Send email if your ISP blocks outbound connections

Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs), especially Comcast, are blocking all outbound email from their residential accounts not destined for their own servers. You can still receive email through. In order to send email you'll need to configure your email application to use a slightly different way to connect to our servers.

Many computers that have not been professionally maintained are infected with spyware and viruses.  Spammers use these programs to send their messages, using innocent third parties' computers and internet connections for their work.  Comcast, being one of the largest broadband providers in the U.S., is a major source of this type of spam.

In the past, Comcast has been blocking all outbound mail when spam was at a high, then they would open it back up. Now they are out to just block mail altogether, and leave it blocked, urging their customers to use a more secure port.

So how do you configure your email application? Follow these instructions:

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express

To change the outgoing mail port from 25 to 587:

1. In Outlook, drop down the Tools menu

2. Choose Accounts or Account Options

3. Click on the Mail tab

4. Click on Properties

5. Click on the Advanced tab

6. Change the outgoing mail from port 25 to port 587

7. Make sure that the box that says This connections requires a secure connection(SSL) is NOT checked

8. Click OK

9. Restart Outlook

Thunderbird

To change the outgoing mail port from 25 to 587:

1. Launch the Thunderbird mail client

2. Drop down the Edit menu, and choose Mail and Newsgroup Account Settings

3. Click Outgoing Server (SMTP)

4. On the right hand side next to server name it should say Port: 25

5. Change that number from 25 to 587

6. Click OK

7. Restart Thunderbird

Entourage

To change the outgoing mail port from 25 to 587:

1. Launch Entourage

2. Drop down the Tools menu, and choose Accounts

3. Click on Mail , and go to Properties

4. Click Advanced Sending Options

5. Make sure the box that says "This POP service requires a secure connection" is unchecked

6. Check the box that says "Override default SMTP port:" and enter in port 25

7. Click OK

8. Restart Entourage