Closed Bug 361905 Opened 18 years ago Closed 15 years ago

conection to smtp server fails

Categories

(Thunderbird :: General, defect)

Product:
Thunderbird
Component:
General
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: gsou, Unassigned)

Details

(Whiteboard: closeme 2009-04-15) 

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; el; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061010 Firefox/2.0
Build Identifier: Thunderbird 1.5.0.8 

When trying to send an e-mail Iget a message box title: «Send Message Error» and text: «The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please...»

Checked with provider: SMTP server is OK
Checked firewall and antivirus: No obvious offending settings. Disabled them anyhow. The problem perists.
Tried latest SeaMonkey: Same problem.
Tried supplying a username even though SMTP connection uses no authentication: Problem persists.
Tried sending the same message with Outlook express: Message sent OK, with firewall and antivirus enabled.

I have 3 smtp servers defined:
smtp.hol.gr (default): ADSL internet provider
internal work server
null server: Non existent server to prevent some acounts to sent mail.

Sending mail with smt.hol.gr fails both as default and as explicitly selected server.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Create message
2. Press Send

Actual Results:  
3. Progress indicator appeares. Status: connecting to smtp
4. Above mentioned message bos appears


Expected Results:  
Send the message

Followed the instructions to create a log and only got
0[2746d8]: SMTP Connecting to: smtp.hol.gr
The problem is the TCP connection. 
Check it with a program like telnet. Also a ping might help.
Severity: major → normal
Both telnet and ping fail to connect.

According to the provider's help desk the failure of ping is expected.

Even so how can you explain the fact that outlook express connects without problems?
Did you telnet to the correct port? You should do something like "telnet 25" (or whatever port you use). 
About telnet: Yes I did try it using port 25 and it failed instantly. The guy at the help desk told me he could telnet to the smtp server.

Some additional information: The provider offers an SMTP server that requires authentication (SSL, port 465). I tried it and I was able to send my mail. It looks like the problem is in the authentication, but this server is on another IP so this is not conclusive. I did try to ping this server, but it failed. However this may be normal. I also tried to telnet to it and, although it did not give me an error messge, it seemed to try to connect for ever.

Hope this helps
Since you couldn't telnet the server, it sure sounds like a firewall/AV problem. Are you sure AV and firewall are really not running? (You may have to restart).
My firewall/AV are really not running.
Perhaps it's the provides firewall that prevents me from telneting on pinging the smtp server

Besides the server exists and is accesible with smtp, since outlook express can send e-mails.
I have the same problem,
I installed yesterday TB 2 Beta 2, then it worked,
now I have TB 1.5 AND TB2 Beta, both access the same settings and emails..
today I have SMTP error when sending with TB2 but it works when sendig mail
with the old (TB1.5) Version....
I downloaded the latest version of Thunderbird, 31-03-07 onto both my master and slave network. I receive incoming mail through bellsouth.net, but when I attempt to x-mit, I receive an error message of smtp server must be down or an error in sending. Please try again.
If I go to bellsouth.net web e-mail, I have no problem sending.
If firewalls/av are off, you likely have some error in your smtp setup. Or then there are some server side problems...

You can always try creating an smtp log, but it might not tell you that much:
http://www.mozilla.org/quality/mailnews/mail-troubleshoot.html#smtp
There is no problem with my security or anti-virus. There is no problem with my smtp server at bellsouth.net. That can only leave a problem with your Thunderbird. The setup was conducted correctly.
Did you try telnetting to the server? 

telnet <thesmtp>.bellsouth.net 25 

(or whatever port you should use) Does it answer? Did you try comment 9?
I have the same problem when attaching more than 1MB - now running V2.  Sometimes the EMail does go even though I got the failure message with up to a 2MB attachment.  Much larger attachments up to 6MB will send correctly when using Outlook Express or using ISP webmail!!
(In reply to comment #12)
> I have the same problem when attaching more than 1MB - now running V2. 
> Sometimes the EMail does go even though I got the failure message with up to a
> 2MB attachment.  Much larger attachments up to 6MB will send correctly when
> using Outlook Express or using ISP webmail!!

To Mike Mazanek:
   
Do you mean "following message was returned on send failure"?
>  «The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server failed>>
If so, your problem sounds same situation to Bug 325649 rather than this bug(seems to be "port 25 blocking" or network related issue), although similar error message is displayed. When Bug 325649, connection loss occurred only when relatively large attachment case only. 
Mike Mazanek, get NSPR log for SMTP and network activity, and see Bug 325649.
Read next pages,
  - http://www.mozilla.org/quality/mailnews/mail-troubleshoot.html#pop
  - http://www.mozilla.org/projects/netlib/http/http-debugging.html
and get NSPR log with "SET NSPR_LOG_MODULES=SMTP:5,nsSocketTransport:5".
No, my message is always the following with no error number:

Sending of msg failed-

The msg could not be sent bec connection to the SMTP server mail.bellsouth.net failed.  The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.  Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or contact your network admin
(In reply to comment #14)
> No, my message is always the following with no error number:

To Mike Mazanek:
 
Do you mean the "SMTP connection failed" message is always issued even when very short mail after upgrade to Thunderbird 2.x, and the error never occured while Tb 1.5.x or before?

