be blocked by NTL anyway.

If you are looking for an alternative way of sending an e-mail when the NTL server is down then set up a free account on www.yahoo.com. In that way you can log on to the site with your browser and e-mail away. Depending on the circumstances, you can ask the people to e-mail replies to your normal account or to your Yahoo account.

Hope this helps.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

I have an account on pavilion.co.uk (now EasyNet), whereby I have some web space that I update using a "Web Robot". Up until the 9th November (when there were problems with the Ntl mail service) I was able to email the "Web Robot" using the smpt mailhost.pavilion.co.uk so that it appeared that my pavilion account had sent the email (and hence accepted the files for updating).


However as I can no longer do this and get the error message
Can anyone offer me any advise?

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

When you set up the connection to the Easynet account did you type in smtp.mailhost.pavilion.co.uk or smpt.mailhost.pavilion.co.uk for the outgoing mail server?

The reason I ask is that in your post you've used "smpt", which makes me suspect that you've made typo in the account connection as the correct connection is smtp.mailhost.pavilion.co.uk so it might be worth checking that out and posting the result here.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

NTL do not block incoming or outgoing connections to the SMTP port which seems to be what Zen Master is implying (or at least they don't in my region). I run my own mail server and this simply wouldn't work if any blocking was occuring.

Simple test is to use telnet from a command prompt and connect to the SMTP port of the intended server.

telnet mailserver.somedomain.com 25

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

Sorry just a typo by me, the SMTP server I use for my pavilion account is simply mailhost.pavilion.co.uk (no smtp is mentioned for the server name). I have not changed any settings (knowingly anyway!), and all was working fine until 9th Nov. when there were problems.

I did a telnet and connect OK (AFAIK) got a message "220 smarthost4.mail.uk.easynet.net ESMTP Exim 4.10 Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:44:27 +0000" after typing telnet mailhost.pavilion.co.uk 25

Thanks for your prompt replies, any other ideas, or do any one know what Ntl have been doing with their mail servers, have they changed a setting for relaying as they are trying to cut out spamming?

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

I suspect that they must have done something because the volume of my SPAM and Porn e-mails has dropped dramatically. Unfortunately, I don't know how they have done it except perhaps by blocking known SPAM & Porn servers. How or why that would affect pavilion.co.uk I don't know.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

If you can connect via Telnet that effectively removes NTL from the equation (ie there's no blocking occuring). As such it isn't connectivity related but a configuration issue somewhere. Either the mail client is mis configured (eg trying to use an AUTH method not supported by the server) or your account on the server has been 'stuffed up' (technical term :D)

I believe NTL have implemented spam filtering on their mail servers but this shouldn't impact any mail which bypasses them as you are trying to do.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

this is not caused by ntl. the blocking is being done by pavilion. if you wish to send mail then you need to specify smtp.ntlworld.com.

Re: Using Alternative SMTP Server
 

Absolutely right threadbare, I did email EasyNet support and Ntl support and got a reply from EasyNet as below (still awaiting one from Ntl!)
I gave this a try and it's working fine again now.