Thunderbird will receive but not send mails...

[#1]

Hi, I'm in the process of transferring to plusnet from BT so am still accessing the web via a BT router/service.
I'm trying to set up my Thunderbird to use plusnet emails but, even though I have working plusnet email addresses and boxes, I can only receive emails from them, I CANNOT SEND EMAILS from thunderbird. When I try to send I simply get the following messages:
"Login to server relay.plus.net failed."
"Sending of the message failed. The message could not be sent using Outgoing server (SMTP) relay.plus.net for an unknown reason. Please verify that your Outgoing server (SMTP) settings are correct and try again."
My primary plusnet/Thunderbird setup details are:
Email address: name@username.plus.com
Imap: imap.plus.net;  port: 143
Smtp: relay.plus.net;  port: 25
SSL: None
Authentication: Normal Password
Authentication Method: Password, transmitted insecurely
Connection Security: None
I spent around 20 minutes talking on the plusnet 0800432 0200 help line yesterday but was told this was an issue with Thunderbird, not plusnet, and that I should seek help on this forum. So, PLEASE help!!!

[#2]

Strange response from the plusnet people. Do they think we should all use M$?
Anyway Thuderbird sets up outgoing email connections seperate from incomming (and actually, if you think about it that makes much sense).
So
Edit -> Account Settings
Then right at the bottom you'll see "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" thats what you want to edit.
I have an entry in there for server relay.plus.net
Other details:
Port: 25
Authentication: No authentication
Connection Security: None
That works for me. (and yes I'd prefer to have some security - but see SSL thread ...)

[#3]

Hi and welcome to.the forums,
Whoever you spoke to on the phone was wrong!
You will not be able to use the Plusnet SMTP server (  authenticated or not ) until your  transfer of broadband ito plusnet is complete. You should still be able to use the BT outgoing server for the time being...

[#4]

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated.
I believe I've tried every imaginable configuration of Thunderbird/SMTP etc (including via seperate computers: running both Microsoft and Ubuntu/Linux operating systems) so I know that's not the problem...
Perhaps it is in fact a broadband/email account activation/timing matter? As said, I still await the plusnet broadband/router but have been able to send and receive emails using my web-based Plusnet email accounts by logging in online at:
https://portal.plus.net/index_nlp.html
It is just that I cannot use Thunderbird to SEND emails from my own computer though, as said, I can receive them in Thunderbird.
I do hope I can sort this out as, if I cannot use Thunderbird (a very popular/mainstream email programme!) on Plusnet in future then it is for me pointless having Plusnet supply my broadband and phone: I would therefore need to bail out of the Plusnet contract before the initial 14-day cooling-off period ends... Hopefully it will not come to that!
I just wish I could get a definitive answer from Plusnet that the Thunderbird/SMTP issue is due to my account not being fully activated yet, then at least I would know where I stand.

[#5]

Thunderbird will work fine for sending emails once your broadband is being supplied by Plusnet. Until then you are not on a Plusnet connection and, as mentioned by MisterW, relay.plus.net will *not* accept the requests. This is an anti-spam policy decision. You should however be able to continue using the BT relay for sending messages until the service transfers.
Plusnet webmail will allow you to send, because it's a trusted source.

[#6]

Quote

Perhaps it is in fact a broadband/email account activation/timing

It definitely is! I'm surprised, and disappointed that a member of the Plusnet team hasn't replied to this thread to correct the information you were given on the phone.
I use Thunderbird myself on both a Ubuntu desktop and netbook and as spraxyt says it works fine.
When you're on your home PN connection you will not need to authenticate. However if you wish to use it when away from home then you will need to use authentication as you had in your initial setup. One suggestion I would make in this case would be to use port 587 rather than 25 as some networks block port 25 to anything other than their own SMTP server.

[#7]

I think its as MisterW says, and ist why thunderbird is has different settings for outgoing and incomming emails.
With spam growing, many ISP would just take outgoing email from their own domain, where they could confirm who the sender was. Also to stop spam, they would redirect all TCP/IP to port 25, to their own mail host. This is why it became a good idea to send all outgoing email to your own isp's outgoing host.
SO this gives you the fist solution, whatever ISP you are connecting to the internet through, use their email relay. You can set this up as an additional outgoing email setting, in addition to plusnet. Then when you change to plusnet as ISP, you can just change over to use the plusnet service.
But a second solution, is do you have any other ISP contracts, e.g. I have one that hosts my name.uk. Now these ISP that you pay for a service from, will often provide an outgoing mail host, even if you aren't on their network. These you connect to via some authetenticated connection, so its a different port, and has some authorisation, and typically encrryption. If you have a laptop, this is practically how you have to set it up, becuase as you move been different network connections - you  go out through a different ISP. SO its far easier to send authorised email via your own provider - rather the the one whose network you happen to be using. So anyway if you do use some other internet services, look if they do outgoing email, and use that.
Hope this helps..

[#8]

Thanks all, MUCH appreciated.
I think the matter IS one of my plusnet account not being fully activated yet and that I should just wait for full account activation.
The above-mentioned plusnet helpline chap I spoke to was very friendly and polite but unable to explain matters as well as you folks. Never mind, worse things happen at sea.
Note to self: be more patient...
Cheers.