Outgoing Mail Blues
Posted on Saturday, July 23rd, 2005 at 12:11 pm under Mac Geekery, On The Road, Tutorials.Being unable to send Mail while on the road can be one of the most annoying parts of traveling. Most people don’t know why they can send emails from their home but not when they are at a friends house or at a hotel. This guide will help you send emails when you are on the road. Hopefully.
Most standard email accounts are based on the POP protocol. It uses different mail servers for sending and receiving emails. The problems lies when with the Outgoing Mail Servers because the Internet Service Provider(ISP) being used requires the use of their own server, which is not always the one you have set up in your Mail Application. Some even require a username and password.
So how are we to send emails when we’re on the road? Well, it’s just a matter of finding out the required Outgoing Mail Server. Peace of cake.
The common error given when Mail us unable to send emails.
Step 1: Find the ISP you are connecting with.
If you are a friend’s house you can just ask your friend what service he uses. At a Hotel there’s usually a splash page when you first log in. If you are unable to find out, you can most likely find it with a nifty little Utility that comes with Mac OSX called Network Utility.
Skip to Step 2 if you already know the ISP.
From the Finder, select Go > Utilities
Double-click to launch Network Utility
From the Traceroute tab, enter any url like allforces.com or amazon.com. The application will connect to that server and show all the servers it encounters in transit from your location to the final destination.
On the first few lines you should fine the name of your Internet Provider. In this case, it’s Bellsouth on line number five.
Step 2: Find the Outgoing Mail Server
Now that you know what ISP you are connected to, you need to find it’s Outgoing SMTP Mail Server. This is usually found on the Help pages on their websites. But to make your life easy, here’s a list I found at cordhosting.com of the most common ISPs and their smtp servers.
Adelphia mail.adelphia.net
America Online (AOL) Does not support pop mail.
Atlantic Broadband smtp.atlanticbb.net
AT&T (Broadband) mail.attbi.com
AT&T (Dialup) smtp1.attglobal.net
AT&T Worldnet mailhost.worldnet.att.net or imailhost.worldnet.att.net
BCPL mail.bcpl.net
Bellatlantic gtei.bellatlantic.net or smtpout.verizon.net
Bellatlantic.net smtpout.bellatlantic.net
Bellsouth mail.bellsouth.net
Bestweb smtp.bestweb.net
Blazenet smtp.blazenet.net
Cable One mail.cableone.net
CAIS smtp.cais.net
CAPU smtp.capu.net
Charm.net smtp.charm.net
Charter Communications smtp.charter.net
Comcast smtp.comcast.net
Compuserve smtp.compuserve.com or smtp.site1.csi.com
Concentric.net smtp.concentric.net
Covad smtp.covad.net
Cox West smtp.west.cox.net (west coast users)
Cox Central smtp.central.cox.net (central users)
Cox East smtp.east.cox.net (east coast users)
Cox Business smarthost.coxmail.com
Crosslink smtp.crosslink.net
DCANET smtp-relay.dca.net
Delmarva Online mail-gw.dmv.com
Delta Net smtp.deltanet.com
Direcway smtp.direcway.com
DSL Extreme smtp.dslextreme.com
Earthlink Network mail.earthlink.net or smtp.earthlink.net
Earthlink Network (International) ismtp.earthlink.net
Edge.net mail.edge.net
Enter smtp.enter.net
EROLS mail.erols.com
Ezy smtp.ezy.net
Flashcom mail.flashcom.net or smtp.flashcom.net
Frontline.net smtp.fcc.net
Gateway.net smtp.Gateway.net
GTI mail.gti.net
HotMail mail.hotmail.com
IBM.Global net smtp1.ibm.net
ioNet Inc mail.ionet.net
Interaccess.com smtp.interaccess.com
Internet America mail.airmail.net
ITOL mail.itol.com
Juno smtp.juno.com
Mediacom mail.mchsi.com
Mediaone.net smtp.ce.medione.net
MegaPath mail.megapathdsl.net
MCI mailrelay.mciworldcom.net mailrelay.internetmci.com
Mindspring smtp.mindspring.com
MSN smtp.email.msn.com
Nauticom mail.nauticom.net
Netcom smtp.ix.netcom.com
Netcom (Canada) smtp.netcom.ca
NetZero smtp.netzero.net
NYU.edu smtp.nyu.edu
OLG.com mail.olg.com
OPTOnline Internet Service mail.optonline.net
Pacbell mail.pacbell.net
Patriot Media smtp.patriot.net
Pipeline smtp.pipeline.com
Prodigy smtp.prodigy.net
PSI.net relay.smtp.psi.net
PTD.net mail.ptdprolog.net
QIS mail.qis.net
Qwest Internet Service pop.dnvr.qwest.net
RCN smtp.rcn.com
Rider.edu enigma.rider.edu
RoadRunner smtp-server..rr.com
SBC Global smtp.sbcglobal.net
SBC Global Yahoo smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com
Smallville Communications mail.toto.net
SNiP mail.snip.net
Spectrum DSL mail.webstable.com
SprintLink smtp.a001.sprintmail.com
Sprynet m6.sprynet.com
Starpower smtp.starpower.net
Sympatico mailhost.sk.sympatico.ca
UMBC smtp.gl.umbc.edu
USA.NET mail.netaddress.usa.net
US Internet smtp.usit.net
UUNet mail.uu.net
Verizon Internet Services outgoing.verizon.net or smtpout.verizon.net
Wide Open West smtp.mail.wideopenwest.com
XO Communications mail.njd.xo.com or smtp.concentric.net
Yahoo smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Ziplink smtp.ziplink.net
Step 3: Add the Outgoing Server to your Mail Settings
Now that we have our Outgoing SMTP Server we need to add it to our Mail Application. This example uses Apple’s Mail Application but you can easily add it to Entourage or any other Mail App.
