| Apple Mail gets SMTP error if not on same network as Kerio server [message #101160] |
Sat, 06 April 2013 21:52  |
terzinator
Messages: 5
Registered: April 2011
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If we use Apple's Mail program, we can't seem to send mail unless we're in the office (on the same network as the Kerio server). If we're away, either at home or elsewhere, mail arrives just fine, but if we try to send messages, we get an SMTP error saying that the SMTP server is offline. If we connect to our office via VPN, then messages are sent, no problem.
This only happens with Apple Mail. It doesn't happen with MS outlook or with our IOS devices. Only Apple Mail.
We always use the Kerio "integrate with mac" link to configure the settings, so not sure what might be up. This seems to be true for multiple machines who use Apple Mail.) It didn't always happen; it seems like this is new, in the past few weeks or so.
I thought it could be a firewall setting, like needing to configure a port, but why would it only affect Apple Mail? (And why would it just start happening out of the blue?)
Any ideas?
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| Re: Apple Mail gets SMTP error if not on same network as Kerio server [message #101326 is a reply to message #101198] |
Wed, 10 April 2013 21:36  |
terzinator
Messages: 5
Registered: April 2011
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tonyswu wrote on Mon, 08 April 2013 19:46Might want to take a look at how SMTP is configured on Apple Mail. Yep, checked that. Nothing seems amiss, and the oddity is that it worked before, and now it doesn't. On separate machines/accounts. (So it's not like it got changed on one account and not the other.)
SMTP uses default ports, SSL and MD5 challenge-response. I've tried changing to several of the custom ports people have suggested for other issues (2525, for one), but that immediately changes the SMTP mailserver dropdown to show "(Offline").
If I'm out of the office and am not VPN'd in, the SMTP mailserver drop down shows "(Offline)" as well. If I VPN in, that message goes away.
Just a hunch, it seems like a firewall port issue. (But again, not sure why it affects Apple Mail and not MS Outlook.)
[Updated on: Wed, 10 April 2013 21:37] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Apple Mail gets SMTP error if not on same network as Kerio server [message #101327 is a reply to message #101326] |
Wed, 10 April 2013 21:48 |
terzinator
Messages: 5
Registered: April 2011
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Well, I did an experiment. I thought I might open the Kerio web interface, click the "Integration with Mac" link, and see if I could create a separate account on Apple Mail and see what the default settings are...
Immediately the password dialog came up to enter username/pw info... connecting to our mailserver:443... 443 isn't one of the default ports listed in the SMTP settings.
So I changed the SMTP settings in Apple Mail to use the custom port of 443, and then got off our network (tethering to my phone's 4G connection) and it worked. The SMTP dropdown didn't show the offline message, and I tested and was able to send a mail.
I'll test this again at home, but hopefully this fixed it.
So... not sure why it changed on separate accounts, and separate instances of Apple mail on separate machines. I'll google around and see what I can see.
[Updated on: Wed, 10 April 2013 21:49] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Apple Mail gets SMTP error if not on same network as Kerio server [message #101328 is a reply to message #101327] |
Wed, 10 April 2013 22:38 |
tonyswu
Messages: 86
Registered: July 2010
Location: Bellevue, WA
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I can think of three scenarios. Port forwarding is not done correctly, your Mac client is configured to use port 25 only and it's blocked by your ISP, or you use split DNS and the external DNS is not configured correctly. Check your firewall config and logs, and do a DNS lookup against your mail hostname inside and outside of your network.
Kerio listens on port 443 for it's HTTPS service. While you can force SMTP to use port 443 and it'll tell the server is up, which it is, sending email through that probably won't work.
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| Re: Apple Mail gets SMTP error if not on same network as Kerio server [message #101382 is a reply to message #101327] |
Thu, 11 April 2013 17:19 |
j.a.duke
Messages: 239
Registered: October 2006
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Just as an FYI, the default ports for SMTP are:
25 (which is usually used for server to server, but can be used for client to server)
465 (Secure SMTP-SSL or TLS encrypted)
587 (Submission only-client to server)
Many (most?) ISPs block port 25 traffic to systems on their networks unless you have a "business" account.
Some ISPs redirect port 25 traffic from systems on their networks to their own SMTP server (I believe Verizon still does this). Often a hotel network will do the same thing.
In Apple Mail, I always explicitly specify the port (Use Custom Ports in the Advanced tab of the SMTP server dialog), rather than having Apple Mail try to guess. Works a bit more smoothly this way.
Cheers,
Jon
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