As you say next, 
> Sometimes the EMail does go even though I got the failure message
> with up to a 2MB attachment.
SMTP send itself sometimes completes and server sometimes receives the mail, even when error message is displayed by Thunderbird.
This indicates "telnet mail.bellsouth.net 25" works well in your environment, and  problem in your environment is not real "server may be unavailable" nor real "refuse by SMTP server".
(Please note that bug opener of this bug doesn't answer to result of telnet.)
This is why I suspect same situation as Bug 325649.

Anyway, get NSPR log first.
You may be correct about me having Bug 325649 rather than Bug 361905, but just to be sure we're understanding each other:

I cannot EVER send an EMail with more than 2MB attached using TB V2, however, I can using OE V6 or my ISP Webmail.  I think I was able to send the larger attachment size before I had V2, but not certain as it's been quite a while since trying.  I can always send EMails with less than a 1MB attachment, and sometimes one with a 1-2MB attachment.  However, even if a 1-2MB attachment EMail goes I usually get the error msg.

The only error msg I ever get is:
"Sending of msg failed-

The msg could not be sent bec connection to the SMTP server mail.bellsouth.net
failed.  The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.  Please
verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or contact your
network admin"
Mike, do you have a virus checker installed? Sometimes virus checkers can cause this kind of problem...
Yes, but it's the same one I 've had for several year and, again, I have no problem sending with OE or Webmail
Webmail doesn't involve SMTP at all, so it's irrelevant to this bug. A virus scanner may make a special exception for OE. You could just try disabling it and see what happens.
(In reply to comment #14)
> No, my message is always the following with no error number:
> 
> Sending of msg failed-
> 
> The msg could not be sent bec connection to the SMTP server mail.bellsouth.net
> failed.  The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.  Please
> verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or contact your
> network admin
> 
I get this exact message (except for my SMTP server is smtpauth.peoplepc.com).  I got it in 1.5 and now in 2.0.  I am able to receive all my email, but am not able to answer anything or write new mail.

The ISP sent me on several wild goose chases, and then told me to contact Thunderbird.  I have, to date, set my SMTP port to 25, 587 (PeoplePC's default) and 443.  The Windows XP firewall is running, but no other.
I get the same error message  «Send Message Error»
and text: «The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server
failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.
It was working fine until latest update of thunderbird. Nothing else has changed, I just updated thunderbird. verything worked fine until then.
ISP says contact thunderbird, their systems are all working fine
I can not send mail!

(In reply to comment #14)
> No, my message is always the following with no error number:
> 
> Sending of msg failed-
> 
> The msg could not be sent bec connection to the SMTP server mail.bellsouth.net
> failed.  The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.  Please
> verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or contact your
> network admin
> 


To all problem reporters except bug opener("Me too" comment posters):

As seen in many comments, bug opener's case is "even telnet to port 25 fails".
Please never hijack other peoples completely different issue by your problem of same message.
Following search won't return more than 1000 hits (only 102 as of today).  
 (1) Open bug
 (2) Has string of SMTP in bug summary
 (3) Updated within one year
Please search bugzilla.mozilla.org well before comment to inappropriate bug.
And open new bug with sufficient evidence/data such as protocol log, if and only if new problem, please.

If you need help, please read MozillaZine Knowledge Base articles first, 
   http://kb.mozillazine.org/Category:Issues_%28Thunderbird%29
   http://kb.mozillazine.org/Category:Thunderbird
   http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cannot_send_mail
   http://kb.mozillazine.org/5.7.1_Unable_to_relay
and please ask for help at MozillaZine forum if required.
(In reply to comment #2)
> Both telnet and ping fail to connect.
> 
> According to the provider's help desk the failure of ping is expected.
> 
> Even so how can you explain the fact that outlook express connects without
> problems?
> 
I know this is late in the game (11-7-07), but I have had this problem ever since I installed Seamonkey 1.1.1. In order for me to send out any emails, I launch Mozillia and everything works fine. Both accounts are "exactly the same". SMTP settings are the same, Ports are the same, everything is the same. Mozillia works and Seamonkey doesn't. I tried to follow this thread, but I can't seem to find out what the solution is or was. Any suggestions?
Assignee: mscott → nobody
George, Rolf, do you still see problems?
Whiteboard: closeme 2009-04-15
RESO INCO due to lack of response to last question. If you feel this change was made in error, please respond to this bug with your reasons why.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 15 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE
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