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iPhone "can't send mail...inva

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Name: justinblue
Date: August 23, 2008 at 23:33:58 Pacific
OS: iPhone OS
Subcategory: iPhone
Comment:

I inquired here a short while back about a persistent problem
I've been having with the iPhone. It fails to send mail sometimes and
feeds back a message saying that a recipient e-mail address is
invalid, when I know that it's not (and of course the error message
doesn't say which address is "invalid").

For the time being, I seem to have found a solution, and
improved my mail transmission as well.

As iPhone users know, they pre-configure the AT&T SMTP server
in a fallback position, so that it's used if the main doesn't work.
But clearly their data network (such as it is) "likes" their own SMTP
server.

When I reversed the positions and put _their_ SMTP first and
my own network's in the fallback, mail started going through smoothly.

For now, that's my solution. It galls me a little because my
own network server should properly be my main server, and their
network should handle this without making me work so hard, but there
you have it.

DGI

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone



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Response Number 1
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 00:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:08:10 +1200, Anybody

>Many email SMTP servers do not like being accessed directly via another
>network connection

True, but I work closely with my sys admin, and he says there
should be nothing preventing me from accessing it. On the other hand,
he's decidedly NOT a fan of AT&T's data network, and suggests that the
hang up is almost certainly their failure or quirk or what have you.

>You should probably delete your own
>SMTP server completely from the iPhone.

I don't think that should be necessary. For one thing, my own
SMTP server has worked in the past, so it's clearly feasible (just
giving more credence to my sys admin's well-qualified opinion that
AT&T's data network just blows). And if their own server is in the
first position and mine is in the fallback, and theirs fails, I may as
well put my own in, because it's better to have some chance of mail
going out than none. It certainly can't hurt, being in the secondary
rather than primary order in the queue.

Thanks for your advice! DGI

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 2
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 01:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:22:02 +0000, Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>
>The best mobile email comes from Google.....Just use Safari to access it.

Thank you for your advice. My own network also has a
serviceable webmail application.

As I've written about this elsewhere, I don't mean to sound
harsh and finicky, and I take no pleasure in slamming AT&T, but if I'm
paying $60/month for data services on two phones, I want something
stupidly simple and low-tech to work properly, rather than have to do
something I didn't intend to in order to compensate for its not
working.

Just my opinion. Thanks again!

DGI


archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 3
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 02:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In message <uv02b410gurljv0mqca2uilnsmp71sbll6@4ax.com> David G. Imber
<imber@maniform.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:08:10 +1200, Anybody
>
>>Many email SMTP servers do not like being accessed directly via another
>>network connection
>
> True, but I work closely with my sys admin, and he says there
>should be nothing preventing me from accessing it. On the other hand,
>he's decidedly NOT a fan of AT&T's data network, and suggests that the
>hang up is almost certainly their failure or quirk or what have you.

Have you tried an alternate port? If your sysadmin isn't stuck in the
80s and 90s, port 587 might work, whereas if AT&T is being even half way
responsible with their network, they'll have off-network port-25 access
blocked.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 4
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 03:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

David G. Imber <imber@maniform.com> wrote in
news:fbl1b4pcea73o3bmhl84bn6j35b4ack1ma@4ax.com:

> For now, that's my solution. It galls me a little because my
> own network server should properly be my main server, and their
> network should handle this without making me work so hard, but there
> you have it.
>

The best mobile email comes from Google.....Just use Safari to access it.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 5
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 04:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, David G. Imber said:

> I inquired here a short while back about a persistent problem
> I've been having with the iPhone. It fails to send mail sometimes and
> feeds back a message saying that a recipient e-mail address is
> invalid, when I know that it's not (and of course the error message
> doesn't say which address is "invalid").
>
> For the time being, I seem to have found a solution, and
> improved my mail transmission as well.
>
> As iPhone users know, they pre-configure the AT&T SMTP server
> in a fallback position, so that it's used if the main doesn't work.
> But clearly their data network (such as it is) "likes" their own SMTP
> server.
>
> When I reversed the positions and put _their_ SMTP first and
> my own network's in the fallback, mail started going through smoothly.

