topic Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net in Email

Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MonkeyNuts — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:50:18 GMT

wonder if anyone can help please?

receiving emails ok, no problems there.

cannot send any emails.
not had any notification regarding email migration as far as i can see.

relay.plus.net will not connect at all.

TIA

Chris

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MisterW — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:55:08 GMT

@MonkeyNuts what is the error message / code when trying to send ?

If your client doesnt report it , then try using the email diagnostics detailed here https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Diagnosing-email-server-connectivity-issues-the-guide/m-p/2007952#M49701

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MonkeyNuts — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:06:00 GMT

error message attached

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:18:48 GMT

Check the email a/c that receives account notifications from Plusnet, is there a recent email from : autoemail@plus.net

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

FridayFeeling — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:32:46 GMT

@MonkeyNuts I received a call from my parents (for whom I act as their IT support department) at about the same time as you posted - with the same sounding issue - from a normally working Thunderbird email client setup which migrated months ago. My initial reaction was that one of the Greenby servers has fallen over yet again.

I've told them to go have dinner and try again later, by which time hopefully someone has kicked the machine and got it going again. That's what I'm hoping anyway. That has worked in the past. If not, I'll start digging later.

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MonkeyNuts — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:35:11 GMT

thanks for the reply.

nothing in my inbox or webmail from autoemail@plus.net

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:45:22 GMT

Has the problem cleared ?

I was able to use MS Outlook with relay.plus.net to generate a test email and it was accepted & delivered.

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MisterW — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:56:05 GMT

@MonkeyNuts I'm afraid your error message doesn't give the SMTP error code and so give the real reason why connection iis rejected. Try the diagnostics ...

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MonkeyNuts — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:15:55 GMT

ran the cURL commands in the Konsole and attached the results.

redacted my personal details (of course).

looking at it, i can connect, but the server times out?

thanks for your help.

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 01 May 2026 06:27:41 GMT

If the email a/c has migrated to Greenby try SMTP : mail.enmail.co as an alternative to relay.plus.net

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

pvmb — Fri, 01 May 2026 06:45:31 GMT

The current Greenby specs. for using client email software to send emails are:

Outgoing Server Address relay.plus.net 
SMTP Port 465 (Encryption Enabled)

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MisterW — Fri, 01 May 2026 06:52:14 GMT

@MonkeyNuts

looking at it, i can connect, but the server times out?

From the screenshot , it looks like you cant connect at all! Its the curl command that's timing out not the server.

Its a strange one that!. Are you on a Plusnet broadband connection ?

@pvmb and those will work, but more technically correct is port 587 with STARTTLS

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

pvmb — Fri, 01 May 2026 06:54:01 GMT

@MisterW

"but more technically correct is port 587 with STARTTLS"

Has anyone told Greenby?

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MisterW — Fri, 01 May 2026 06:54:40 GMT

Yes

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 01 May 2026 07:14:35 GMT

SMTP relay.plus.net is a Plusnet hosted server, it has not migrated to Greenby

All Plusnet hosted and all Greenby hosted SMTP servers work on Ports 25 / 465 / 587 giving the option to use encryption modes NONE or SSL/TLS or STARTTLS on any SMTP server.

This morning if we : telnet relay.plus.net 587 ( or via port 25 ) the SMTP server responded as expected :

>> telnet relay.plus.net 587

220 avasout-ptp-002 smtp relay.plus.net

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

FridayFeeling — Fri, 01 May 2026 07:58:54 GMT

Given all the confusion about what is and isn't correct for the mail settings on Greenby (and their legitimate port / security / branding variations), wouldn't a sticky be good as the definitive one-stop-shop guide? You can search for "greenby email settings" etc and get lost in threads which may or may not be correct, particularly when it comes to reports of what their AI bot incorrectly spits out. Forgive me if this does already exist in a non-sticky definitive post, I've clearly missed it.

It could save those regular contributors who do know the score from having to continually post corrections to threads when incorrect or incomplete info is posted. Thanks to all of them who have contributed in the last 6 months or so, allowing me to help my parents out.

The helpful diagnostic sticky https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Diagnosing-email-server-connectivity-issues-the-guide/td-p/2007952 can be a good starting point for the more technically minded. For those less technical I can well imagine it looks very imposing.

Relevant info for the various "brands" could be useful here also as there seem to be some subtle differences.

As for my parents situation, I suspect it is down to them migrating to another ISP a couple of days ago rather than any Greenby server malfunction. I note their "free-online" SMTP username is formatted as <account_name>+<inbox_name> which only works on a plusnet broadband connection IIRC. cURL responses using the full email address format (you@youraccount.branddomain.tld) look much happier. I'll be trying this with them later on. POP was already formatted as (you@youraccount.branddomain.tld) which might explain why they can still receive emails but not send.

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:38:48 GMT

@FridayFeeling email server port usage is standard across all ISP. Only the odd bulk mailer uses [2525].

It has become best to avoid SMTP port 25 as ISPs (e.g. Orange in France) may block that, so if you see SMTP on port 25 change to port 587 to avoid discovering email sending via port 25 fails when travelling.

You are spot on with the <account_name>+<inbox_name> being a username format of the past and can fail on a Greenby hosted server. Use of the email box name as listed in the www.greenby.com portal appears to be the safest option.

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

pvmb — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:05:06 GMT

@FridayFeeling wrote:

Given all the confusion about what is and isn't correct for the mail settings on Greenby (and their legitimate port / security / branding variations), wouldn't a sticky be good as the definitive one-stop-shop guide? You can search for "greenby email settings" etc and get lost in threads which may or may not be correct, particularly when it comes to reports of what their AI bot incorrectly spits out. Forgive me if this does already exist in a non-sticky definitive post, I've clearly missed it.

It could save those regular contributors who do know the score from having to continually post corrections to threads when incorrect or incomplete info is posted. Thanks to all of them who have contributed in the last 6 months or so, allowing me to help my parents out.

Gets my vote.

In fact, the information is already available on the forum, via the first post of this thread:

Update on Plusnet email migration to Greenby
https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Update-on-Plusnet-email-migration-to-Greenby/td-p/2031990

Which leads you to:

Changes to Plusnet email and domain services FAQs
https://www.plus.net/help/email-account-changes/

Which leads you to:

How to set up Plusnet email - what settings to use
https://www.plus.net/help/email-guides/how-to-set-up-plusnet-email/

But, as the original thread is now very, very long, these links may now be overlooked. Perhaps they could be collected together in a single thread, along with any additional information, that is locked and only editable by Plusnet staff?

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:47:02 GMT

There is a handy list of the email servers at the link below, the first section on Ports could do with expanding to cover POP3S, IMAPS, SMTPS & STARTTLS which are all supported on the usual ports :

https://greenby.com/support/knowledgebase/article/29

Re: Cannot send email via relay.plus.net

MonkeyNuts — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:43:16 GMT

thanks for the replies.

on plusnet fibre broadband

has been working in the past, but only stopped working recently (last week or so).