173415 - Mail: SMTP requiring authentication, not reachable

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 135357

(MailNews Core :: Networking: SMTP, defect)

Description

[John Stankiewicz]

Two SMTP severs not reachable using Mozilla: smtp.broadband.rogers.com and
smtp.true-freedom-as-self-government.com:108 when SMTP server REQUIRES
AUTHENTICATION.  Receive error msg: Unable to connect to SMTP server %S.

While, Outlook Express has a unique setting: require authentication for SMTP
server.  And the two servers are reachable under no changes in settings
whatsoever. Using Rogers.com network.  No proxies.  FQDNs used.  

Key difference is that Mozilla and Netscape do not give us the option to say
that the SMTP server requires authenticaiton, while OE does.

Comment 1

[Dan Kerby]

I am seeing the same problem when requiring authenication. I connect to
mail.attbi.com:465 and I get the message "cannot connect to server" I can
connect with OE just fine.

Comment 2

[John Stankiewicz]

Yes, it is now working just fine using OE.  Even Mailwasher!  And I reiterate,
for some reason, unless I can't find it, neither Netscape nor Mozilla have a
setting of  "My server requires Authentication" and "use the same settings as
for the incoming server" on the SMTP server settings.  While OE and Outlook have
it there since the beginning.  Why can't Mozilla add it?  It is unlcear to me
why this feature would ever be left out, now that relaying is not allowed by
most ISPs.  They trap this.  Hence one must somehow indicate to the SMTP server
that one is authorized to use that server when not directly connected to the
ISP's network.

I would not call this a BUG, really, it is an OMMISSION.

Comment 3

[Chris Lyon]

->mailnews

Comment 4

[John G. Myers]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 135357 ***

Comment 5

[Matthew Elvey]

Presumably, this was marked a dupe because the kind of security those servers
support is SSL (2/3), not STARTTLS, which is the only kind Mozilla currently
supports (hence the enhancement bug this is marked as a duplicate of.)

Possible alternatives/workarounds 
  a)MozillaMail and your server may or may not support "message submission
protocol" on port 587.
  b)Use port 25, if your ISP doesn't block it.
  c)Use SMTP over SSL, by using an external tool like stunnel.

(see discussion at Bug 98399)