Topic: Help to set up e-mail

[Kim-Fini]

I have looked all over and found nothing I can use, to set my e mail up.
So now I have to ask, because I don’t know what’s wrong.
OK, this is what is working, concerning my e-mail:
My, i-bay´s are working, and so are the users I have put in the groups.
All web-mails are working, and can reserve, mails from the mail forms in the I-bays.
They can also send mails to the other mail users on the server.
This is what it can’t do:
If I send a mail to one of the e-mails on the server, it newer comes, and I can’t send mails outside, the server. So short it can’t send outgoing mails, and can’t receive mails from the outside.
I have looked and tried everything, also using my internet providers’ mail server, to send mails on, but that don’t solve my problem with the incoming mails.
Please help me somebody.
Kim Fini.

[arne]

A easy way for trobleshooting that I use myself is to use the web mail feature to send and receive mail. Then I isolate the problem to the mail server itself and not to mail clients, pop, etc.

The mail server of the sme server normally works out of the box. If it does not the first thing I would think about vere if there is some router or firewall related problems in front of the sme server.

[arne]

By the way, as far as I remember, the mail server runs by default. Web mail has to be selected from the admin panel.

All basic e-mail functions is included by defalt. There is nothing that need to be set up, exept for do the righ config via the server-manager panel.

If the required, the user guide contains the neccessary info.

[Kim-Fini]

Hi Arne it was a Quick answer, thanks, but it was not the problem. My problem is that I have done everything just like it stands in the installation guide, and I understood that it was something that was working, of itself. I have been in the administration panel, and made the changes, also made it public and private, but it don’t work. Hmmm
Strange, maybe it has something to do with my accesses to the server? Ore maybe there was something I should have done, when I was installing the server? I really can’t understand it, because I have used the installation guide, FAQ and forum, all the way, almost like a slave. I’m running on a dynamic IP address, with a DynDns url: http://www.lp2cd.lir.dk

[Kim-Fini]

Ok now I’ve seen your first answer, and I think you got something there. I’ve got a Linksys Router before the Server, and the router is forwarding the ip address to the Server. Hmm maybe I should talk to my Internet provider tomorrow. They got a really good router service, so before I reconfigure the server and get grey hair, it will be a try.
Thanks a lot, I think this will help. Sometimes the solution is so simple ore logical, that you can’t see them. I have almost used 2 weeks on reading and looking and so on, and then it seems to be a problem in my one front yard, typical.
 
Arne you are a hero

Kim Fini

[CharlieBrady]

So short it can’t send outgoing mails, and can’t receive mails from the outside.

If you cannot send outgoing mail, the log files will contain evidence as to what the problem is.

If you do not receive emails, it's very likely the problem is outside the SME server. Either DNS is not correctly instructing other servers to send mail towards your server, or something in the network (usually ISP filters, sometimes routers or firewalls) is preventing attempted delivery connections from reaching your server. Your server logs will contain no evidence of attempted connections.

[Kim-Fini]

Hi you are realy good.
This is what it's writing to me when i try to send a mail out from the server: "Sorry, I wasn't able to establish an SMTP connection. (#4.4.1)
I'm not going to try again; this message has been in the queue too long."

Kim Fini

[CharlieBrady]

Hi you are realy good.

I think you have to be to be "Lead Developer"

This is what it's writing to me when i try to send a mail out from the server: "Sorry, I wasn't able to establish an SMTP connection. (#4.4.1)
I'm not going to try again; this message has been in the queue too long."

That probably means your ISP is blocking outbound port 25. What happens when you try to send via your ISP's SMTP server (the "SmartHost" setting)?

[Kim-Fini]

That probably means your ISP is blocking outbound port 25.

Ok how do you make it stop?
I made some changes on my Router and now it sending everything from the outside, to the servers Local IP address.
Before the router, was told to port forwarding to the server. Now the router, are told that this is my server with public access. I don’t know the different, because before I just put the local IP address in manually, like pop3 to this IP, and SMTP to this IP and so on. But it still not works.

What happens when you try to send via your ISP's SMTP server (the "SmartHost" setting)?

Do you think of: When you set e-mail to be sent from your Internet supporter, in the server Managers e-mail settings? If that is the question, I don’t know. I tried to set it like that but, changed it again, because it did not solve my problem with receiving mails, from the outside.

I have been reading some, since yesterday, and found some problems described, fore SME 6, concerning e-mails on a dynamic IP address.
I don’t think that I need to download and install anything, but there was standing some thing about writing the IP address on the server. Now is my question what IP address is it? Is it the Ip from the Internet, where I have my DynDns name, ore is it the IP on the server on the Local network, where the router is forwarding to?
   
I also was reading of some templates, where I could edit something. Is there E-mail Manager Site, where I can make changes? How do I reach them?

I’m really grateful fore the help you all have given me, not only in this string but also all over, where good people have given their time and expertise, to others in need of help.

Kim Fini.

[Kim-Fini]

Now it’s working!!    Thank you all, by helping me, setting up my e-mail. I could not have solved this problem by my own, and not in so few days.
One of the problems was port 25. My ISP (Internet supporter) has closed this port fore private safety matters. But with the SME server behind, there should not be any problems with spam and so on. So I asked them to open the port, and 5 minutes later I could send mails outside my local network. But then I could suddenly not send, mails from my mail forms, in my I-bays. Strange because, mails from inside my local network, have been working all the time. Then I went to the Manager and made a reconfiguration and a reboot. And now is everything working.
So when you are using a Dynamic IP address, most ISP’s have closed port 25. If you are using a router in front of the server, set your server as DMZ host ore make the necessary port forwarding, to the server.
This proves that the SME server system is wary easy to use, and when I find any problems, they’re mostly located outside the server. Like this one where it’s because most systems can’t handle the traffic, and therefore have the ISP’s closed port 25.

Thank you.
Kim Fini

[CharlieBrady]

But then I could suddenly not send, mails from my mail forms, in my I-bays.

If you have php form programs in i-bays, be very, very sure that they are securely programmed. There are many formmail programs which are buggy and used by spammers to send spam.

[Kim-Fini]

If you have php form programs in i-bays, be very, very sure that they are securely programmed. There are many formmail programs which are buggy and used by spammers to send spam.

Thank you fore the warning, most my sites are using PHP, but i have picked them, because they should be safe. And they should have closed all holes. But you never know!! And now I have opened the gates to ….   So I have to have a extra eye on my mails from now on.
In my e-mail settings in the server manager I have set the virus scan to be, ON.
Will it be a good idea to set the spam filter on, ON too??

Kim Fini

[CharlieBrady]

Thank you fore the warning, most my sites are using PHP, but i have picked them, because they should be safe. And they should have closed all holes.

I think there are few PHP programs of any complexity which are safe, or which have all holes in them closed.

[Kim-Fini]

I know that it's Dangerous to be having a server and a site on the net, that is the reason why I wrote, “Should be safe”.    But I hear what you say.
I have chosen open source PHP sites, where I can find out more by writing in forums, like this one. And I think that it’s a genius thing, that it’s possible.
    But what do you think of setting the spam filter on, in the e-mail settings. And do you know what effect it has on the system?