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20th
March
2008
 Qwest Internet service here in Portland Oregon has apparently begun to randomly block port 25 for its customers, just like Comcast did last year. This renders users helpless to send email using their own domain from their web host’s email server like most businesses do. Also just like Comcast, they are not doing it to all users yet, and they have provided no notice to users for whom they have done this. It’s only due to spending several hours on the phone last summer that I can offer this solution. If this has happened to you, simply open your mail client, go to the advanced properties of the mail account, and change your outgoing mail server (SMTP) from Port 25, to port 587, then save configuration, and restart your Outlook or Outlook express. Port 587 is another port that many web hosts provide for exactly this situation. While I can attest to its success on the majority of hosted mail servers (including our web hosting servers in Portland), it may not work for everyone.
In the event changing to port 587 does not solve your problem, rather than calling Qwest, call your web host, and explain that “you suspect that your ISP has blocked port 25 for outgoing mail. What other port do they recommend you try?” At that point, they will either open another port, or tell you the existing passport to use for their Web hosting. The reasons Qwest (and Comcast) have done this to people with no notice escape me, but there ya go! |
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March 21st, 2008 at 5:31 am
This port is intended for SSL connection so you have to check SSL button.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:11 am
Minca, thanks for commenting -
What you claim may be so, about the intended port use, however, checking the SSL box will then not work for users unless their host is requiring them to use SSL, which in most cases, they’re not.
I never claimed this made sense - only that it works -
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
There is a useful discussion of this at http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=793397, a forum of frequent travelers who often have this problem.
April 10th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
The reason port 25 gets blocked along with a lot of other common ports (80 is a prime example) is it’s VERY easy to setup a mail server in you house that spams email, blocking port 25 makes it more difficult to accomplish this. Usually you just route smtp (outgoing mail) traffic through ur ISP’s server. this will work with any alternate email you may have.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:03 am
You’re right Jeremy, it’s VERY easy. Almost as telling all of your support people that you’re now blocking port 25, so they can fix it when people call!
I think you’ll soon find, if you haven’t already with your ISP, that if you want to send mail from yourdomain.com but through your ISP’s mail servers is no longer possible, and using other ports is all you can do.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Another easy fix is to go to gmail.com and setup an account, and then use their outgoing mail servers for sending email in your mail client.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thanks -
Good idea Brian, but actually, if someone is a victim of their ISP blocking port 25, then using Gmail servers changes nothing, and they’re still blocked.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Gmail servers use port 465 for outgoing mail, not port 25. This means that ISP block on port 25 would not affect using gmail server to send mail.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I guess I didn’t understand that by “use their outgoing mail server”, you meant to change the mail client to SMTP over port 465.
Gmail is supposed to either use port 465 or port 25, but I’m guessing they have port 465 for this exact issue.
Thanks for adding this as another option…