Mail Server Difficulty

edited October 2008 in advice
My circumstance: I'm not at home with my usual reliable set-up, so I'm using my MB and Airport.

Everything worked fine yesterday here at the library using their wi-fi connection.

But today, although Mail will receive email, whenever I try to send something, I get the message:

Cannot send message using the server
smtp.gmail.com:mylogin

Mail was unable to connect to server "smtp.gmail.com using SSL on the default ports. Verify ......

The box underneath seems to indicate "smtp.gmail.com:mylogin (Offline)

And then I can Edit the message, try later, try the same thing again.

I have no idea why it's saying Offline, as I don't think I am. Haven't changed anything since yesterday, anyway.

Now, the library is renowned for screwing up their internet connections - been also having difficulty getting a good steady internet radio feed without constant "rebuffering", so it's likely their screw up.

But if not, have I done something? Haven't changed any settings, but ....

I have been able to send emails by going to the gmail web site and composing there, sending, going to sent mail and moving it to the inbox and then collecting mail so I've got it on my own computer rather than on the server. But that's a long way about and I don't even keep an address book there, so I really would like to revert to the usual.

Ideas?

Comments

  • edited October 2008
    check your smtp port # on your mail app. if it is 25 change it to 465 and try that.. also gmail has been flakey the last 2 days.. they might be having server problems.
  • edited October 2008
    It was (no, it is) Port 995 for the SSL connection. I tried it on the default 25 and 465, but that didn't work either.

    I think perhaps it's either the university and their connections (they've had problems for years) or as you suggest, maybe gmail has had some difficulties. It seemed okay yesterday, but travelling I'd missed several days, so maybe yesterday's being okay was an aberration.

    I'm not in panic mode, at least not yet, and will give it a day or two more before ranting and raving.

    I also wonder why Mail seemed to say that I or my smtp server was "Offline". I hadn't changed anything, so again, maybe that's a gmail problem.
  • edited 7:13AM
    Some places disallow any mail to be sent from SMTP servers but theirs (they keep a whitelist). It's annoying as hell, and they claim it cuts down on spam - especially spam coming from PCs on their network being infected with viruses.

    I've seen this firsthand at schools, hotels, etc. The only reliable solution I've found for this is to use webmail, unfortunately.

    Another solution I haven't had success with, myself: MailServe (for Leopard) or Postfix Enabler (for Tiger and Panther). Basically, instead of connecting to Gmail's SMTP server, you're running your own for the purposes of sending your own email.

    I'll admit that I didn't give it a real chance, though, so it might be worth a try. :)
  • edited 7:13AM
    postfix is nice.. the problem is it uses port #25.. which is usually the first port blocked. :depressed:
  • edited 7:13AM
    It could be that I'll be restricted to using the webmail, but I'll keep trying for a while. Not working right now, getting the same refusal.

    Strange that it worked the other day, and last year, but not now.

    Why is it telling me that my email smtp address is Offline? Is that coming from the university server saying I can't get through to gmail, or is it coming from gmail? Is there some way within my own MB that I can re-set that to Online?
  • edited 7:13AM
    It's most likely the university blocking the Gmail SMTP server - though it can't hurt to double check that your Gmail settings are still correct.

    Can the postfix port be changed? That would be nice, you could pick just about anything you want (and hope they don't block a wide array of ports).

    JusMe, it can't hurt to ask the university IT department if this is something new they've implemented - when my university implemented this, they told me it was because of the massive amount of zombie PCs that were sending spam. Because it was all coming from the university's IP addresses, other mail servers put the university on blacklists, which motivated them to implement this SMTP whitelist (where the only entry on the whitelist is the university's own SMTP server, which only students and faculty can access).
  • edited 7:13AM
    It definitely could be the university screwing things up. They've been known to do it in the past. Another example: I seem to be able to listen to internet radio, streaming audio, in the morning but in the afternoon it regularly cuts out and has to "Rebuffering Stream". There's also a rumour that the government, in an effort to eliminate all seditious thoughts, is implementing some kind of scanning of emails and web postings. They are most definitely doing what they can to block some websites that are political, not only the porn.

    I've looked at WebServe for Leopard and it's incredibly complex, at least for me. I've played around some, but haven't had any success. One of the blanks to fill in for a Smart Host (?) is the name of the ISP. Doesn't make sense to me, as I'm simply connected by airport on an open network.

    I will do what I can to contact the university's IT department, but there are language problems involved there, both in getting them to understand the problem, and then actually believing they might do something about it.

    At least I can use Google's webmail for sending and just shift sent emails to the inbox and download them to Mail for my records. Annoying, but it's a workaround.
  • edited 7:13AM
    UPDATE:

    I checked a wi-fi connection at another location, and found it worked as usual. Therefore, the problem is in the university's IT screwups. Damn 'em.

    But I got an email from Google wanting to work out the problem and sent them info about it, so maybe they'll give me a workaround.

    However, and the BIGGEST news is that back in my room, just fer the helluva it, I opened a Network connection and dipped and doodled around once it connected me to a one server only website. Oh, yeah - sign up and give over your inheritance, right?

    But what the hell is this? I've found a city wide FREE wi-fi connection. It works wide open, my email works as it should with Mail.app, and even more, I can connect to my internet radio stations and let 'em fill my room with the music of my choice.

    Holy Hell!! Never know what gem might be under the shit, eh?
  • edited 7:13AM
    Blueshead believes in free WiFi.. Even if you are stupid enough to use WEP..... :happy:
  • edited 7:13AM
    This freebie is actually run by a commercial company, probably subsidised buy the city administration, so it's not just a "found" free wi-fi network.

    It gives me a lot of flexibility now that I don't *have* to come into the university library to get my wi-fi connection.

    I will try to contact the IT department to find out just what they've done, and maybe why. Who knows? they might not even know they've created a problem (it's happened before) and could fix it.
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