In my own past experience sending email from my handheld on AT&T, I had
to NOT use their SMTP server in order to be able to reliably send
email.

It would take at least a half hour for email to go through (outbound),
often it would take two or more hours - not good if you're trying to
send a quick message to someone about meeting them - and occasionally
it wouldn't go through at all. No error messages, just not working.

Trying to use MY regular server, at my domain/web host, was blocked(!).
No one else using the provider seemed to be having any problems, just
me. My settings were correct.

GMail's SMTP server, however, works.

Maybe I'll try my own server again, now that I'm no longer using the
same handset. :)

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 6
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 05:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:27:41 +1200, Anybody
<anybody@anywhere-anytime.com> wrote:


>Of course, another possibility for you is perhaps a weak signal on the
>iPhone causing problems.

That is very possible, I think, because I'm stubbornly keeping
3G turned on, even though here in the heart of Manhattan 3G is very
poorly implemented and spotty.

My sys admin's a pretty good guy, and I trust him, though I'm
not qualified to judge his expertise. He does know Macs though, and
uses one that's running VMware Fusion in his array.

Thanks! DGI

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 7
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 06:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:51:47 -0600, DevilsPGD
<spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> wrote:


>Have you tried an alternate port? If your sysadmin isn't stuck in the
>80s and 90s, port 587 might work, whereas if AT&T is being even half way
>responsible with their network, they'll have off-network port-25 access
>blocked.

On sys admin's advice I'm using port 587. Using AT&T's SMTP as
my main, mail is definitely going through, although it takes _forever_
to send, which I don't understand.

Thanks for your advice, DGI


archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 8
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 07:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:14:30 -0400, Jeffrey Kaplan <nomail@gordol.org>
wrote:


>
>GMail's SMTP server, however, works.

I've heard that this is a very reliable solution. I may just
"cry uncle" and use it, though I don't like having to make adjustments
to my SOP in order to use something I'm paying a premium price for.

Thank you for your reply, DGI

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 9
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 08:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

David G. Imber <imber@maniform.com> wrote in
news:9a12b4d5j5vbnoadei47cgmmqdmm6ut4dt@4ax.com:

> On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:22:02 +0000, Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>The best mobile email comes from Google.....Just use Safari to access it.
>
> Thank you for your advice. My own network also has a
> serviceable webmail application.
>
> As I've written about this elsewhere, I don't mean to sound
> harsh and finicky, and I take no pleasure in slamming AT&T, but if I'm
> paying $60/month for data services on two phones, I want something
> stupidly simple and low-tech to work properly, rather than have to do
> something I didn't intend to in order to compensate for its not
> working.
>
> Just my opinion. Thanks again!
>
> DGI
>
>
>

Ah, I see your point. I'd feel the same way. Webmail isn't rocket
science, but then again it cannot be administered by someone who accepts
pay like the janitor, either.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 10
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 09:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In article <fbl1b4pcea73o3bmhl84bn6j35b4ack1ma@4ax.com>, David G. Imber
<imber@maniform.com> wrote:

> I inquired here a short while back about a persistent problem
> I've been having with the iPhone. It fails to send mail sometimes and
> feeds back a message saying that a recipient e-mail address is
> invalid, when I know that it's not (and of course the error message
> doesn't say which address is "invalid").
>
> For the time being, I seem to have found a solution, and
> improved my mail transmission as well.
>
> As iPhone users know, they pre-configure the AT&T SMTP server
> in a fallback position, so that it's used if the main doesn't work.
> But clearly their data network (such as it is) "likes" their own SMTP
> server.
>
> When I reversed the positions and put _their_ SMTP first and
> my own network's in the fallback, mail started going through smoothly.
>
> For now, that's my solution. It galls me a little because my
> own network server should properly be my main server, and their
> network should handle this without making me work so hard, but there
> you have it.
>
> DGI

Many email SMTP servers do not like being accessed directly via another
network connection (that's why you usually have to use a webmail
inferface instead when acessing email from someone else's Internet
connection). If you are using AT&T's iPhone network to connect to the
Internet then your own network's SMTP server may well complain. This is
done on purpose to prevent spammers simply using any old SMTP server.

