I can't send outgoing email. What's going on?

If you've setup your email client software (MS Outlook, Eudora, etc) correctly and were able to send mail before, and you're sure you haven't changed your PC/software's settings, then please use the following check list to see if you can narrow down the cause(es) of your problems.

• Can you see our Web page at http://www.azc.com/?
• Is your domain name still current? Please check FasterWhois.com.
• Can you do a telnet test to smtp.yourdomain?
• Can you receive mail at pop.yourdomain?
• Can you send outgoing messages using AZC's mail servers when you connect to the Internet through a different ISP?

If you can do all the above, but still can't send outgoing messages, then perhaps a telnet test is in order. Depending on the outcome, you may need to contact either your company's network administrator or your ISP for a resolution.

If you can receive mail, but you can't send outgoing email, please let us know the following:

• Were you able to send outgoing messages before? If yes, then when your problems started appearing?
• Have you switched your ISP lately?
• If you have access to an account with another ISP, can you access our mail servers to send outgoing mail from there?
• Did you see any error messages? I.e. got a bounced email? Other symptoms? Note: if you are trying to access the mail server from your organization's local network, which has a firewall or proxy server, then your inability to send email, and even perform a telnet test, may be caused by the settings of either the firewall or proxy.

• Are you using an ISP that enforces a very strict "port 25 blocking" policy (i.e whenever you send outgoing messages, your ISP's setup unconditionally routes your outgoing mail through the ISP's own mail servers? AOL, EarthLink/MindSpring, AT&T WorldNet, MSN, Netzero, Juno, sbcglobal (PacBell) all do this in parts or all of US. Such a policy usually is put in place for anti-spam purposes). If your ISP has this mechanism in place in your area, you are blocked by your ISP to use our mail servers to send outgoing messages.

  Please note that these are all external actions that are beyond our control, i.e. we can do nothing about them!

  • whether your ISP implements such a policy uniformly in every area it serves, or just some areas, or not in any areas so far; and
  • when it introduces such a policy into a service area;

  As long as you use an ISP that has such a policy implemented in your area, You most likely will have to use a designated outgoing mail server specified by your ISP for sending messages.

• If your ISP doesn't have a "port 25 blocking" policy implemented, and you can't do the telnet test successfully, then most likely it's a problem local to your PC. We recommend you to get some local help.
• If you can do the telnet test, but can't use your email software to send outgoing messages, there must be a configuration problem with your software. The telnet test uses one of the most basic Internet application - telnet and the raw Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to test mail connection from your PC to our mail servers. If it works fine, so should your email software(as long as it is correctly configured).
• If the technical support of your ISP (or email software vendor) asserts that your difficulties are caused by our mail servers, ask them to substaintate their assertations in writing to you. Please forward such "evidences" to us, we will investigate and respond accordingly.

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