[mdlug] Email configuration problem

[Robert Meier]

Duane,

> My niece works for a company that is having problems with their outbound 
> business email. They need some help getting it straightened out. I 
> believe it is directly related to a change in their ISP to AT&T DSL.

I recently switched to AT&T DSL and have found them linux friendly.
Their phone support had no trouble supplying the mail server address,
authentication protocol and particulars, when asked.

> They can receive email fine but when they send they get an error 
> something like "communications error on port 25".

Port 25 is the IANA assignment for smtp.

Have you tried "bash> telnet mail.att.net 25"?
  (Replace mail.att.net with the mail server assigned by AT&T.)

See rfc2821 simple mail transport protocol for details.

> I am assuming this is configuration issue ...
> This is a mixed Apple and ... environment with less than a 
> handful of machines. I'm guessing they have a Cable/DSL router so they 
> can share the connection.

Did you change your mail settings (e.g. relayhost (postfix), DS (sendmail))?

IIRC, your distro has gui tools for configuring mail.
SuSE uses "bash> sudo /sbin/yast2 mail".

AT&T DSL requires that I authenticate with the mail server using sasl
(rfc2222 simple authentication and security layer).
My prior isp used chap (challenge protocol(?)).
Both are supported by both postfix and sendmail,
as well as most mail user agents.



> I could probably muddle my way through it but I'd rather put them in 
> touch with someone who can get this fixed with out wasting their time.

IMHO, a business is usually wise to pay a skilled local
for such non-core issues.

Good luck,
-- 
Bob

  "Touch a scientist and you touch a child."
     -- Ray Bradbury