SMTP problem with Android setup

[#1]

I'm trying to setup my free-online account of a new lenovo yoga tablet with Android OS. Incoming emails work fine but I get "failed to send" for outgoing emails. I have set up
SMTP Server: relay.free-online.co.uk
Security type: None
Port: 25 (I have also tried 587 but it always defaults back to 25)
Require Sign-In: Ticked
Username and password as per the POP settings
I have followed the PlusNet guide to Android setup but still can't send.
Has anyone any suggestions - particularly someone who has successfully set up on this tablet.
Android 4.2.2 BTW
Thanks

[#2]

Have you tried specifying the SMTP server as relay.free-online.net (not .co.uk)? 

[#3]

Yes, I have. Same problem.

[#4]

Hi there.
Have you made sure that for username your not entering the full e-mail address and just the account username?

[#5]

Hi Matthew
Yes, as per the original post. I am entering the basic username and password as per POP settings.
I do not have any problems with my PC or netbook setups.
Nick

[#6]

Just to add that this is getting weirder. I've created three different mail accounts with different servers. I have used their respective differing POP settings but used Free-Online's SMTP settings for all three.
I am able to receive emails from all three accounts but only send from the two non Free-Online accounts despite all having the same SMTP settings.
Can anyone suggest what I'm missing here?
Nick

[#7]

That sounds really strange!  Have you tried deleting the Free Online account from the tablet and then re-configuring it from scratch?

[#8]

Yep. Tried that. No change. I wouldn't mind so much if the problem was with one of the lesser used accounts but as it is I can't reply from my main Free-Online account.
Just wondering if anyone else has managed to set up OK on a Lenovo Yoga tablet.
Nick

[#9]

Hi Nick,
Is the error any more verbose than that or does it just say 'failed to send'?
Given the symptoms you've described, you may have entered your FreeOnline address incorrectly when configuring the mail account. If you have, and our outbound server fails to verify it, then your attempts to send email will be thwarted.
e.g. if you've entered the email address as something@username.free-online.net, then this will happen:

~$ telnet relay.free-online.net 25
Trying 212.159.8.105...
Connected to relay.free-online.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 avasout02 smtp relay.free-online.net
ehlo relay
250-avasout02 hello [84.93.219.165], pleased to meet you
250-HELP
250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN
250-SIZE 104857600
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250 OK
mail from:<postmaster@servicestatus.free-online.net>
550 <postmaster@servicestatus.free-online.net> sender rejected - invalid domain (no MX or A record)

Enter the correct address though, something@username.free-online.co.uk, and it will send fine (note the use of .co.uk instead of .net):

$ telnet relay.free-online.net 25
Trying 212.159.8.105...
Connected to relay.free-online.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 avasout02 smtp relay.free-online.net
ehlo relay
250-avasout02 hello [84.93.219.165], pleased to meet you
250-HELP
250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN
250-SIZE 104857600
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250 OK
mail from:<postmaster@servicestatus.free-online.co.uk>
250 <postmaster@servicestatus.free-online.co.uk> sender ok

[#10]

Hi Bob
Thanks for the reply. I have the entries as you show but still the same "failed to send". As I said earlier, I can set up another account eg. tiscali using their POP server and your SMTP server and it all works fine. It's just when I set up the Free-Online account and try to receive and send from that account that it does not send. Can you maybe tell me how to get a more detailed analysis of the event as per your examples, bearing in mind that it's the Android Jelly Bean system.
Nick

[#11]

Quote from: njb55rtd

As I said earlier, I can set up another account eg. tiscali using their POP server and your SMTP server and it all works fine.

Which suggests that the only difference is the email address your sending *from*, thus my suggestion to check that this is correct for the FreeOnline profile.

Quote from: njb55rtd

Can you maybe tell me how to get a more detailed analysis of the event as per your examples.

You can use the Terminal Emulator to do exactly as I have using telnet, but it's fiddly and it removes the email app from the equation so might not provide us any clues.
I'm using Lollipop so am forced to used the Gmail app, however the configuration should be similar I'm sure. Can you confirm that you've definitely checked the *email address* in the mail account settings, and that it's definitely in the format <something@username.free-online.co.uk>? You can probably check this by looking at the account management page, or by composing an email and checking the from address in the composition window:

And for the purpose of sending, you're using the the server address relay.free-online.net, and have SSL disabled and are entering your username correctly? (suspect this bit's correct if you've managed to get other accounts to send):

If you're still 100% sure that you have everything set up correctly, then the next step would probably be for us to try configuring the exact same account on an Android device here. It would be unusual if the problem is something to do with the account itself though

[#12]

Bob
Thanks for your efforts but I am going to have to admit defeat here! I have installed, and am now using, Blue Mail and all my accounts work fine with that. (Interestingly, I can use relay.free-online.net with that and it's still OK.) There must be a bug with the default mail programme as installed on the tablet.
Rgds
Nick

[#13]

Not to worry Nick, glad you managed to find an alternative.