Unable to send email from a program

[WelshGasman]

Hi all,

I have just installed Express Invoice on a computer in the house as am working from home still.

This program has the ability to email invoices to people.

I could not get this to work, and have been back and forth with the company that wrote it.

I decided to check the server myself. We are only a small company, two directors and myself, so I am Admin, IT etc.

On the server I found that I was unable to connect as my ip address is in a RBL at www.spamhaus.org ?

However what is strange (to me at least) is that I have no problem using my account to send emails on Outlook, on both my personal laptop and works desktop.

The program just allows me to enter server name, account and password and whether to use SSL or not.

I have a pic of the issue, but will not post here as it reveals ip address, email address, and if I blot those out, not much left to see. 🙂
I saw from aprevious thread via search that the security team fixed another user's problem, which appeared to be the same as this, except that Outlook works fine.

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/My-IP-address-has-been-blacklisted/m-p/4805325#M223003 

Can someone please take a look and possibly PM me for the pic.?
TIA

[ravenstar68]

Have you checked this page

Express Invoice - I am unable to send email when I select an email address using SSL/TLS security. (...

Note Spamhaus RBL is split into multiple sections - Virtually all residential IP addresses SHOULD be on Spamhaus's PBL - policy block list.  This is because they shouldn't be running email servers.  However Express Invoice isn't a mail server.  Rather it's a mail client that connects to a mail server in the same way that Outlook does.

You can check which element of Spamhaus you are on here:

Lookup - Reputation Checker - Spamhaus

When I check mine, I see the following:

This IP is listed in the Policy Blocklist (PBL)

Don’t panic!

The inclusion of your IP address on the Policy Blocklist (PBL) is standard for the vast majority of internet users and is not the result of your actions. Here are some key PBL facts for your understanding:

• Being on this list does not mean you won’t be able to send emails.
• You do not need to request removal from PBL.
• This listing is controlled by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), not Spamhaus.
• Your ISP lists ranges of IP addresses that shouldn’t be sending email directly to the internet.
• Typically, IPs of broadband or dial-up customers will be included in this list.
• This is part of Internet best practices enacted to protect all users.

Run your own mail server?

If you run your own mail server, and require removal from the PBL, please click on “Show Details” to review your ISP’s policy. Once you have reviewed the policy, please tick the “I am running my own mail server” check-box at the bottom of the page to enable removal.

NOTE: Exclusions are only valid for 1 year. If your IP gets listed on another Spamhaus Blocklist, it will automatically be relisted on the PBL.

[WelshGasman]

Hi Ravenstar68,

Thank you for your post.

Yes, my first point of call. 🙂

I have since been downloaded  the latest version of their invoice program, and that works albeit with a warning from Outlook, which I can live with.

In the office with BT we had a static IP address, but what puzzled me was despite setting the exact settings as in Outllook, Express invoice could not send, yet Outlook could. I fully understand most people would not have mail servers on dynamic IP addresses, but as you mention, the program just acts a a client for our server? :

Thank you for the link to Spamhaus.

I get the same as you and obviously the first line is not true, as I cannot send emails with our program.

The latest version is the free version, whereas the old program was a paid for version, but we can live with the free version and nagging on startup, as there are only 3 employees.
If we ever get back to the office (unlikely now after seeing we can work from home) then a static IP will allow the program to send again.

[ravenstar68]

@WelshGasman 

There's one problem with your assertion that this is down to blacklisting - from your earlier post.

"However what is strange (to me at least) is that I have no problem using my account to send emails on Outlook, on both my personal laptop and works desktop."

Assuming you are using the same SMTP settings in Express invoice as you are for Outlook, then to an SMTP server there is no difference between the two - all the server sees is a connection on port 465 and a set of SMTP instructions.  Are there any log files on Express Invoice that show the SMTP error message?

Tim 

[WelshGasman]

Hi Tim,

No, none that I could see and I did ask support. They just asked me to download the latest version as a test, and when that worked, suggested upgrading.

There is not much to the email settings, sever name, account and password, use SSL. I did try adding the port number SSL and non SSL as they suggested that in the help, but again no success.
That is what puzzled me?
Then I decided to look at the server to see if any clue there, and found the Spahaus in the details of the rejection.

Paul

[ravenstar68]

Are you able to PM me the full rejection message from the server?

While I don't work for VM, I am an expert when it comes to email issues.  I have my own mail server set up on a VPS host, as well as using other hosted emails such as G-Suite and Zoho Mail.

VM don't give out VIP status willy nilly - we have to earn it.

Tim

[WelshGasman]

OK.

Do not bust a gut on this, as I have a workaround at present.

Plus to test anything you want me to test, I would have to reinstall the old version of the program. I have asked NCH if that can be done with a backup of the new version.

Thanks