Knowledgebase

When entering SMTP details I get the error "Connection timed out"

"Connection timed out" could mean a lot of things, but often it's the wrong port or a firewall on the server blocking the port.

If you have console access on the server, try doing a manual connection to rule things out (you type the bold commands):

# telnet localhost 25
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 test.webgroupmedia.com ESMTP Postfix (Debian/GNU)
HELO localhost
250 test.webgroupmedia.com
QUIT
221 2.0.0 Bye
Connection closed by foreign host.

If you can't get the connection to open at all, you need to make sure you're trying to connect to the right host and port. If you're certain, there is possibly a firewall blocking incoming or outbound traffic on your SMTP port (usually 25, 465 or 587).

If your server is on a residential internet account (e.g, DSL), oftentimes outbound connections on port 25 will be blocked unless you use the ISPs SMTP server. In these situations it's fine to use your ISP's SMTP (outgoing) and your own POP3/IMAP (incoming).

Knowledgebase

When entering SMTP details I get the error "Connection timed out"

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