Webfusion, email & SMTP

[nshread]

Hi all,

I've searched the forum and found a number of conflicting references to email setup when using Webfusion as a host, but none seem to say what server platform is being used.

So, can anyone who's using a Windows platform on a dedicated server through Webfusion advise what they use for their Email Settings please?

Using localhost does not seem to be working on my sites and Webfusion support stated that I needed to use SMTP authorisation - so entering a valid email address and password with a valid SMTP server.
Unfortunately the one that they suggest is valid for my clients server - smtp.bernpetfoods.co.uk is rejected during a network settings test, saying it's not a valid smtp server.

Webfusion support isn't exactly the best in the world so I'm hoping someone with a working email setup can let me know. If it works with localhost for you on a windows platform then at least I can go back to Webfusion support and tell them their support info is incorrect...

Thanks in advance.

[grantglendinnin]

I'm using a Linux VPS package and I was told by support that both incoming/outgoing should be mail.domain.com and am not using authentication as we have Orange broadband in the office. You can't send mail through any other server except Orange (smtp.orangehome.co.uk) with Orange BB so can't advise on that.

Regards,
Grant

[pinbrook]

Unfortunately the one that they suggest is valid for my clients server - smtp.bernpetfoods.co.uk is rejected during a network settings test, saying it's not a valid smtp server.

sometimes this error message is benign, have you tested to see if emails are sent/received?

[Mike Hughes]

am not using authentication as we have Orange broadband in the office. You can't send mail through any other server except Orange (smtp.orangehome.co.uk) with Orange BB so can't advise on that.

Grant, off topic I know but all the actinic generated emails should be OK from the web server (for both server generated and Actinic PC emails). Actinic transfers emails from the PC up to the cgi scripts on the server and sends them from there so Orange BB has no way of stopping them.

Mike

[grantglendinnin]

Grant, off topic I know but all the actinic generated emails should be OK from the web server (for both server generated and Actinic PC emails). Actinic transfers emails from the PC up to the cgi scripts on the server and sends them from there so Orange BB has no way of stopping them.

Mike

Sorry Mike - lack of further details to blame. The settings work OK for Actinic but not in Outlook as Orange block the required ports - hope that makes a bit more sense. Though I can open an order up, open the e-mail tab to write a user-defined e-mail, then change the e-mail address and I can then send e-mails through Actinic to anyone without Orange having a say in it.

[nshread]

Hi Jo,

Thanks for your response. I've tested the emails being received - both through the Network Settings test and the Contact form, but nothing has been received.

[pinbrook]

The settings work OK for Actinic but not in Outlook as Orange block the required ports - hope that makes a bit more sense. Though I can open an order up, open the e-mail tab to write a user-defined e-mail, then change the e-mail address and I can then send e-mails through Actinic to anyone without Orange having a say in it.

just by way of an explanation as this is an issue that confuses alot of people.

when actinic sends an email - this includes the order confirmation on customer purchase and additionally within actinic ie order shipped etc it does so by uploadingthe emails to the hosting server and sends via sendmail. this is why you have to check with your host what setting to put in network settings.

When you send email from your pc using outlook you can choose whether to use the smtp provided by your host (most hosts provide you with both hosting and email services) or you can choose to use the mail service provided by your ISP.

thus in outlook you can either have mail.yourdomain.co.uk (relay via host) or smtp.yourISP.co.uk (relay via ISP) but in actinic NS you tend to have to use mail.domain.co.uk ie host

I hope this helps

[grantglendinnin]

Thanks Jo

I use mail.domain.co.uk within Actinic and smtp.orangehome.co.uk in Outlook - Orange won't let me send mail through Orange BB using mail.domain.co.uk but BT will - so if I want to take the laptop home at night to send e-mails I have to change settings. Not ideal, but I've never actually looked into the issue much. All I know is Orange are crap IMO.

[pinbrook]

Thanks Jo

I use mail.domain.co.uk within Actinic and smtp.orangehome.co.uk in Outlook - Orange won't let me send mail through Orange BB using mail.domain.co.uk but BT will - so if I want to take the laptop home at night to send e-mails I have to change settings. Not ideal, but I've never actually looked into the issue much. All I know is Orange are crap IMO.

TBH is down to each ISP and how they run mail services. there are alot of ISPs that will only let you send via their SMTP - they do this as an anti spam measure as they can easily identify an acct being used to spam from and close the acct. Brutal but effective

[grantglendinnin]

TBH is down to each ISP and how they run mail services. there are alot of ISPs that will only let you send via their SMTP - they do this as an anti spam measure as they can easily identify an acct being used to spam from and close the acct. Brutal but effective

Yep that's what they told me - I firmly informed them I get more spam using Orange which uses this 'secure' method, while I get very little spam through BT yet they let their customers send mail however they like. At least WebFusion let you send mail through their servers as part of your package, you have to pay for e-mail authentication services with a lot of other hosts.

[pixelhaus]

I run several webfusion linux VPSs (and yes their support is less than satisfactory). You should use 'localhost' for your smtp server, but it is important that you set up a valid pop mailbox on the server for it to send to or the test will fail.

[harvey]

Webfusion, email & SMTP

In the end I gave up on my Webfusion Windows dedicated server as regards email - asked them to switch it to Linux, which works just fine
Harvey

www.gobrand.co.uk