Any body use Strato to host Actinic site?? ...SMTP Server Woes...

[dug]

Hi.

We have recently moved our client onto Strato Web Hosting.

We just cant seem to get the order confirmation email configured. have been speaking with Actinic support, they tell us that we need the "Web SMTP" server address - Strato say they have never heard of such a thing (i cant say i have either).

localhost doesnt work, the cart gives an "unable to connect to mail socket, connection refused" message.

if i use smtp.strato.com, then the page just times out ...so i guess local host is speaking with the server, i guess its just failing to authenticate!

the only answer strato give me is to create a pop account, then use smtp.strato.com as the smtp server, and the email address as the user name, and the password. I can understand this principle, and indeed when using these settings in a mail client, the strato server does indeed relay the desired email. actinic support seem to tell me that this has nothing to do with the program relaying an orderconfirmation email to the client through an smtp server ...this is where (using my own knowledge of smtp) start to disagree, and lose understanding ...so i find myself unable to ask the right questions of my hosting company, to get this thing working!!

any help much appreciated!!

dug.

v10.2

[NormanRouxel]

Actinic runs a Perl script on your server. This Perl script sends a confirmation email to the customer (and a "Catalog order received" one to you). The Perl script does this by connecting to an SMTP server that should be available within your web hosting environment.

You need to ask your server people what's the server name needed to send an SMTP email from a Perl script running on their server. That server name is the one to enter into the network settings.

[dug]

Hi Norman. thansk very much for you clear and basic explanation. i will take this info to the web hosting support team, and see if they can give me a definitive answer!

much appreciated for you speedy response.

dug.

[dug]

Hi again!

i went back to the hosting company with that info, and i think that they are starting to come round to the realisation that actinic is a completely offline cart, and that there is no way that it communicates with the server where it is installed, then uses an outlook client to then send out a conformation email via an smtp server!!

anyway, now that they realise that its all done by a perl script, he wants to see the script!! asked actinic support, and they're not sure (they will talk with the developers), as when the cart is uploaded the .pl files are merged into other files that reside in the cgi-bin folder.

i downloaded the whole folder and did a search through the files for the word "smtp". the files that got results were:

se000001.pl
se900001.pl
ts000001.pl

briefly looking through them (and not really understanding perl) these are the files that seem to deal with the generation of the mail, the authorisation if needed, and the socket connection to send the mail.

so anyway, i sent these files to the web hosting tech guy, and i'll see what he has to say about it!

i just cant see to believe that this is so difficult. I have a very standard setup, and no one really seems to completely know what they are talking about ...(including me!!).

...confused, and worn out!!

[Duncan Rounding]

se000001.pl
se900001.pl
are both the same. The one starting with 9 is only used when the site is in test mode.

[fergusw]

Doug,
bit of confusion creeping in here.
As Norman said previously it is a perl script on the server (mf000001.pl if I recall) that sits on the web server, in the cgi-bin folder, that is used by both the Actinic website AND the Actinic software on your PC to send emails.
Instructions are POSTed to the perl script file which then uses the SMTP server details defined in the network settings (e.g. localhost for most unix based servers) to send emails out FROM the web server.

i just cant see to believe that this is so difficult. I have a very standard setup

This is why hosting with a company that knows the Actinic software can be very beneficial.........

[DannyBoy]

Some hosting companies disable the localhost option ask the host if they do this and if they can provide a local IP alternative for you to connect to the SMTP server, in most cases localhost should work! or try connecting on a there alternative 587 port instead of the regular 25?

[dug]

hey guys. thanks again for all the info.

fergus, thanks for identifying the file and explaining the principle, i have forwarded this to the support tech. with regards to the hosting company themselves, we have used them for years with no problems, and they have always given excellent customer service. obviously, the information that i require is seemingly more difficult to come by.

and thanks too danny. i have subsequently verified that localhost on port 587 fails aswell, with the same error, "connection refused". again your input adds more clarity to the situation, and will forward this on aswell.

i guess the real problem here is the old adage, if you want the right answer, you have to ask the right question!

...and i guess this is my problem. for fergus and danny, you keep mentioning this "localhost" "feature" ...but how do i put this into a sensible question or request for the technician i am talking to?? ...does this "localhost" feature for web based unix systems have a name or terminology??

...doing a quick google on it doesnt seem to return anything that immediately stands out ...but theen im not that surprised, as the words unix and localhost are quite far reaching!

thanks,

dug.

[fergusw]

Try asking the hosting company

"What SMTP server address should a perl script, designed to generate and send emails from the web server, use to ensure emails are sent? e.g. localhost or smtp.myhostssmtpservice.com etc"

[DannyBoy]

What type of server is this running on? Linux, Windows.?

[dug]

they use unix.

thanks again for all the advice, i have handed all this info to them, and awaiting their response ...im coming to the end of all this tho ...our client's site has been up and down for the last week due to testing of this issue, and it's unacceptable.

im dissappointed that i cant get to the bottom of it. looks like maybe we should use actinic hosting

strato hosting 6GB web space, unlimited traffic, 5 domains, 1500 pop emails, PHP MySQL: £80 / year

actinic hosting 2.5GB web space, 12GB traffic, 5 domains, 12 pop emails, PHP: £450 /year

all for not being able to send a lousy confirmation email ...you do the math!!

[fergusw]

the only answer strato give me is to create a pop account, then use smtp.strato.com as the smtp server, and the email address as the user name, and the password.

Doug, Did you try their recommendation in Actinic's network settings and then uploaded before testing?
It may well work for you if the settings work. It simply means that the perl scripts would use the smtp details and authenticate as an email client would when sending emails and therefore it should work.
Note: changes in the network setup must be uploaded to the site before checking to ensure the changes are made to the perl file and then uploaded onto the server. Quite often people get caught out thinking the change only needs to be made client side.

[Mike Hughes]

strato hosting 6GB web space, unlimited traffic, 5 domains, 1500 pop emails, PHP MySQL: £80 / year

I'm not sure what you were expecting for less than £7 a month.

There are lot's of good hosting companies around but as in all things you get what you pay for.

Mike

[fergusw]

our client's site has been up and down for the last week due to testing of this issue, and it's unacceptable.

How much business/revenue have they lost because of this?

strato hosting 6GB web space, unlimited traffic, 5 domains, 1500 pop emails, PHP MySQL: £80 / year

actinic hosting 2.5GB web space, 12GB traffic, 5 domains, 12 pop emails, PHP: £450 /year

Quite a difference on the face of it......

you do the math!!

however I'd ask again:
How much business/revenue have they lost because of this? You do the "math!"

[Duncan Rounding]

You can't go wrong with Actinic and they will help you set it up if you have problems. But you could go middle of the road with 1and1 linux business pro for £14.99/month. There's lots of info around on the forum to set up 1and1.