By changing AT&T to be first probably means all out-going emails are
being sent using AT&T's server instead of your own complaining one ...
that's the way it's meant to work. You should probably delete your own
SMTP server completely from the iPhone.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 11
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 10:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In article <uv02b410gurljv0mqca2uilnsmp71sbll6@4ax.com>, David G. Imber
<imber@maniform.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:08:10 +1200, Anybody
>
> >Many email SMTP servers do not like being accessed directly via another
> >network connection
>
> True, but I work closely with my sys admin, and he says there
> should be nothing preventing me from accessing it. On the other hand,
> he's decidedly NOT a fan of AT&T's data network, and suggests that the
> hang up is almost certainly their failure or quirk or what have you.

Maybe, maybe not. I obviously don't know your person and you may have
one of the very few good ones, but in my many years of experience most
tech people will tell you the fault is not with their system, usually
because they're either simply too damn lazy to actually look and/or are
so high-and-mighty that there can't possibly be a problem with what
they're doing, and in the case of a Mac user problem they simply know
nothing about Macs and don't want to know.

It took me about two weeks (and MANY phonecalls) to get my ISP to even
look at fixing a problem that was stopping Mac OS 9 dial-up users from
logging in. The (no)help desk getting insisting that there was no
problem, the tech people kept insisting there was no problem, and they
both kept telling me the problem was at my end and wanting to check my
settings ... despite me telling them over and over that it had happened
before and defintely was at their end. :-(


> >You should probably delete your own
> >SMTP server completely from the iPhone.
>
> I don't think that should be necessary. For one thing, my own
> SMTP server has worked in the past, so it's clearly feasible (just
> giving more credence to my sys admin's well-qualified opinion that
> AT&T's data network just blows). And if their own server is in the
> first position and mine is in the fallback, and theirs fails, I may as
> well put my own in, because it's better to have some chance of mail
> going out than none. It certainly can't hurt, being in the secondary
> rather than primary order in the queue.

One company I work for has had similar problems from their wired
computer network. Sometimes it would send and other times it wouldn't,
but in the end it did turn out to be this "you're not on the right
network to use this SMTP server" problem.

Sometimes the server authentication / password settings is meant to be
used, but mail can still sometimes get through in some peculiar quirk.
In fact I know of one iMac on a network of Macs that always returns a
"mail could not be sent" message for every outgoing email, even though
the message has actually been sent and recieved at the other end.

Of course, another possibility for you is perhaps a weak signal on the
iPhone causing problems. Or as your tech person suggests, and AT&T
problem communicating your own server.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 12
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 11:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, David G. Imber said:

> >GMail's SMTP server, however, works.
> I've heard that this is a very reliable solution. I may just
> "cry uncle" and use it, though I don't like having to make adjustments
> to my SOP in order to use something I'm paying a premium price for.

The way I look at it, is I'm paying AT&T for the data bandwidth, not
any specific server.

