sending fails using Samsung email client when off PN network

[#1]

Sending emails from my Android phone is not something I usually do, either when I'm at home, meaning the phone is using my PN broadband connection, or if I'm out and about, meaning it's using my mobile network provider's mobile data network, but I've done both in the last week.

At home, an email went without error.  When I was out, a message wouldn't send ("check server settings") but did send when I returned home and tried again.

The problem seems to be the Samsung email client outgoing server settings, which are set as:
SMTP server: relay.plus.net

security type: SSL (accept all certificates)

port: 465

require authentication to send emails: on (myPrimMailbox@myAccount.plus.com and my password)

I can't change the security type, SSL is the only option.

Since there's no option to change the security type in the Samsung email client does that mean the only fix for this problem is for me to switch to different email client, one that does allow me to select STARTTLS?

EDITED TO ADD:

This is an IMAP connection.

[#2]

The inbound side has not bearing here, IMAP or POP3 both use SMTP just the same.

It is unfortunate that all too often android products lack compliance standards leading to various issues.  I guess that is a consequence of open source code which any one can hack!!

Port 465 is deprecated and should not be used, however where a client is deficient in not providing STARTTLS on port 587, one has little choice but to adopt obsolete methods.  That said, on some clients TLS/SSL on port 587 is treated as STARTTLS ... which is the manner in which iPhones behave.

All of that said, I doubt that is the issue here: if it works when on Plusnet's network, then is should work exactly the same when not ... unless ...

1. The SMTP server configuration is not configured to use authentication, which should be "use the same as the in-bound server"
2. The device has acquired a bad IP address on the mobile network and is thus being blocked a long time before attempting to send email

Email clients are notoriously bad at delivering clear failure details ... they all get lumped together as a 'password' error.  Do they fail to send EVERYWHERE outside the home, or just in a specific location?

Very daft question - are there any mobile data usage restrictions which inhibit sending emails?

[#3]

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@Townman wrote:

on some clients TLS/SSL on port 587 is treated as STARTTLS ... which is the manner in which iPhones behave.

Sending also fails if I change the port number to 587.

As I indicated in my OP, authentication is 'on' and my email address and password are correct, so you'd hope that means it's using 'same as inbound server'.  NB if I change the email address to my PN account name, it says the username or password is incorrect.

Location doesn't seem to matter.  I'm at home now but have turned off wifi on the handset to force it to use mobile data, sending fails.

I can't imagine my mobile data plan prevents sending emails but I've not checked so I'll try to find out.

I feel the only fix will be to use another email client that does allow STARTTLS, but not today.  As I said, sending emails from my phone is not something I usually do, so these failures are more of a curiosity than an actual problem.

Thank you for your suggestions though.

[#4]

If this works at home on WiFi then this is not an encryption setting issue.  It might though have a credentials issue.  The security model is different on network.

Is SMTP configured to use “the same as incoming” or is it configured separately?

[#5]

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  @Townman wrote:
  

  Is SMTP configured to use “the same as incoming” or is it configured separately?

  ---

Good question!  The Samsung email client is opaque on that.  The 'Outgoing server' settings comprises fields for:

• the name of the SMTP server [set to relay.plus.net]
• security type [set to SSL (Accept all certificates), but that can't be changed]
• port [set to 465]

a slider for 'require authentication to send emails' and underneath that, to more fields for:

• username [set to my email address but I've tried using my account name]
• password [set to my password]

I think I'm just going to live with this limitation on sending emails from my phone when I'm off the PN network.

[#6]

@stuck 

I think I'm just going to live with this limitation on sending emails from my phone when I'm off the PN network

Why ? if the Samsung email client doesnt work, then just use a different client. I use 'k-9 mail' on my Android devices, it works fine, supports authentication and STARTTLS on port 587.

[#7]

@stuck 

Have you looked at K-9 Mail app, this does allow for StartTLS or SSL/TLS for sending

[#8]

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@MisterW

Why ?

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A reasonable question, with no reasonable answer 😀  I suppose because 'effort'.  This week is the first time in just about forever that I've tried to send emails from my phone, either when I've been on or off the PN network so not being able to do it not is something I'll really notice.

Meanwhile, I've noted the two suggestions of k9-mail', thanks for that.

[#9]

My wife has a Samsung mobile & uses Samsung email for her <name>@<account>.plus.com email a/c

Sending via SMTP server relay.plus.net via Port 465 using SSL/TLS is working fine via 
our Virgin Media broadband connection and also via the mobile phone's data.
 
The inbound & outbound credentials are specified exactly as you would for logon to PN Webmail.

Might be an idea to test the credentials on the Webmail portal to check you can access and can send a test message.

Samsung email does support SMTP on Port 587 with STARTTLS and with credentials.

[#10]

@PhilipHeyes Thank you.

Webmail works fine on my desktop & laptop.  I've never tried using it through Firefox for Android though because the login page doesn't scale properly so the text so small I've never bothered logging in.

Maybe the Samsung email client does support STARTTLS but it is most definitely not an option in the client on my S10e handset.  Perhaps if I deleted the account and set it up again from scratch it might offer STARTTLS.  Maybe one day I'll do that but as I said previously, at the moment, the effort out weighs the benefit.

[#11]

I suspect the key here is to understand why your phone's mobile data service is restricting access to the Plusnet email servers.  Are there some type of Parental Controls that can be disabled on mobile data ?

The option of 465/SSL or 587/STARTTLS are supposed to be two viable choices, both expected to work,
and to do so all of the time regardless of the ISP.

I am also using Plusnet email on a Samsung mobile, my client is BlueMail but my configuration is also 465/SSL + Credentials as I travel often and insist upon 100% use of encryption for protection of credentials when using Guest Wi-Fi in public buildings. That this works across the UK & EU make me suspect the mobile data is not working as expected.

I wonder what would happen on a non Plusnet Wi-Fi connection...

[#12]

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@PhilipHeyes wrote:

I suspect the key here is to understand why your phone's mobile data service is restricting access to the Plusnet email servers.  Are there some type of Parental Controls that can be disabled on mobile data ?

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I doubt the problem is anything to do with my phone's mobile data service.  There certainly aren't any parental controls in place.

Thank you again, but as I've said several times now, in the absence of a quick fix, this problem does not annoy me enough want to do anything about it at the moment.

[#13]

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@Townman wrote:

Very daft question - are there any mobile data usage restrictions which inhibit sending emails?

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@stuck 

I did a Goole search and found this - Email won't send on mobile data - Samsung Community

Is it relevant to this issue / your settings?  You have not indicated if you can / cannot receive emails when connecting over mobile data.

[#14]

@Townman

Thank you, but the first idea, to check Mobile data > data usage > allowed network for apps, doesn't help.  That setting does not exist in the version of Android on this S10e handset.  The rest of that topic boils down to recreate the account or use another email client.  As already indicated, I may yet try those ideas but not at this time.

As for receiving emails, no problems there, emails arrive just fine when I'm on mobile data.

[#15]

If you can receive over the mobile network, then its not a mobile data usage restriction.

As a diagnostic, have you tried port 587 without encryption