Checking SMTP with Telnet

If your configuration is correct, but you still cannot access your mail server from neatComponents then it is most likely to be a firewall or anti-virus issue.

How to check your SMTP connection

If you cannot 'manually' connect to the email server machine on Port 25 from the neatComponents machine, then neither can your nC email service - so you'll need to look to the way your network, firewall or routers are configured.

The 'Telnet' test
To use Telnet in W2003/XP, go to Windows | Start, Run and enter cmd in the box then [OK] - a black window will open with a flashing command prompt.  Type the following example: telnet<space>IP address<space>port number, where the IP address (or mail domain) is that of your mail server, or ISP's mail server.

For the purpose of this test you can check against our mail server like this:

telnet smtp.enstar.net 25

and you should get a response, after about 30 seconds pause, similar to:

  220 enstar.net Ready for action (Mailtraq 2.16.3.3026/ESMTP)

You can then type:  Quit    and close the command prompt window. If you don't get that response, then anti-virus, firewall or router configuration is blocking port 25 traffic from that machine.

Please note that this mail server is for testing connections only - it will not accept mail for onward delivery.

If you are not familiar with Telnet then you can find information about using it here.

W7/W2008 users:

W7/W2008 come with a Telnet client but it is not enabled by default. So:

1. Click Windows Start Orb
2. Click Control Panel
3. Select Programs and Features
4. Select Turn Windows Features on or off
5. May need to confirm the action
6. Wait... this can take a while while the list populates
7. Click the checkbox beside the telnet client
8. Click [OK] ... this can take a while

- now you can use Telnet as described above