Email setup in Android 2.2

[Galrilion]

Hi folks, having just received my first android phone (and loving it), I need to ask advice on setting up a pop3 mail account.

My actual problem is setting up the SMTP server side of things. It's the the same server handling both pop3 and smtp, the setup goes smoothly enough, and the mail client can see the server as a pop3 server (and the evidence of that is that I'm receiving emails fine). However, it doesn't see the same server as an smtp server. Setup tells me it can't contact the server. I've tried the name of the server, as well as ip address, and neither work.

I'm on the HTC desire HD (if that makes any difference), running Android 2.2 (apparently ... how does one check this, btw).

Thanks in advance.
Gal

 

[stricken]

best thing would be to get a gmail account.. and link your third-party mail servers there... then use the gmail app... it rocks.

 

[prof818]

Do you get the same result if you are using wifi or 3g access? Some ISP's block external STMP access, so either choose a different port, or use your ISP's SMTP server.

 

[Galrilion]

Do you get the same result if you are using wifi or 3g access? Some ISP's block external STMP access, so either choose a different port, or use your ISP's SMTP server.

Fair point, I've only ever tried to check it through 3g, I'll check via wifi now. Thanks.

 

[blaaislaai]

Who's your mail provider?

 

[Galrilion]

Who's your mail provider?

Currently iBurst ... possibly an ADSL based provider soon if Telkom can ever get proper cabling sorted out in my area.

To answer prof818, problem exists regardless of whether or not I use 3g or wifi.

 

[milomak]

is the smtp port your mail app is using the correct one?

 

[Galrilion]

I've set it up exactly the same as I set my outlook up on my pc at home ... same ports, same server names, same security options, everything.

Interesting note, I've just set my wife's iPhone up with the same settings, and have got the same result - can receive mail, but phone says it can't find the outgoing server, even though the incoming and outgoing server is the same. Just set up my work email via pop3 and it works fine, so perhaps it's got something to do with iburst not allowing connections to the smtp ports from smartphones.

 

[ost]

I'm sure that you must get your outgoing server settings from your service provider.

Sent from my HTC Dream using MyBroadband Android App

 

[kingrob]

I used iBurst many moons ago, but can't remember the mail settings too vividly.

You have the option in Android to setup your mail server manually, I always use that.

You might have to select "My outgoing mail server needs authentication" and then just select "Use same as for incoming".

iBurst might be using a non-standard port (not 25) for SMTP, in which case you will have to check your Outlook settings.

 

[rogerwe]

Currently iBurst ... possibly an ADSL based provider soon if Telkom can ever get proper cabling sorted out in my area.

To answer prof818, problem exists regardless of whether or not I use 3g or wifi.

As far as I can remember, iBurst (and many other ISPs for that matter) block SMTP access to other servers. You have to use the ISP's smtp server. eg. smtp.iburst.co.za, smtp.mweb.co.za etc.

 

[Galrilion]

Ok, thanks for all the replies. Problem is now sorted - it appears that Prof was pretty much on the button. MTN (my cell service provider) doesn't allow access to smtp servers that are not their own. I change the smtp server to mail.mtn.co.za, and it works fine now.

Problem now is that that only works if I'm connected via 3g, once I go back onto my wireless network, it doesn't work anymore (for obvious reasons, mtn aren't going to allow me access to their smtp server if I'm not on their network). Is there a way to profile the mail setup so that when I'm on 3g, I use one smtp server, and when I switch to wireless, I use another.

I could go for stricken's solution and bring it all together via my gmail account, but I find that a "long way round, next best" solution, I'd rather get the mail working correctly - it seems more responsive that way.

 

[milomak]

on my nexus one, i have setup my personal email and it uses an smtp server that is not MTN's

and that was with both the default mail client and k9 mail

so it may be an issue with your smtp server rather than with mtn.