Settings to maximise chances of being able to send from other networks

[#1]

I have had problems over the years sending mail from laptops and other mobile devices using my PN account whilst connected to other networks. I have tried a variety of settings with limited success. could someone suggest security and port settings, etc that might help me to send from as many locations as possible?
Thanks
PT

[#2]

I'm assuming this is using an email client on your PC (not Webmail)?
You need to follow the guides here for SMTP Authentication

[#3]

Thanks,
I should have said I am using a client usually outlook.
SMTP authentication as described in the guides does not always work. I have had some success changing the port to 587 but that is not infallible!
PT

[#4]

If you're unable to send using SMTP auth across either port 25 or port 587, then you're likely to be out of options unless you switch to using a relay server provided by the supplier you're connected to.

[#5]

Thanks, so as I suspect it is security settings on the host network and there is not much I can do about it?

[#6]

Possibly. Hard to say without carrying out diagnostics.
If you have access to the command line/telnet then you can try telnetting to our relay servers and check the SMTP banner (you can use '587' in place of '25' in the following example to check that port too):

~$ telnet relay.plus.net 25
Trying 212.159.9.107...
Connected to relay.plus.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 avasout03 smtp relay.plus.net

If you see anything other than '220 avasoutXX smtp relay.plus.net' then something is interfering with the traffic.

[#7]

Hi Jon,
At what kind of locations are you having problems?  Open public Wi-Fi networks, over 3G/4G or on private corporate networks?
I use multiple devices configured with SMTP pointing at the PlusNet servers using port 587 using authentication (but NOT SSL) all over the place.  Your PlusNet account username and password or username+mailbox-name and mailbox-password are the credentials you need.
I have though found issues on some business networks which (for the prevention of leakage of corporate data - as an example) do not permit any access to external SMTP servers.  Also some 3G/4G networks (possibly down at cell level) do not seem to support alien SMTP access.
Exactly what error messages are you seeing?  Do the configurations work on any non-PlusNet network?
Are your afternoon dropouts still fixed...? 
Kevin

[#8]

Hi Kevin,
thanks for replying.
Settings do work on some networks. Problems I have are mainly with University networks and some mobile phone operators so I guess its just a security issue with them. I can get round the mobile networks by using gmail servers to send but this doesn't work at Uni.
Dropouts a thing of the past thanks. Not had one since line repair.
Jon

[#9]

Jon,
I'd have a word with the Uni IT people and see if they can offer a solution - ideally opening up port 587 in their firewalls.
As for the problem on mobile networks, is that over your phone?  If you can profile that to particular locations, then I'd report the issue to the phone operator.  Explain that it works on many locations, but not particular locations.  Note what network type is being offered and is givining problems - 4G / 3G / E / GPRS
Kevin

[#10]

Plus Net need to update their SMTP Guide for Outlook, as latest version shown is Outlook 2010 for Windows.
Should include 2013.