What I can't understand is why I still cannot access my host's smtp
server when all my settings appear to be correct.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #119.
I will not attempt to kill the hero by placing a venomous creature in
his room. It will just wind up accidentally killing one of my clumsy
henchmen instead.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 13
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 12:33:58 Pacific
Reply:


"Jeffrey Kaplan" <nomail@gordol.org> wrote in message
news:hh14b4d5ubn8nmot8hr3ts2r8iis08jd0j@gordol.org...
> Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, David G. Imber said:
>
>> >GMail's SMTP server, however, works.
>> I've heard that this is a very reliable solution. I may just
>> "cry uncle" and use it, though I don't like having to make adjustments
>> to my SOP in order to use something I'm paying a premium price for.
>
> The way I look at it, is I'm paying AT&T for the data bandwidth, not
> any specific server.
>
> What I can't understand is why I still cannot access my host's smtp
> server when all my settings appear to be correct.
>
> --
> Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
> The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol
>
> Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #119.
> I will not attempt to kill the hero by placing a venomous creature in
> his room. It will just wind up accidentally killing one of my clumsy
> henchmen instead.

Has anyone tried using cwmx.com as the smtp, it works for me. I sorta new
that from when I had my Tilt and was on ATT's website.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 14
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 13:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, Michael N. Paris said:

> Has anyone tried using cwmx.com as the smtp, it works for me. I sorta new
> that from when I had my Tilt and was on ATT's website.

That's the one that takes forever for my mail to go through.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #119.
I will not attempt to kill the hero by placing a venomous creature in
his room. It will just wind up accidentally killing one of my clumsy
henchmen instead.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 15
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 14:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:27:24 -0400, "Michael N. Paris"
<mparis27@comcast.net> wrote:


>Has anyone tried using cwmx.com as the smtp, it works for me. I sorta new
>that from when I had my Tilt and was on ATT's website.

I'm using it now and it works fine. But as someone else in
this thread says, it seems to take a long time to send. After hitting
"send" I can put the phone to sleep and maybe 45 seconds to a minute
later I hear the transmission sound. That's kind of a bummer, but at
least it's reliable.

As far as I can tell, once the mail is transmitted to the SMTP
server, subsequent delivery to the recipient's box appears to be
swift.

DGI

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


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Response Number 16
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 15:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:03:44 +1000, NightStalker
<NightStalker@somewhere.or.other> wrote:


>If you've already done that, and still no joy, then have you tried
>talking to AT&T's tech support to find out just HOW you can get SMTP
>mail through an off-domain address?
>
>If they have it blocked on the SMTP protocol rather than simple port
>blocking, then there is nothing you can do - you'll either just have to
>live with it, or change providers.

I try to avoid tech support conversations unless absolutely
necessary. I find more knowledgeable people on line, including here.

The thing is, my own SMTP server works, but intermittently. So
it's not a blocking situation.

Thanks, DGI


archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 17
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 16:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In article <fbl1b4pcea73o3bmhl84bn6j35b4ack1ma@4ax.com>,
imber@maniform.com says...
> I inquired here a short while back about a persistent problem
> I've been having with the iPhone. It fails to send mail sometimes and
> feeds back a message saying that a recipient e-mail address is
> invalid, when I know that it's not (and of course the error message
> doesn't say which address is "invalid").
>
> For the time being, I seem to have found a solution, and
> improved my mail transmission as well.
>
> As iPhone users know, they pre-configure the AT&T SMTP server
> in a fallback position, so that it's used if the main doesn't work.
> But clearly their data network (such as it is) "likes" their own SMTP
> server.
>
> When I reversed the positions and put _their_ SMTP first and
> my own network's in the fallback, mail started going through smoothly.
>
> For now, that's my solution. It galls me a little because my
> own network server should properly be my main server, and their
> network should handle this without making me work so hard, but there
> you have it.
>
> DGI
>

I suppose it's been mentioned before, but one way around the SMTP block
is to make sure you set up your SMTP server as an Authenticated server,
requiring UserID and Password. This doesn't work with ALL ISP blocks,
but it works with mine, for instance.

I have my own email domain and server (hosted in Montreal, I'm in
Australia) and I can use my own SMTP as long as I have it set up as
authenticated. Before I did that, it was blocked.

If you've already done that, and still no joy, then have you tried
talking to AT&T's tech support to find out just HOW you can get SMTP
mail through an off-domain address?

