Trouble configuring SMTP

[PatchworkRabbit]

Hi

I hope I'm not repeating an old problem, I did search through. While finding similar problems, I haven't encountered this one.

I initially set up my trial on the actinic trial host with a gmail account. It all worked perfectly.

I then moved the site to my own host, still with the gmail account and it was fine.

THEN, I added PayPal as a payment option, ticking SSL. When I tried to upload, it said I had to configure SSL settings and started complaining about the SMTP server:

The 'SMTP server' address entered in the 'Web | Network Setup' is incorrect, or not a valid SMTP server.
Possible Solutions:
1) Try "localhost" as the "SMTP Server"
2) Check the "SMTP Server" host name, user name and password with your server host, then correct the details in 'Web | Network Setup'
3) Check your firewall settings

I googled around and found a thread saying you don't need SSL if using PayPal as a payment gateway, so I unticked the SSL, hoping it would solve my problems, but now, no matter what I put in, I keep getting that error when testing my settings.

Are there any useful threads or pages anywhere I missed?

I have:

SMTP Server: localhost
Use Authentication: ticked
Username: myemail@gmail.com
password: set

I've tried smtp.gmail.com and just having myemail for the username and all the combinations and nothing works now.

[leehack]

When using 'localhost' you don't generally add username and password. You only add those when adding the smtp address.

Forget any use of gmail on your site, unless you want to look tinpot. Use sales@youardomain.co.uk and stick to the tried, tested and professional way of doing things.

[guccij]

Which PayPal option did you choose? Website Payments or Website Payments Pro? The latter requires an SSL certificate (which it doesn't sound as if you have) and is not recommended anyway. The former is the standard version and is what most people use.

[pinbrook]

Which one of the 2 sites in your post are you needing help with, one is quite messed up, the other seems to be ok with PP express.

why are you using a gmail acct for an online business? you should be using mail @yourdomain.co.uk

In these days of ever increasing competition on the web you need to everything you can to gaincredibility with a potential customer.

site that only have a mobile are suspect, 3rd party email is suspect.

Drop gmail and use a proper email address

[PatchworkRabbit]

1. Gmail. The gmail account is only for the order notifications. My published email account (the one displayed on the site and business cards) is a domain specific email account. As far as I understand it, those are two different things. Am I wrong?

Two reasons for this: 1) I couldn't get my domain email to work at all the network settings so figured I would start easy with a gmail account as this is ONLY A TRIAL just to get something up and running (2) THIS IS ONLY A TRIAL. Pinbrook, I appreciate your concerns and am never one to turn down business advice, but I'm just trying to get something working quickly before my 30 days runs out



2. It's for the patchwork-rabbit.co.uk which is my actinic trial site. The (current) one is mrsite which is OK, but I've outgrown it, hence my trialling of Actinic.




3. I'm using PayPal standard (as I have yet to get a merchant account. I don't have sale volumes good enough to pay for a merchant account yet) so understand I don't need SSL.



4. localhost: leehack, so what does localhost mean? Use the one on the host server? I have several domains hosted on that server, so how does it know which one to use? What if the mail server requires authentication?

[pinbrook]

1. Gmail. The gmail account is only for the order notifications. My published email account (the one displayed on the site and business cards) is a domain specific email account. As far as I understand it, those are two different things. Am I wrong?

Two reasons for this: 1) I couldn't get my domain email to work at all the network settings so figured I would start easy with a gmail account as this is ONLY A TRIAL just to get something up and running (2) THIS IS ONLY A TRIAL. Pinbrook, I appreciate your concerns and am never one to turn down business advice, but I'm just trying to get something working quickly before my 30 days runs out

the fact you are using gmail may be the reason why it doesn't work, email is sent via sendmail on the server so your host may restrict it to domain email only - hence my comments. The first thing to try is Lee's suggestion - localhost. in network settings, in the smtp box just type in localhost. make sure the email address in business settings is a valid on domain email.

3. I'm using PayPal standard (as I have yet to get a merchant account. I don't have sale volumes good enough to pay for a merchant account yet) so understand I don't need SSL.

you need ssl for paypalpro - but lets not go there. Instead get yourself a paypal business acct (this is not to be confused with a merchant acct) then you can use payapl website payments where people can pay using their paypal acct or can choose to pay with a cc. This does not require ssl and is pci compliant.

For the record you apply to your bank or 3rd party such as streamline for a merchant acct.

[PatchworkRabbit]

Despite gmail working before (as I think I made very clear), I could not get it to work again, so I decided to pursue the domain based email as I would want to use that in the end anyway.

I tried the settings again, just as a sanity check, before raising a ticket with my host. The assured me my settings were correct and, as if by magic, it did finally work when I tried again.

As a database developer myself, I can't help thinking it was more than magic involved and they forgot to flick a switch somewhere LOL


pinbrook, I'm really not sure what your point is. I've already told you I'm not using paypal pro and that I AM using paypal standard (ergo, I already have a business account). I also know how to get a merchant account, I just can't afford one, but thanks for taking the time to reply

[pinbrook]

maybe i was just over clarifying...