Email issue: Can receive but not send

[tregnier]

I have had this problem on both PDA's that I've had. I have a broadband cable provider (Mediacom) for an ISP. While I can configure my Dell Axim 51v to receive email via wifi, I cannot send mail. I get an authentification error. I have followed Mediacom's instructions as to changing incoming/outgoing ports, SSL settings, etc. but still no luck. I have tried using WebIS Mail (the latest Flexmail version) as well as Windows Messaging, but that doesn't work either.

I have heard that some ISP's block incoming mail because it isn't from the proper IP address. Is this the problem (Mediacom) or is there something I'm missing. :(

This is very frustrating as you can imagine. Any help/advice will be truly appreciated. You will be "Da Man" (or woman) if you can help me figure this one out.

Thanks in advance.

[Janak Parekh]

I have heard that some ISP's block incoming mail because it isn't from the proper IP address. Is this the problem (Mediacom) or is there something I'm missing. :(
Many ISPs do indeed only allow SMTP from their network, e.g., from your cable modem network from home. Are you trying to do this from home or from a remote WiFi network?

If you're doing it from home, the first thing I'd do would be to turn off SMTP authentication (and SSL) -- just keep authentication for incoming email. Many ISPs don't need authentication if you're on their own network.

--janak

[tregnier]

I'm trying to use WiFi remotely i.e. away from my cable connection and local wlan.

[applejosh]

You're probably out of luck (as janak thought). From what I've seen (and this is by no means an authoritative answer), cable providers will let you send email through their servers if you are connected to their network (i.e. through their cable modem - it can be a wifi AP connected to said cable modem, but your visible (external) IP address has to be on their network). If you're trying to send out email, and you're not on their physical network, then they deny you access to the smtp server. That's just how they control who sends email out from their network (spam control measure).

Anyway, judging from the problems you're having, it looks like you might want to consider getting a third party email address that supports POP/SMTP from anywhere (gmail, Yahoo premium, etc.) if you want to send email from the coffee shop down the street.