Using mailer without authentication

[kenm987]

I would like to use the mailer object to send email.  However, it seems nowadays that all email servers require password authentication.  Is there a free or inexpensive workaround?  I am searching for an email server that doesn't require a password for sending email.  Also looking for activeX emailer as suggested in another thread.  Any other ideas?

Why hasn't the mailer object been updated?  I see others also need the ability to specify a port.  Seems like a good time to update/improve the mailer object.

Thanks,

Ken

[kenm987]

Has anyone used an activeX email object successfully?  If so, which one, how do you use it, how do you "invoke" it?

[Ryan.S]

We have already implemented the feature of authentication and flexible port in Lookout 6.5. But the upgrade is not free if you don't have SSP.

[kenm987]

Well, I downloaded Lookout 6.5 trial version from http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/1579/lang/en, but I still can't get the mailer object to work.  It just times out, as if the .ini file is not working.  I'm using quotes for all the expressions, and I've tried 2 email accounts.  The test button and the send signal both fail.  I'm hoping Ryan can confirm that the mailer.cbx and mailer.ini files are correct *** NOTE, I rjust enamed the mailer.cbx to mailer_cbx.ini so I could attach.  I also attached my tracefile, but it doesn't show much. 

Any ideas?  Thanks,

Ken

[Ryan.S]

The cbx file and the ini file are both correct.  

Do you use the authentication?

When you click test button, what's the message printed out?

If the problem is in the port, the test result will be like "Error connecting to server".

If the port is correct, but the account is incorrect, the test result is like "authentication failed".

[kenm987]

Well, when I click the "Test my SMTP settings" button, a popup appears.  In the top window of the popup, it says "Launch test for my SMTP settings".  After my specified timeout lapses, the following message appears in the lower window of the popup "Test failed:  Timeout during connection to SMTP server".  The tracefile only shows "[[NEW SEND]]".  It looks like the tracefile only writes one time.  I have to delete it every time.

I've tried timeouts of 120 seconds.  Recipients, Subject, Message,  and From Address parameters are text constants in double quotes.  Everything else has no quotes.  I've tried 2 email servers, smtp.att.yahoo.com, and smtp.gmail.com, both with port 465.

Is it possible this trial version of 6.5 isn't working?

Thanks,

Ken

[Ryan.S]

The problem is the port. I tried port 25 of the two mail servers you said, and it worked. THen I changed to 465 and got the same error.

Take a look at this kB. http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/843FDCF3138EEEAE862569EA006DA113?OpenDocument

You can use the telnet to test the connection. The connection on 465 cannot be created.

So I think the mail server doesn't support the port 465.

[kenm987]

I'm really stumped.  I've tried this with and without a mailer.ini file (in the same directory as the mailer.cbx file, right?), port 25 and port 465, with nothing specified (no expression parameters) but the smpt server, username, password, and use authorization selected.  I've run with and without Outlook Express running.  I uninstalled Lookout version 6.2 and 6.5, deleted the entire National Instruments directory, and reinstalled from scratch.  Whatever I try, I cannot get any error message other than the "timeout" error.

Is it possible that there is something different with the 6.5 trial version I downloaded from http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/1579/lang/en?

I used port 465 because that is how I have Outlook Express set up.  I also used my email addresses that work correctly in Outlook Express.

The telnet clients I have on my Vista & XP systems don't have the commands listed on the mailer troubleshooting page, http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/843FDCF3138EEEAE862569EA006DA113?OpenDocument.  They don't have HELO, MAIL FROM, etc., and I can't seem to find replacement commands.  I have been able to initiate a telnet session from both Vista & XP, but only with port 465.  I get a telnet timeout if I specify port 25. 

It is like I'm in another dimension!  Anyway, let me know if you have other ideas or suggestions.

Thanks,

Ken

[Ryan.S]

My fault. The gmail mail server requires the SSL(secure socket layer), and the port 465 on yahoo mail server is also for SSL. However Lookout mailer doesn't support SSL.

Usually the port 25 on most mail servers don't need SSL, and the port 465 is for SSL connection.

So, you cannot use the Gmail. The Yahoo should work, but not on port 465. When I input

telnet smtp.att.yahoo.com 25

I got a response like

220 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The code 220 means the service is ready. Do you get any response if you telnet port 25 on yahoo server?

If not, you can try port 587. I find this port number by google. But it's better to have an official port number that doesn't use SSL. At least, you should get response 220 after you telnet it.

[kenm987 · Accepted solution]

Whew!  Finally!  Alright, I used smtp.att.yahoo.com with port 25 and it works fine.  I guess I never did try that combination before.  Thanks for you help Ryan.

-Ken