Can't Send Mail When Using Client's Computer.

[IceT]

I have two PCs and the main PC is setup using the two NICs method, running WinXP. THe client's PC is running 98SE. The client's PC has no problem acessing Internet but has problem sending/receiving eMails. I have setup the account/address correctly but somehow, Outlook says it can't find such POP server or something.

Please advise, thank you.

 

[IceT]

Oh, I just wanna make the client's PC able to access my ISP's mail server, that's all. I have set up the addresses correctly according to my ISP but don't know why it can't receive/send eMail.

 

[vi edit]

You wouldn't have a firewall blocking POP3 and SMTP traffic from the client PC would you?

 

[IceT]

Nope, none of the PCs have firewall installed. Could it be software problem though?

 

[vi edit]

Pull up the command prompt and manually try to ping the ISP's mail server from the computer in question.

You *should* get replies back, but you never know.

Also, I know that XP has a personal firewall functionality built into it, is there any small chance that it has been activated?

 

[IceT]

Nope, I did not enable the built-in XP firewall. What are the commands to ping my ISP's mail server?

 

[vi edit]

start->run->command

type in "ping mail.mailserver.net" Drop the " " 's and put in your mail server that you used to set up the account.

 

[IceT]

OK, did what you said, pinged my ISP's mail server BUT no response! What else can be wrong?

 

[vi edit]

Have you tried pinging the mail servers from the main PC with the internet connection?

 

[IceT]

Yes, I tried to ping my mail server using the main PC and the server does response...Weird.

 

[vi edit]

I should have asked this waaay earlier - how are you sharing out your connection? Are you using ICS, or a proxy of some sort?

Here's my guess - many ISP's are very picky on who and who can't access their mail servers, particularly the outgoing mail server. In order to access the outgoing mail server, you usually need to be registered on the ISP's subnet. If you are using a proxy software of sorts, then there is a chance that the ISP can't authenticate the IP address on the client PC. Internet access is fine since it's just flowing through the server, but SMTP for outgoing mail is a little more technical since that machine is making a direct connection to the mail server. If the mail server doesn't like what it sees, it just drops the connection.

That's what I think is going on.

Really the only way that I know around it is to use NAT via router of sorts.

 

[IceT]

I just enable connection sharing under Networking in XP, I am not sure if that's called ICS. So, my only way to get around is to get a router?