If they have it blocked on the SMTP protocol rather than simple port
blocking, then there is nothing you can do - you'll either just have to
live with it, or change providers.

--

NightStalker

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 18
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 17:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In article <cqa2b45k549mbmnp83ete8pn4o4jvdkhll@4ax.com>,
DevilsPGD <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> wrote:

> Have you tried an alternate port? If your sysadmin isn't stuck in the
> 80s and 90s, port 587 might work, whereas if AT&T is being even half way
> responsible with their network, they'll have off-network port-25 access
> blocked.

If your sysadmin knows what he's doing, port 587 should work WITH
AUTHENTICATION!! Neither port 25 nor 587 should relay mail from an
off-network address to another off-network address unless the client
authenticates itself.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 19
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 18:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, David G. Imber said:

> I'm using it now and it works fine. But as someone else in
> this thread says, it seems to take a long time to send. After hitting
> "send" I can put the phone to sleep and maybe 45 seconds to a minute
> later I hear the transmission sound. That's kind of a bummer, but at
> least it's reliable.

I had forgotten about how long it takes to send to that server. Thanks
for reminding me.

> As far as I can tell, once the mail is transmitted to the SMTP
> server, subsequent delivery to the recipient's box appears to be
> swift.

Actually, that's what takes forever for me.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty
when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom
are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evilminded
rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious
encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding."
- Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 20
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 19:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, Jeffrey Kaplan said:

> What I can't understand is why I still cannot access my host's smtp
> server when all my settings appear to be correct.

Something in my brain finally clicked and I figured out what the
problem is there. The smtp server run by my domain/web host uses
POP/IMAP-before-SMTP authentication and I haven't been checking for
mail first, and the handheld does not have that as an outbound
authentication choice.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"Carry this Zathras... fix this Zathras! Poor Zathras. No one listen
to Zathras." (Zathras, B5 "War Without End Pt. 2")

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 21
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 20:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

In message <net-news69-69D7B6.09394725082008@news.toast.net> Matt
Simpson <net-news69@jmatt.net> wrote:

>In article <cqa2b45k549mbmnp83ete8pn4o4jvdkhll@4ax.com>,
> DevilsPGD <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> wrote:
>
>> Have you tried an alternate port? If your sysadmin isn't stuck in the
>> 80s and 90s, port 587 might work, whereas if AT&T is being even half way
>> responsible with their network, they'll have off-network port-25 access
>> blocked.
>
>If your sysadmin knows what he's doing, port 587 should work WITH
>AUTHENTICATION!! Neither port 25 nor 587 should relay mail from an
>off-network address to another off-network address unless the client
>authenticates itself.

While true, the iPhone knows to use authentication on 587 automatically,
which is why I didn't mention it.

In fact, at least on my config, it figured out 587 with authentication
all by itself. I block 25 on my edge firewalls though, and I definitely
did the initial config on wifi.

However, since port 25 was blocked from the start, I don't know if the
iPhone tried 25 or 587 first, if 25 was available on one internet
connection it might have been picked as the default and then become
unavailable when changing to another connection.

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

Response Number 22
Name: justinblue
Date: August 24, 2008 at 21:33:58 Pacific
Reply:

Previously on misc.phone.mobile.iphone, DevilsPGD said:

> However, since port 25 was blocked from the start, I don't know if the
> iPhone tried 25 or 587 first, if 25 was available on one internet
> connection it might have been picked as the default and then become
> unavailable when changing to another connection.

I recently had to reconfigure my iPhone from scratch after a botched
restore process. Part of the reconfiguring was setting up my email
account again, and I noticed that it seems to default to using the SSL
ports. I did not tell it to, and those options are on.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"Hear me O Lord and the rest of you miserable sinners and you non-
humanoid types." (Amis, B5 "The Long Dark")

archived from misc.phone.mobile.iphone


0

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