Vodafone Mobile Broadband - I'm Getting SMTP Timeouts With My Sony Vaio Laptop & Outlook 2007

[charlie360]

Hi - I have a rather infuriating problem that I'm hoping someone can help me with please!
I have a Sony Vaio VGN Z2 laptop, running windows 7 and MS outlook 2007. I have three different mail accounts on it, gmail, one private and one work email address. I also have the same 3 accounts and identical settings as far as I can see on my HTC HD2 mobile phone running WM6.5. I am able to send and receive email on all three accounts without issue when connected to home broadband or other wireless networks.
Both my work and gmail account send and receive fine when using the vodafone connection (both using 3rd party SMTP servers), I'm also able to receive mail fine on the personal email account, however when trying to send mail via this route the error message says the connection to the SMTP server times out (I'm using a vodafone 360 account with the smtp.360.com server for outgoing mail) What I find confusing is that using home broadband (via talk talk) and connecting to this vodafone server works fine, yet connecting to this server via vodafone's own network times out. Also the account works fine via my phone - so I'm getting to the point of tearing my hair out try to resolve it.

For anyone interested the exact error message from outlook is below - many thanks


Task abc@xyz.com - Sending' reported error (0x8004210B) : 'The operation timed out waiting for a response from the sending (SMTP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'

[Retired-Lee]

Hi there charlie360,

Thanks for the question, and for finding us here on the forum. Let's hope you stick around!!!

Having read through your post, you've yet to confirm whether you've tried your ISP's SMTP servers so if you could give them a try and get back to me with the results, I'd be delighted to assist further if necessary.

Cheers,

LeeH
eForum Team

[charlie360]

Hi there charlie360,

Thanks for the question, and for finding us here on the forum. Let's hope you stick around!!!

Having read through your post, you've yet to confirm whether you've tried your ISP's SMTP servers so if you could give them a try and get back to me with the results, I'd be delighted to assist further if necessary.

Cheers,

LeeH
eForum Team

High Lee, thanks for the reply, yes I have tried both the mail host's SMTP server and also talk talk's, who provide my home broadband, the problem with the former (register1) is that they don't work with talk talk when connected to home broadband (so I have to change all my settings everytime I want to send mail when not at home) I believe due to anti-relaying rules (spam) and I find a similar problem when using talk talks mail server, in that it appears to authenticate any connections via it's own network (ie talk talk's broadband network, so doesn't ask for a separate password, when connected to it's own network, presumably authenticates from recognition of it's own IP range), however it doesn't recognise connections from the vodafone network, giving the following error message -

Task 'abc@xyz.com - Sending' reported error (0x800CCC67) : ' The server responded: 421 cannot connect to server'

So what really confuses me is that I can send fine from vodafone's smtp.360.com when connected via talk talk's broadband network and yet as I say the same smtp.360.com times out when connected via the vodafone network??!!

[Retired-Wayne]

Hi Charlie360

Thanks for your post here. I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems with this. I can understand how frustrating this must be.

Its certainly a very confusing problem to have. Can you tell me what network you are on? (2G / 3G) can you also tell me what sort of sized email are you trying to send? Try sending one as small as possible.

I'm going to assume that when you use the smtp server on the Vodafone network you are using authenication turned on and the username and password for your 360 account as your username and password for the smtp server is that correct?

Please let me know and we'll be happy to help you further

Thanks

Wayne

eForum Team

[charlie360]

Hi Wayne, all is as you suggest, and I think the fact that I can send using smtp.360.com connecting via my home broadband talktalk network proves that the username and password are correct, in addition, as far as I can see all these settings are the same as those on my HTC HD2 which works with a different vodafone sim card. (obviously one cannot see all the same mail settings in outlook 2007 as compared to the moblie outlook version that comes with win mobile 6.5) I will double check as to whether the problem manifests itself on both 2 and 3G networks, where I am at home I have HSDPA coverage, so 3G and it certainly doesn't send, I'm fairly sure its the same on edge/gprs, however I will double check when I find a spot with this coverage.
As to the mail size because of this frustrating issue I've been trying to send emails with literally two or three words, so a few kb just as trest emails. As far as I can summarise, everything works fine, apart from the fact that there seems to be no connection between the vodafone network and the smtp.360.com server, because of the timeout, however this obviously works fine on my phone......

[Retired-Jon_V]

Hi Charlie360,

The only problem I can find that would match these symptoms, is that you're trying to connect un-authenticated - as I believe our network will intercept connections made over Port 25 and re-direct you to the now defunct send.vodafone.net server. It's possible this is still happening.

Double-check that Authentication is enabled, SSL is enabled, and that it's using Port number 465.

Let me know if this helps

Jon

eForum Team

[charlie360]

Hi Charlie360,

The only problem I can find that would match these symptoms, is that you're trying to connect un-authenticated - as I believe our network will intercept connections made over Port 25 and re-direct you to the now defunct send.vodafone.net server. It's possible this is still happening.

Double-check that Authentication is enabled, SSL is enabled, and that it's using Port number 465.

Let me know if this helps

Jon

eForum Team

Hi Jon - thanks, I wasn't using port 465, so I've changed this and all seems to function as it should!!