Authenticated SMTP

More and more networks around the world are placing restrictions on who can send email through their services, and how they may do it. Sadly, this is a necessary step in the ongoing battle against spammers. Many of our customers need to send mail through the SWCP mail servers while using non-SWCP network connections (at a hotel, in a coffee shop, on a Comcast connection, etc.) The way to do that is using Authenticated SMTP.

Authenticated SMTP is a method for your email software to tell our mail server who you are, using your username and password. It is supported by all modern email software and is easy to set up. If you have had your email rejected for any of the following reasons, this will usually fix the problem:

• PBL rejection
• SPF rejection
• Port 25 blocked

The basic idea is to configure your email program to send with the following configuration:

• Outgoing mail server (SMTP server): mail.swcp.com
• Port and/or protocol: Port 465 with SSL, or port 587 with TLS
• Username and password: the same as you use to retrive your email from SWCP

Step-by-Step setup for different Mail Clients

Thunderbird

1. In Thunderbird, go to the Edit menu and select Properties.
2. In the Account Settings window, click on "Outgoing Server (SMTP)"
3. The server name should be mail.swcp.com
4. Check the box that says "Use Name and Password" and enter your username.
5. Click the "SSL" button
6. At this point, the "Port" setting should have changed to read 465.
7. Click OK.

Outlook

1. Go to Tools, Email Accounts, click Next
2. Select the account to modify, click Change
3. Make sure "Log on using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)" is turned OFF (Yes, this is confusing ... "SPA" is used only with certain Windows networks, not with Internet Email).
4. Click More Settings
5. Select the Outgoing Server tab
6. Turn ON "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication"
7. Select the "Log on using..." option, and enter the username and password again.
8. Make sure the "Secure Password Authentication" setting on this screen is OFF
9. Select the Advanced tab
10. Turn on "This server requires a secure connection (SSL)" for both incoming and outgoing
11. Set the Outgoing server (SMTP) port number to 465

Evolution

In the section for creating a new email account or editing an existing one:

1. On the Receiving Mail page:
   • Set "Use Secure Connection" to TLS Encryption
   • Set "Authentication Type" to Password
   • Put a checkmark in the "Remember Password" box.
2. On the Sending Mail page:
   • Set "Server Type" to SMTP, set "Server" to mail.swcp.com
   • Put a checkmark in the "Server Requires Authentication" box.
   • Set "Use Secure Connection" to TLS Encryption
   • Set "Authentication" to "Login"
   • Set "Username" to your email account username.
   • Check the "Remember Password" box.

Eudora

1. First exit Eudora.
2. Look in the Eudora directory for the folder "Extrastuff".
3. In this folder there is a file named "esoteric.epi". Drag this file into the main Eudora directory.
4. Restart Eudora then go to the Tools menu, Options, Ports, and change the ports here as needed.
5. In the Sending Mail Category make sure "Allow Authentication" is checked
6. Also, in the drop down box that says "Secure Sockets when Sending" set it to Required: Alternate Port (465).

This uses the login name for the incoming mail. These steps are for Windows versions and may not be exact for a Mac.

Others?

If you use a mail program not covered here, please tell us what it is and we will try to add instructions for it.