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Can't send email with mail.app or MozT-Bird

This has been an ongoing issue for several months now. I have been back and forth with my ISP, and my webhost. In the beginning each blamed the other for my inability to send email. From there, they both moved to my router, until I pointed out that I can send email on a Win98 and WinXP box using the same settings, same ISP and webhost. They now admit that they do not know why I cannot send email with my iBook. So I am forced to believe that some odd setting somewhere on my iBook is preventing me from sending email.

Things that we have tried thus far;
Changing server port number.
Trying to use the ISP to send email.
Resetting the router.
Trying a different router port.
Bypassing the router.
Running traceroute (I never reach either the webhost or ISP for sending email).
Permissions fix.
Tried AppleJack, Onyx, etc. Nadda.
Firewall on, and firewall off.
Trying a different email program (thus I now know mail.app and MozT-Bird don't work).
Tried a new user, again nadda.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things we've tried over the past few months, but you get the idea.

I'm now at my wits end. I really need to send email. I really want to dump the Windows boxes. But I can't until I get this issue resolved.
Please, please help me.

iBook G3, Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Posted on Jan 30, 2006 8:57 AM

57 replies

Jan 30, 2006 2:05 PM in response to F1_error

What was the error message when it didn't work?

How are you connected to your router, when using the iBook -- ethernet cable, or wireless? If cable, there is another line of things to check.

Ernie

F1_error Author

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Jan 30, 2006 2:55 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

Error message;
Sending of message failed.
The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server smtp.paulbunyan.net failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or else contact your network adminiistrator.

Mind you I sent an email off both windows boxes at the same time, same server, setings etc & so on. No problems there, and the email has been recieved.

Yes, I am connected by a Cat5 cable. Be aware I have tried diifferent cables (bought two new ones over the course of this - I'm not buying any more), and all the router ports.

Jan 30, 2006 3:14 PM in response to F1_error

Glad to know that the cables are fine, and that we can eliminate that check.

This may be an issue with MTU (maximum transmission unit), and could require setting to new, lower values in the Mac. Another thing to check first, is whether there are any Firmware updates needed for your router.

The ability to send without attachments, but not with attachments is often MTU, and in some cases stops sending entirely.

See the KB article linked below for how to change on the Mac (and test with values lower than 1500 for MTU -- start with 1492, and decrement by a 100 for testing:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107962

The reason the PC might be working, is that they may not send packets as large as the Mac, or at the same rate of sending.

Depending on your brand of router, the MTU can sometimes be changed in the router, but if other computers working, then changing in the Mac may be all that is needed.

All the best, and keep us posted.

Ernie

F1_error Author

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Jan 30, 2006 5:14 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

Changing the MTU didn't work. I went all the way down to 72.
There are no firmware upgrades available for my router. And I cannot change the MTU in the router (I can change a few other things tho, just not that).

werubin

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Jan 30, 2006 9:52 PM in response to F1_error

Hello F1_error. You seem to have the same problem I do, and we are not alone. The only advice I have gotten from anybody is concerning ISP/server settings, and nobody seems to understand that even when the settings are precisely what the ISP specifies, Mail acts as if you never hit the send button. My problem did not start until I attempted to download OSX 10.4.4 - I am still on 10.4.2 - did not install due to faulty download. Like you, my "alternate" account (.Mac) works. Sometimes I feel like we're being shined on; that the problem is in Mail and nobody wants to admit it. If you find anything out, let me know directly: werubin@earthlink.net. Good luck! -Robert

Jan 31, 2006 4:21 AM in response to werubin

Robert,

You just made a startling statement: "Mail acts as if you never hit the send button."! This gives me an entirely different impression than your other descriptions, and would normally cause me to think the Outbox is corrupt or flawed, but you say you can send using Mail, with your .mac account? Failure with a SMTP should be generating some kind of error message?

In the Finder, open Home/Library/Mail -- locate the Mailboxes folder, open it, and report whether the Outbox.mbox folder is at the first level of the Mailboxes folder? Open the Outbox.mbox folder, and then the Messages folder within -- are there .emlx files in the Messages folder of the Outbox.mbox?

Ernie

F1_error Author

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Jan 31, 2006 6:40 AM in response to werubin

Actually it sounds like our problems are a little different. It sounds like you can connect to your .mac account with your mac. I cannot connect to any email server with my mac. My "alternate" account is a windows box (which I hate with a passion, I'd love to turn it into a doorstop).

Jan 31, 2006 6:55 AM in response to F1_error

Yea, I think your problem and Robert's are different. I will be out for several hours, but what are your settings in System Preferences/Network?

Ernie

bakone

Level 1

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Jan 31, 2006 7:23 AM in response to F1_error

I am also having a sudden problem with Mail. When I try to send an email nothing happens. This seems toehave appeared after updating to 10.4.4. I can send from the same computer with eudora and have no problems.

F1_error Author

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Jan 31, 2006 10:23 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Do you want all of my settings under the network or just the TCP/IP and Ethernet?

Jan 31, 2006 2:33 PM in response to F1_error

Yea, ethernet and TCP/IP (really the configure IPv4 setting).

F1_error Author

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Jan 31, 2006 2:40 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

TCP/IP
Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
IP Address: 192.168.0.110
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
DHCP Client ID: (blank)
Router 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers: (blank)
Search Domains: (blank)

Ethernet:
Configure: Manually (Advanced)
Speed: autoselect
Duplex: (greyed out)
Maximum packet Size (MTU): Standard (I played with it last night but changed it back when nothing worked)

Jan 31, 2006 3:18 PM in response to F1_error

These Network preferences seem OK to me.

Let me clarify some things: On your MacIntosh, you can connect to the incoming server of your ISP, but NOT the SMTP provided by your ISP, or is it that you cannot connect to either from your Mac?

With either of your Windows boxes, can you send using the SMTP provided by your ISP, or do you only use your Domain related SMTP? I still have 100% failure when pinging the smtp.paulbunyan.net server. I am wondering if there is something wrong with it, and your Mac, and its mail clients have never been accepted for relay, but the Windows boxes and their mail clients already have permission, achieved before something happened to the smtp.paulbunyan.net, and can send?

Ernie

F1_error Author

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Jan 31, 2006 3:32 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

I can connect to the incoming server (both ISP and webhost), but not the SMTP server. In other words, I'm getting mail, I just cannot send or reply to mail.

With the windows boxes I can send (and send several times a day) using my ISPs SMTP server, and my webhosts SMTP server. Mail is going out and getting to where it needs to be using smtp.paulbunyan.net.

Paulbunyan.net (my ISP) swears, and has been swearing about it for months, that I should be able to send using my iBook. At one point this fall I took the iBook to them (laptop benefit), and had them stumped. They do have several macs there, and those can connect and send, just not mine.

Something that has been in the back of my mind since December, is it possible that my firewall is on (either full or in part) even though it says it's not in the preferences. Do you know of a way I could turn it off in the terminal or even check in the terminal?

Jan 31, 2006 3:46 PM in response to F1_error

If, in System Preferences/Sharing the Firewall is reported to be Off, I believe that should be conclusive. However, you click to place it ON, restart the Mac, and reset to OFF, which should clear up any corruption in that preference.

Most distressing to not find the answer. I cannot think of what this could be, except Authentication of the SMTP of the ISP, which I think must come first, before that of your Webhost. If I could see the setup in a mail client on the PC that is working, then I might interpret to what would be needed on the Mac.

Ernie

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Can't send email with mail.app or MozT-Bird