SMTP details

[mattsavage]

Hi. I am trying to get my Actinic software to work, and I am having problems with the SMTP server information. This is in the Network Setup bit. It asks for the cgi URLs and all the other stuff, I've sorted that (I think!) but it does not like my SMTP details. If I go to my Outlook Express account details, it says my SMTP server address is mail.force9.net, but when I put this info in the Actinic network settings, it says it is not valid. I also have a completely different e-mail account with another company, if I put those details in it also says it's not valid.
Can someone PLEASE tell me what I should fill in here. What does everyone else put in this field?

ANY help would be really appreciated.

Many thanks,
Matt Savage

www.mattsavage.com

[Mike Hughes]

You need to put in the smtp details for your web hosts smtp server. Not your ISPs.

If you don't have them, a common workaround is to use 'localhost'

Mike

[mattsavage]

errrr, you've lost me! Surley the information is needed so Actinic can use my e-mail details to send e-mails. To send e-mails I use relay.force9.net, this is what is in my account settings in Outlook Express.
What's localhost?

Cheers,
Matt

[RuralWeb]

Actinic needs the same ftp details that you use for your website eg ftp.mattsavage.com and your password. It will ask for your mail server details towards the end of the Network Wizzard setup which I suggest you use as it it very easy to get the info wrong if you try and enter it direct.

[mattsavage]

I've been messing about with this for 6 weeks now! My first problem was the cgi bin. And after some help for another Actinic user I was told the cgi bin and acatalog address were,
http://ccgi.mattsavage.force9.co.uk/acatalog/
http://ccgi.mattsavage.force9.co.uk/cgi-bin/
not www.mattsavage.com/cgi-bin as I thought.

all this is through force9. There is only one e-mail SMTP info thing, relay.force9.net. I have also tried the IP address I was given, 212.159.11.37.
Actinic says these are all invalid.

Is it me, or is it Force9? Actinic looks like the best thing for me, but it is taking soooo long to figure out all these initial settings..

PLEASE HELP!

cheers,
Matt

[RuralWeb]

Sounds like it should be the last one to me. I dont know what html editor you are using but you should be able to open it up and see the remote site, you will then see the cgi.bin - that is assuming there is one

if not you can try to create one but the host might not support it.

Are you using the Actinic Wizzard or just entering the details in the network set-up?

[mattsavage]

The wizard doesn't like the cgi bit, so I've had to do that manually. But everything in that department works. see http://ccgi.mattsavage.force9.co.uk
As you can see I've only done a little work, but it all works. It's just the final e-mailing but for the ordering that does not work because Actinic cannot work with the relay.force9.net thing. I have no idea why. I've spoken to force9, they say it should be fine. I've spoken to Actinic, they say it should be fine.
As I said, I also have another completely separate e-mail account with another company, Actinic does not like that either, saying it is not valid.
What a darn pain!

cheers,
Matt

[Mike Hughes]

Trying to stay on track (as I've no idea where the discussion on ftp stuff's coming from).

If relay.force9.net is the email server for your web host then that should work, but it will almost certainly need a username and password to go with it. Are you using V7 (which supports authorised smtp - i.e. username and password) or V6 which doesn't.

'localhost' is a way of telling the software to use the smtp server that's been set up as the default for your server. All you need to do is enter localhost (i.e. without the quotation marks) as the server address.

Mike

[mattsavage]

Hi. I'm using V7. I've tried with username and passwrod, and without username and password. I've tried relay.force9.net and I've now tried localhost.
Is there anyother setting I could have got wrong for this not to work?

Thanks,
Matt

[Mike Hughes]

I've been looking at the force9 help pages. Are you using your normal username and password, or the ones for your mailbox (username+mailbox etc)?

See: http://www.f9.net.uk/support/email/e...ailboxes.shtml

Mike

[mattsavage]

Thank you for your extra help on this matter.
I don't use the mail box username thing, that's if you set up many different mailboxes. like matt@mattsavage.com and sales@mattsavage.com.
I can have anything@mattsavage.com. They all come to the same place.
However, I don't think this makes any difference to the SMTP settings. And I've been told by quite a few people not to use the username and password.

I'm guessing that there is some other box I've not ticked/ticked. As I get the same error with my normal SMTP info and a completely different one.

ANY HELP or ideas are most welcome!! I'm beginning to loose my cool calm persona!


Cheers,
Matt

[wjcampbe]

I've been told by quite a few people not to use the username and password.

and it is not working - right.

Mike said

Are you using your normal username and password, or the ones for your mailbox (username+mailbox etc)?

Why not give it a try - 'quite a few people' could be wrong.

[mattsavage]

I don't use the mailbox thing. I don't have a force9 mailbox. My username is my mailbox.
If I do try with the username and password filled in, I don't get to the stage where it would say "username not correct...".
It is the SMTP info that it's not right.
If you can think of a different SMTP that is based on relay.force9.net I'm open to any suggestions!

Cheers,
Matt

[Mike Hughes]

From what you say it sounds as if everything is what it should be. Some other things you could try is:

mail.force9.net
smtp.force9.net

But these are just guesses based on typical mail setups.

The best thing to do is contact force9 support and ask them the question. They should be able to tell you how to access the smtp server from the web server.

Unfortunately, previous threads on this forum about force9 seem to suggest that people have given up on them and moved to another host. Which doesn't bode well.

As a last resort you could try relay.plus.net as the two are one and the same.

Mike

[wjcampbe]

I think you might need to send an email to force9 asking them where they actually host the server - looks like they are reselling someone else's server space. If they give you the smtp server detail for the real host (possibly smpt.plus.net) then you are in business.