Sending email via 3's mobile broadband using Ubuntu/Evolution

[jeremybennett]

I have mobile broadband from 3, with a Huawei E353 dongle which I use on my laptop with Ubuntu (Oneiric Ocelot) and Evolution email client.

I can access the web and read my email using IMAP no problem at all.

But try as I may, I cannot send email. I know 3 deprecate the use of port 25, and I know IDNet SMTP requires authentication (I use PLAIN or LOGIN, no SSL/TLS). I have tried setting the port to other values, but it still will not work. However, I can send email from my office network using those different values.

Anyone suggest how to fix this? Should I be using SSL with SMTP on port 587, and if so how do I set that up?

Thanks, Jeremy

[Rik]

You should, sadly I can't help you with the Ubuntu setup, Jeremy.

[Steve]

I use the  SSL option on the Mac not sure which port it's using as it's set to default i.e. 25,465,587

[Lance]

On my iphone I use smtp.idnet.com, SSL off, password authentication and port 587.

[MisterW]

OR if all that fails you could always send using 3's server, 'smtp-mbb.co.uk'.

[jeremybennett]

Thanks for all the quick replies.

I've tried Lance's approach (port 587, no SSL), which seems the way to go, but so far it doesn't work. At least being Linux I can dive in and look at what is breaking in the protocol!

The smtp-mbb.co.uk idea is an alternative which I have yet to investigate. I want to make sure if also works if I am on my business LAN as well as out of the office.


Jeremy

[MisterW]

smtp-mbb.co.uk will ONLY work when you are connected to the 3 network using the dongle.

[Simon]

Jeremy. 

[Steve]

Just used my MiFi with the Mac, no issues sending via smtp.idnet.com once password authentication used. Works with both SSL and non SSL, authentication is username= email address and password = mailbox password. I assume the port is 587.

[jeremybennett]

Problem solved.

The trick is to use SSL with SMTP to send email, since this will use port 465 by default in Evolution, which 3 is happy with.

I think the problem was with accepting the IDNet SSL certificate. Evolution detected it did not have a valid signature. The solution is to ask SMTP to check available protocol types (There is a button to do this on the Sending E-mail tab for the account in Evolution). A dialogue warning about the certificate will appear, but you can approve it, and then everything will be OK.

For some reason if you just try to use SSL to send email without this check, Evolution locks up. I suspect this might be an Evolution bug - it knows the certificate is not right, but it doesn't put up the dialogue asking whether to approve.

I can now send and receive email without problems. Thanks for all the suggestions provided.


Jeremy

[Steve]

Thanks Jeremy for the feedback . Did you try  non SSL on 587?

[jeremybennett]

Thanks Jeremy for the feedback . Did you try  non SSL on 587?

No - it started working fine on 465, so I didn't mess around any more. Evolution gave me that as the default port for SSL.

Jeremy

[Lance]

Glad you've got it working!