PHP Emailing

**AJT1** · 8th February 2008, 05:18 PM

I'm trying to get our help desk software to email me when support tickets are opened. The problem is I cannot get any SMTP mail out, not even through outlook (POP doesn't work either), so I assume its blocked either by our cachepilot or on the LEA network. Anybody know of any way to resolve this or settings to check on the Cachepilot, or does anybody if exploring using IMAP to send mail would be suitable as I will be sending the emails via googlemail?

Any help would be much appreciated
Adam

**Jona** · 8th February 2008, 05:37 PM

I think If I was in your position I'd try to get the ports unblocked... how do you check your existing e-mail (is it all webmail)??

One way around it might be to run your own smtp relay: http://www.emailarms.com/products/1st_smtp.html or sendmail in the linux world although at some point you still need to be able to make an out going connection....

Or host your helpdesk externally on a webserver.

Cheers
Jona

**DarkLight** · 8th February 2008, 05:46 PM

I agree with Jona, you need to get your ports unblocked and/or your mailing sending/receiving working with regular e-mail systems before trying it with PHP or other ways of sending e-mails.

If you need to use IMAP you can use the PHP IMAP extension (http://uk3.php.net/imap), but you may well need to compile in the c-client library in order to use it. The IMAP functions are very nice for accessing mailboxes and sending mail if you want to go down that route.

The simple PHP mail function (http://uk3.php.net/mail) should also work once you get your ports unblocked; it will allow you to send mail from the PHP server it's self, however it's not as good as the IMAP functions if you can use them.

Best Regards

**localzuk** · 8th February 2008, 06:30 PM

I have the same problem down here, and have been told that in no circumstances will the SMTP ports be opened...

**Jona** · 8th February 2008, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by localzuk

I have the same problem down here, and have been told that in no circumstances will the SMTP ports be opened...

I'm still a little bemused about how your e-mail systems work in this case....

I suspect your options are run your own SMTP on a different port you can get opened, or host externally.

**AJT1** · 9th February 2008, 10:18 AM

So nobody thinks it could be the cachepilot blocking it? Or how to check if the SMTP and POP mail ports are open on it?

**localzuk** · 9th February 2008, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Jona

I'm still a little bemused about how your e-mail systems work in this case....

I suspect your options are run your own SMTP on a different port you can get opened, or host externally.

Well we have a LEA ran exchange server and the RM easymail system for the kids - which is just webmail.

The option of running our own SMTP has been unequivacably denied by our LEA, saying that the RBC won't allow it. So hosting externally is our only option - an option which I am going to present to my manager at some point. I doubt she will like the idea of paying for external hosting due to the inadequacies of our LEA/RBC though.

**Jona** · 9th February 2008, 12:02 PM

Intresting article here about how to test smtp connectivity from the commandline: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/153119 (However you might run into issues if you don't use a transparent proxy)

Surely either your LEA should let you connect to alternative SMTP servers or provide you one themselves......

Cheers
Jona