Email ERROR: Connection timed out

[Mike]

Hey,

I'm trying to implement this silence detection tool, but I've run into a slight issue. After I input all my email info and verify if it's correct I get the error mentioned in the subject of this post: ERROR: Connect Timed Out. I've tried it on different machines (XP & Win7) as well as different email info (gmail) and different ISP's and it still brings up this Error. Any help?

- Mike

[Jan]

An information about how to fill gmail details is placed in this topic: http://pira.cz/forum/index.php?topic=173.0

There's nothing special. The same settings are used by common email clients like Outlook Express. If you are able to send emails using Outlook Express, you will be able to send emails by silence detector, and vice versa. The only difference is that the silence detector currently does not support connection through proxy server.

If the SMTP server uses non-standard port, fill the port number behind the server name, for example smtp.gmail.com:465

[Mike]

when ever I use a non-standard port (465) the application locks up completely.

[Jan]

It was only an example. Most of common SMTP servers use standard port.

The application cannot access SMTP servers at all from your PC. Check it with your ISP or firewall settings. There's no way how to solve it inside the application.

[Mike]

I turned off all my firewalls as well as tried pinging the mail server. It pings just fine and the error still shows up.

[Mike]

I also entered my info into the application similarly to the way it is in the thread you referenced above and still nothing.

[Jan]

Your ISP probably blocks SMTP port. This does not affect ping command. Try Outlook Express.

[Mike]

Tried it, SMTP works fine via Outlook Express.

[Jan]

Fill the same SMTP settings into the silence detector. If OE works, the silence detector must work as well. It is tested for full comply with gmail SMTP. It seems the silence detector can't access internet at all on your computer as it is probably blocked by Windows security system or some 3rd party application.

[Carl]

I am seeing this same issue on Win XP. I have confirmed that Outlook Express works with smtp.gmail.com to send emails, but the Silence Detector simply either hangs for a minute and posts the "Connection timed out" message, or hangs forever and I have to restart Silence Detector.

If I attempt to specify the port (example: smtp.gmail.com:465), then that hangs the Silence Detector software as well. Furthermore, I have tried it with Windows Firewall on and off, and also specifying an "Exception" for SD in Windows Firewall. The program never sends the email in any of these scenarios.

Is there a way to get a better event log of what happened at the time of the error?

[Jan]

Try some standard non-SSL smtp server, that is usually available from your ISP. It may answer the question if there's some specific problem with gmail or the SD can't access internet at all on your PC. I've tried the SD on more than 10 computers in different locations and never had any problems with gmail.

[Carl]

Took me a couple of hours but I finally found a simple fix: I needed to specify port 587 (gmail apps port). So the gmail server I'm using now is:

smtp.gmail.com:587

Thanks for help, and glad I finally have this working.

[Jan]

Great! I think this is a final solution for anybody who can't send email from the Silence Detector anymore. Their ISP blocks port 25 as I assumed. However gmail and many other email services are now accessible on alternative port 587. Just enter :587 behind the server name. Latest versions of familiar email clients try this automatically so it looks like they work on the default port 25 but they currently use port 587.

The Silence Detector will be updated soon. Thank you.