Email @ UB
SMTP (port 25) Blocking from ResNet
UB enforces smtp.buffalo.edu as the main email SMTP gateway from ResNet. Sending email using SMTP servers other than smtp.buffalo.edu and a few departmental SMTP servers (see below) is not allowed.
You are not affected if you use AOL or web-based mail services such as Hotmail or Yahoo. In addition, students who use Mulberry, UBmail, Outlook, or any other email program with their @buffalo.edu email service are not affected.
Why Did We Make This Change?
Viruses and worms that hijack computers to send spam have created problems for all Internet users. These programs abuse an Internet service that has traditionally been positive and useful.
UB has an obligation to be a good network citizen. To protect the Internet from abuse originating from our network, we have disabled SMTP (port 25) connections to off-campus computers.
Do I Need To Do Anything?
If you use UB's Central Email service via Mulberry, Outlook, UBmail, or other email clients, no. Also, anyone using AOL or any web-based mail service is not affected. You can continue to use those email services without change.
I Use A Departmental Email Server - What Do I Do?
Check the list below; we allow STMP connections to these departmental servers from within ResNet. If the server you're using doesn't appear on this list, you should use smtp.buffalo.edu.
- armstrong.cse.buffalo.edu
- castor.cse.buffalo.edu
- hadar.cse.buffalo.edu
- thebrain.nsm.buffalo.edu
- fate.eng.buffalo.edu
- chuckberry.ccr.buffalo.edu
More information about configuring your email client and the kinds of errors you might experience is available from the CIT Help Desk website.
Email client error messages
Some of the more common error messages received that would indicate a problem with port 25 blocking are:
- Windows Clients:
- Outlook Express:
- The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'imap.buffalo.edu', Server: '<SMTPSERVER>', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E
- Outlook 2003/XP:
- ! Task 'imap.buffalo.edu - Sending' reported error (0x80042109) : 'Outlook is unable to connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
- Mulberry (Current Version):
- First you will get a waiting message with a time counter, then you will get: TCP/IP: Illegal socket while opening the SMTP server
- Eudora:
- Bottom panel error:
! <Dominant>, Contacting <SMTPSERVER>(IP), (TIMESTAMP) Could not connect to "<SMTPSERVER>" Cause: connection timed out (10060)
- Mac Clients:
- Apple Mail:
- If more than one smtp server is configured, if the first one fails, it will offer a list of the others to choose from.
If one server:
The outgoing mail server failed to deliver this message. The connection to the server "<SMTPSERVER>" on port 25 timed out. - Microsoft Entourage:
- After about 1 minute:
Error Description Error: Mail could not be sent using the account <accountname> A connection failure has occurred Error: -23016
- Linux Clients:
- Mulberry 3.1.6:
- First you will get a waiting message with a time counter, then you will get: TCP/IP: timed out while connecting while opening the SMTP server
- Pine:
- Error sending: connection failed to , 25: connection timed out
- Ximian Evolution:
- After several minutes:
Error while performing operation: Could not connect to <SMTPSERVER> (port 25): Connection timed out - Linux Netscape Communicator:
- After several minutes:
The new message window does not close, the following error is given: There was no response. The server could be down or is not responding If you are unable to connect again later, contact the server's administrator
If you encounter one of these errors from ResNet, change your outgoing e-mail server to
smtp.buffalo.edu