From Mail, select Mail > Preferences…
Go to the Accounts Tab
Select your account and pulldown the Outgoing Mail Server menu
Select Add Server
Enter the server address we found and press OK
That’s it. We’ve done it. Unless the ISP requires that you have the username/password associated with the ISP account you should be able to send mail.
Jul 25th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
True enough, but a lot of work for you to change all the time. Better yet, just use a host that allows you to send via their SMTP server over port 587, the SMTP port for mobile users. We do this for our clients, so they do not need to change their settings when they travel.
Jul 26th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
Even better, you can setup Postfix on your Powerbook to only accept connections from localhost. Then you are your own mailserver. That will work, so long as the ISP is not blocking outbound SMTP. There’s a cheap tool called Postfix Enabler available to do so, and a number of howtos online to enable postfix in OS X if you’re comfortable editing textfiles.
http://listserver.themacintoshguy.com/pipermail/X-Unix/2005-April/001838.html
Aug 2nd, 2005 at 6:30 am
Useful post, I find that most of the time I can’t use my hosts outgoing server I can use the Gmail one.
Aug 2nd, 2005 at 4:13 pm
mel,
you’re such a computer geek… i mean genius =)
sorry about your tata and happy belated birthday. we’ll have to get together to catch up on stuff.
luv you guys,
niza
Aug 18th, 2005 at 2:23 am
The solution that I’ve found was to use my gmail account’s smtp…
That works great too with the port 587 thing…
Oct 24th, 2005 at 10:45 pm
your list of outgoing mail servers is EXYTREMELY USEFUL. I am a pc user, with sbc and a foreign e-mail account, using outlook express, and I had troubles since weeks, and 587 didn’t work either. But changing to my providers outgoing mail server (from your list) did the trick. One thing: why was it so hard to find your site??? Everybody else just recommends port 587.
Nov 23rd, 2005 at 11:55 am
Great help, thanks for posting.
Oct 4th, 2006 at 7:39 am
How about just entering relay.gtc4me.com for the smtp outgoing server? That worked for me. Now I can use Entourage mail anywhere. What a RELIEF!
Sep 28th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Thank you for this site. I have been going crazy trying to send mail away from home. I tried everything above with no luck except for the last hint of entering relay.gtc4me.com. Why does this work? I am using an apple and this location uses verizon.
Thank you again
Nov 4th, 2007 at 6:09 am
Thanks for the above…
I just upgraded my iMac Sage - to a new iMac 20″ and setting up email through Mail. I have used Cablevision/optonline.net as my email account for 5+ years and now whilst setting up this account - it is connecting ok for the incoming server - but when i move to the outgoing server set up it automatically is picking mail.adelphia.net *optonline support was no help (last 2 hours of playing with the modem/router…:-(…
I change the server address to the mail.optonline.net but it then just sits forever in the checking connection mode…
Why would it automatically select adelphia as the server? Optonline guys said it was a mac mail software issue… but the gmail account was up and running in no time…
Any ideas?
Thanks
Seth
Nov 10th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Seth. I have the same exact problem. I use to use Entourage but just started using Mail. Ihope someone can help. Heeeelp!!!
Dec 4th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Hey guys, anyone who is having an issue with leopard and optonline in mail, it is in fact a leopard mail issue. The auto set up does not work. If you want help with it, drop me a line at jeffsite@mac.com (its an alias, i’m not giving out my real address) and i’ll be glad to help you out.
Dec 28th, 2007 at 11:16 am
I’ve had this problem and found that if I just allow the “checking connection” mode to time out and tell me that the specified smtp server cannot be found, I can then manually assign the correct one and it does not test for it. Also found that the port number can be adjusted for the smtp setting - switched mine to port 80 and it works fine now.
Jan 22nd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I’ve tried this and I cannot get mail to connect for me. Any tips?
Mar 5th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
MAIL > preferences > Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) > click on Edit Server List.
Click on Advanced. Server port is 25 and SSL block is unchecked. Authentication is None. Click OK.
Next;
Click on Advanced. Port should be 110 and SSL is unchecked. Authentication should be set to Password.
These settings worked for me.
Mar 12th, 2008 at 5:51 am
PLEASE HELP!
I have never been able to send messages from the Mail application on my mac.
I have verizon internet, and verizon’s help section and customer service don’t help! I read on verizon’s FAQ that they require authentication’s from Entourage and other PC Email clients, but there are no instructions/tutorials for setting up the outgoing mail server when you have verizon internet and are using a macintosh and the Mail application. I have tried both outgoing.verizon.net and smtpout.verizon.net, both with and without authentication… nothing works! I can’t be the first mac user with verizon internet! please send an email to juliakostreva ….at…. yahoo …dot… com
Mar 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Thanks man. I was having a tough time getting outgoing mail to work and your info fixed the issue.
Cheers,
Adam