Error 550 Relay Not Allowed

[#1]

I use Vista and Outlook.
When I travel abroad I get the messsage "Error 550 Relay Not Allowed" when I try to send a message.
I took this up with Plusnet and after telling me to try this and try that they eventually told me that the only way to send message whilst away was via Webmail!
I cannot face mucking about with gmail etc.
This is an anti-spam device/technique.
This isn't very sensible.
I understand that Ebay now in addition to the normal login requires an additional security procedure if you access Ebay from a different IP address.
I don't see why Plusnet, which is used to me sending  emails from this IP address, cannot allow me to send emails from abroad.
Until this is sorted out I have to put Plusnet in the amateur category for ISPs.

[#2]

You may well put Plusnet in the amateur category, but you might want to put every other ISP in the same category!
Basically, you can only use our outgoing email server to send emails when you are connected to us.  This is VERY common as it prevents people signing up for free accounts and spamming the living daylights out of everything and getting ourselves put on various blacklists.
However, what you can do, is use something called authenticated SMTP.  Where you set the outgoing mail server in your email client, there should be an option to use a username and password.  Just use the same password as incoming mail and you should be able to send email when not connected to us.

[#3]

When you are connected to our network we can verify you by the IP address you are connected from, when you are connected from abroad we have no way of identifying your account unless you use SMTP authentication. This means that if we allowed anyone to use our relay servers from anywhere we'd be on every blacklist all the time and you wouldn't be able to send email anyway.
My advise would be go into Outlook, go to the account settings and set it to use SMTP authentication, the username and password you should use are those of your default mailbox (just your account username) and this should allow you to send via relay.plus.net from anywhere.
Hope this helps.

[#4]

Seems sensible, but I didn't know we could use SMTP authentication.
But when I was waiting for my B/B to be migrated from previous ISP I was I couldn't migrate my email until B/B was active, as you couldn't access SMTP from outside the PN network ??.
What's the difference please ?

[#5]

We only allow SMTP Auth for paid & active accounts.

[#6]

apart from CAPTURE is there a difference between logging on via another ISP in the UK and Other than UK, I Usually use IMAP and Thunderbird, but so far only from the UK

[#7]

Quote from: Jameseh

Just use the same password as incoming mail

I think that you need to use the ID and password of your plusnet account rather than your mail ID / PW.

[#8]

My mistake, sorry

[#9]

Quote from: mooneyfamily

I use Vista and Outlook. When I travel abroad I get the messsage "Error 550 Relay Not Allowed" when I try to send a message. I took this up with Plusnet and after telling me to try this and try that they eventually told me that the only way to send message whilst away was via Webmail! I cannot face mucking about with gmail etc.

when you was advised to use Webmail I think plusnet  were advising using the Webmail on their portal which is probably easier if you can not face mucking about etc.

[#10]

Exactly.
It's ludicrously easy - just go to webmail.plus.net from any PC connected to the web (even a cybercafe), enter your Plusnet email username and password, and you're in.
Doddle. 

[#11]

James and Chris, I think what you are suggesting is what Plusnet support suggested and I tried unsuccessfully. When I am next away I will try again.
I am sorry to tell you that all ISPs are not the same, my brother on BT does not have any of these issues.
Are you saying that if I set this up as you suggest then  can then forget about it or do I need to change it when I am at home?
Webmail is a method of last resort.

[#12]

You don't need to wait until you are away. Authenticated SMTP works from both Plusnet and non-Plusnet IPs.
Note that Authenticated SMTP must *not* have Secure Password Authentication selected, some email clients turn this on by default alongside Authentication.

[#13]

Quote from: mooneyfamily

I am sorry to tell you that all ISPs are not the same, my brother on BT does not have any of these issues.

More ISP probably will go down this route I feel.
Also you will find when you a using wifi hotspots or wifi in hotels that their will block smtp traffic to all servers except their own.  If it's an hotel then contact the Business centre for the smtp server to use otherwise webmail is your only option.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but if you use GPRS to access the net the mobile operators also block traffic to smtp servers except their own.

[#14]

Quote from: itsme

if you use GPRS to access the net the mobile operators also block traffic to smtp servers except their own.

My parents use a Vodaphone dongle as their only access to the Internet as they cannot get fixed line broadband in their part of Milton Keynes, and they spend weeks at a time on their narrow boat. They are using plusnet authenticated SMTP with no problems.

[#15]

It will not work with a payg account
Can you put anybody's f9 account holder in SMTP username and passwords but leave everything else the same?
I was advised by plusnet to have one account for me payg and the other a fully paid up account for my partner. Will it work?
We both have web sites and want to keep e-mails separate it came about because we moved in to a new house together i.e. 2 houses in to one

Puddy