How can I find out the SMTP mail server?

[Andy Davies]

I am currently offshore Norway and the rig has a wireless link to the net for private use. No one seems to know what the outgoing SMTP mail server name is. So, is there a way of finding out? I have pinged my own IP and found that it ends up with satlynx.net but neither SMTP. or MAIL.satlynx.net allow me to send mail via Outlook. How can I find out if they have a mail server?

Cheers

Andy

 

[Clive]

Not easy unless you know the System Admin or can scan their subnet for an open port 25.

You can use your normal ISP server though.

 

[Andy Davies]

Clive

My normal ISP is tiscali and, as email will not send via Outlook, I assume there is a probem with relaying.

Andy

 

[Clive]

My normal ISP is tiscali and, as email will not send via Outlook, I assume there is a probem with relaying.

I'd imagine that normally Tiscali detect you are on the end of an IP address that belongs to them and let you in unauthenticated?
Have you tried changing the Outlook settings to use Authenticated, with your tiscali email address and password etc

EDIT: It appears that Tiscali require authenticated access

Some info here

Might have to use "Webmail"?

 

[LiquidLAN]

Andy, what you are looking for is an open relay, this things dont really exist any more as they get abused and used to send spam email. In the old days no-one really cared and most systems where open, they processed what they knew and handed on the rest. Now a days email servers are frequently checked and open ones are reported.

there are plenty of mail relay packages out there, you could download one and run it locally on your system - assuming you have the privileges. you should then be able to send email direct to the recipient’s email server

but the question is, why are you trying to use outlook? is there another way to do what you are trying to do?

 

[Andy Davies]

Clive

Resorted email Tiscali - I bet my hitch will be over before they reply! Webmail works OK but it's not as convenient!

Thanks for you help. If I'm give a work around, I'll post it here.

Cheers

Andy

 

[trangwales]

Andy - I'd try using Thunderbird rather than outlook. Have a look at the settings for your email account - should be a way of picking up Tiscali email using the POP / SMTP settings; I've been OK on wireless with laptop.
If not suggest a googlemail account - if you want one send me a PM and I'll send an invitation .. google should collect emails from other accounts for you

 

[Andy Davies]

Andy, what you are looking for is an open relay, this things dont really exist any more as they get abused and used to send spam email. In the old days no-one really cared and most systems where open, they processed what they knew and handed on the rest. Now a days email servers are frequently checked and open ones are reported.

there are plenty of mail relay packages out there, you could download one and run it locally on your system - assuming you have the privileges. you should then be able to send email direct to the recipient’s email server

but the question is, why are you trying to use outlook? is there another way to do what you are trying to do?

LL

What I'm trying to do here is all associated with my laptop and not on any network. I appreciate the part about open relay but I thought that's what authentication was all about!

I'm trying to work with outlook because it's where the rest of my email resides and it allows me to use Word to compile. Additionally, as a mercenary so'n'so, I keep in touch with other clients all the time and the facility to automatically retrieve mail is just what I need (as opposed to having to log in to webmail all the time).

There has to be a way of skinning this particular cat.

Andy

 

[LiquidLAN]

LL

What I'm trying to do here is all associated with my laptop and not on any network. I appreciate the part about open relay but I thought that's what authentication was all about!

I'm trying to work with outlook because it's where the rest of my email resides and it allows me to use Word to compile. Additionally, as a mercenary so'n'so, I keep in touch with other clients all the time and the facility to automatically retrieve mail is just what I need (as opposed to having to log in to webmail all the time).

There has to be a way of skinning this particular cat.

Andy

thought it might be something like that

chances are you will only have a couple of options...

I assume at home you just send and recieve via Tiscali when you are actually connected to their network - if thats the case, you have one option run a SMTP relay locally on your laptop. you are right about authentication, but there isnt any authentication as such on SMTP. all the server can do is check the domain or IP address you are sending from. As such Tiscali will only probably only allow you to send SMTP to their servers if you are sending from their network. The authentication you do see is for the download only.

the other options I can think of involve you having your own SMTP server somewhere else and connecting back that - not really relevant.

its worth trying to talk to the System Admin - maybe they have set something up, but I shouldnt think so.

 

[unhinged]

You've probably tried this but sometimes the network gateway will handle the mail on small networks. Have you tried adding the IP address as the SMTP server?

If that doesn't work and the network's been set up nicely there might be an MX record in DNS for pointing you at the machine that handles the mail. I'm a Unix chap so I don't know how you'd find out in Windows (someone?) but using host I'd do:

host -t MX <local domain name>

to get my local mail gateway.

 

[Andy Davies]

LL - I've seen these people www.authsmtp.com and for £14 a year you have a roaming SMTP server with no need to change settings in Outlook.

Professional impressions?

Andy

 

[wessie]

Set up a gmail account. Read the FAQ to find out how to send mail by SMTP (you need to use their authenticated server). Once you have the settings you can forget about this gmail account.

Set up the SMTP settings on your usual email account to use the gmail SMTP server using the username & password created. If you set the "reply to" address as your normal email address then your correspondents will not be aware of any changes, unless they check the headers.

I've just tried this to send & reply to mail from my virgin account and it works fine.

 

[Andy Davies]

Andy - I'd try using Thunderbird rather than outlook. Have a look at the settings for your email account - should be a way of picking up Tiscali email using the POP / SMTP settings; I've been OK on wireless with laptop.
If not suggest a googlemail account - if you want one send me a PM and I'll send an invitation .. google should collect emails from other accounts for you

I would send you a pm but it says that you are set up not to receive them?

Can I ask what's the benefit of an invitation?

Cheers
Andy

 

[ovenpaa]

S'easy to find your SMTP relay - I have PM'd you Andy.