# Cannot send e-mail using SMTP

## eric.cheminot

Hello,

Though my configuration is quite simple, I do not succeed in sending e-mail through SMTP. I am connected to the Net by PPP (ADSL), I try to use the SMTP of my ISP. I am using KMail, but i tried other mailers and the problem is the same. When I try to send an e-mail outside my ISP domain, the SMTP server refuses the mail, saying that "Relaying is not allowed". I searched the forum, and the only suggestion I found is to have a "Reply-to" set to ISP provided address. Still the same problem...

Also, I do not use postfix or whatever. And this is my last step before removing my Windows installation (this works under Windows using Outlook Express, using the same SMTP/identity config). Also this was previously working on my RedHat.

-ec

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## rizzo

Do you have your ISP's SMTP server defined as the SMTP server in your mail client (pine,mutt,elm,evolution,etc)?

Are you sending from you ISP-supplied email address?

Probably both of those need to be true.  Since you are on DSL though, why not just run your own mail server as I do.  Although I realize some (if not most) ISPs prohibit such things.

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## eric.cheminot

Yes, I am using the address provided by my ISP (both as "From" and "Reply-to") and the ISP SMTP... that's why I do not understand what's wrong.

-ec

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## rac

What does this say? 

```
$ grep /mta /var/cache/edb/virtuals
```

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## eric.cheminot

```

grep /mta /var/cache/edb/virtuals

virtual/mta bet-mail/ssmtp

```

Well, I cannot remember having installed this... This should has been installed as a dependency. It seems that you have an idea of what is happening... I unmerged net-mail/ssmtp but the problem remains. What else should I remove/change?

Thanks,

-ec

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## klieber

 *eric.cheminot wrote:*   

> When I try to send an e-mail outside my ISP domain, the SMTP server refuses the mail, saying that "Relaying is not allowed". I searched the forum, and the only suggestion I found is to have a "Reply-to" set to ISP provided address. Still the same problem...

 

You get that error message when you're sending mail with a from (or reply-to) header that does not match the list of "allowed" domains maintained by your ISP.

So, this almost certainly means you've got a borked kmail configuration.  Assuming you're using kmail 1.4.2, go into:

settings --> configure kmail --> identity

and make sure that both "email address" and "reply-to" (in the advanced tab) are set to your ISP-provided email address.

OK, so you said you've already done that.  How many identities do you have defined in kmail?  How many sending transports do you have defined in kmail?  (in configure kmail --> network)

Aldo, does your ISP require any sort of SMTP authentication or POP-before-SMTP authentication?

--kurt

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## eric.cheminot

I have now exactly one identity defined under KMail (i had before two identities, but since I had problems I went back to one only). This identity is the one provided by my ISP. Concerning networking options, I have only the ISP's SMTP and POP. I am almost sure that my ISP does not require SMTP auth (I never had to set password of whatever for that before). 

But I don't know what pop-before-smtp is... So I will search Google!

Thanks!

-ec

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## klieber

 *eric.cheminot wrote:*   

> But I don't know what pop-before-smtp is... So I will search Google!

 

pop-before-smtp is simply a requirement that you establish a connection to a POP3 mailbox before attempting to send a message.  By making a successful POP3 connection, your IP address gets "whitelisted" for a very short period of time (~15 minutes or even less) allowing you to send SMTP mails.  

You can test this by simply checking your POP3 account via KMail, and then immediately trying to send an SMTP mail via the same server.

--kurt

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## eric.cheminot

I have just tested the pop-before-smtp;unfortunately, still the same problem. I may have broken something on my install, but don't know what....

-ec

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## billk

I just had the same thing from an upgrade to postfix.  My working version started issueing a 554 no relaying error message in syslog.  Fix was to edit main.cf/mynetworks parameter.  Check it out, and why it changed ...

BillK

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## oregonshoegazer

i seem to be having a similar problem to the folks using KMail in this thread, although mine is with Evolution.

going to Evolution Settings -> Mail Accounts -> Edit -> Sending Mail

i configure my SMTP server just as i would in something like mozilla mail, but for some reason, i keep getting the  *Quote:*   

> "POP before SMTP auth using an unknown transport"

  error.

the server does require authentication, but i don't have it set to the  *Quote:*   

> "POP before SMTP"

  option, and no matter what i set this drop field to, i continually get the same error listed above.

can anyone offer any help with this?  i've heard such nice things about evolution and how everything is so integrated, and i'd like to try it out!

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## oregonshoegazer

i installed evolution on my other machine at home, and even with the same settings, i still get the pop-before-smtp error message on the initial machine.  does this mean it's DEFINITELY an evolution problem that'll be solved with a rebuild?  anyone know of anything else that could be woring behind the scenes to interfere with smtp?

i'm going to try re-emerging evolution on the machine that continues to have the "pop before smtp" problem as a start.

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