Question

phpBB not sending emails to outside domain with new posts

Asked by: BrianEKramer

I am new to phpbb but have it installed and it seems to generally work.  however, one of the most useful features is not working quite right:  my bulletin board is located at mydomain.com/BB/.  if a user subscribes to a forum and his email address is from yahoo (e.g. myemail@yahoo.com), no email is received.  However, if the email address is changed to one from the domain (e.g. anotheremail@mydomain.com), the email comes through.  I'm not sure if the email will go to another provider like gmail or hotmail.  hostmonster is hosting my site.  

what really makes this odd is that the emails sent out from phpbb for new accounts and activation are recieved, even at xxx@yahoo.com.  weird.

I am having the same problem with mail forwarding from mydomain.com:  it will forward to other mydomain email addresses, but not to yahoo.  I did read on the hostmonster site where some providers block certain ips (like hostmonster) to protect against spam.  But why would the activation emails get through?

help!!  

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Asked On
2008-11-22 at 18:36:30ID23928426
Tags

phpbb ip post email

Topics

phpBB

,

WebApplications

,

PHP Scripting Language

,

PHP and Databases

,

Linux

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Answers

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 18:41:24ID: 23023380

I am assuming your using phpbb3

now, what are your email settings in the ACP?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 18:51:43ID: 23023423

I think you answered you question

I did read on the hostmonster site where some providers block certain ips (like hostmonster) to protect against spam

is host monster your domain name registrar as well as webhost?

you can always use google apps for your email, I use it and it works fine.

google.com/a/

and read this for the setup of google apps for phpbb3

http://startrekguide.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=6405

 

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 18:59:16ID: 23023450

I am using 3.0.3.

why would the welcome to the BB and activation emails go through to the yahoo account?

what email settings would help?

enable board wide = enabled
users send email via board = disabled
email function name = mail
contact email address = myname@yahoo.com
return email = myname@yahoo.com
SMTP
use smtp = no

does this help?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 19:01:54ID: 23023457

ok so your sending from a yahoo account.

let me do some digging, it may be they are being held for a while. whereas the activation email is sent immediately, in the mean time anything showing up on your error log?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 19:03:36ID: 23023464

ok what value do you have for this field in your email settings?

E-mail package size:
This is the number of maximum e-mails sent out in one package. This setting is applied to the internal message queue; set this value to 0 if you have problems with non-delivered notification e-mails.  

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 19:06:08ID: 23023469

what would using google mail do?  I don't use gmail - i use yahoo.

hostmonster has it's own smtp.  would this help?  what does smtp do?

thanks,
brian

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 19:09:13ID: 23023482

email package size is 50.  I'll set it to 0.

where do I check the log?

I don't think I'm sending from a yahoo account.  I'm sending TO a yahoo account (and others that users put as their email).

Brian

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 19:15:03ID: 23023508

I use a free host that doesn't offer a smtp server, so i have to user an external one, I use the google apps to provide email for my persoanl domain name so i can have myemail@mydomain.com type of emails.

the error log is located at ACP->Maintainance (Tab)->Error Log

If you have the yahoo address set for the

Contact e-mail address:

and the

Return e-mail address:

it will use that email address

 

for SMTP read here http://www.answers.com/topic/simple-mail-transfer-protocol

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 19:24:00ID: 23023542

error log is empty.

I do not have smtp set up in phpbb, but i can use myemail@mydomain.com, I guess because hostmonster includes it?  I'm a little confused.  I'll read the link, but don't want to get involved in smtp if I don't have to.

i set the email package size to 0, but the same.  a notification went email@hosdomain.com but not to email@yahoo.com.

Is there a place I can see what is being sent?  If it's really trying to send to yahoo?

Brian

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 19:27:07ID: 23023555

the smtp article gave me a headache.  too much for me.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 19:32:42ID: 23023578

Is there a place I can see what is being sent?  If it's really trying to send to yahoo?
Not that i am aware of.
the email is being sent becuase hostmonster is sending the emails from it's own SMTP server, which i assume might be slow or getting blocked by yahoo. chances are it is getting blocked,

I'll try to see if i can find yahoo's smtp server settings for you to try

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 19:45:11ID: 23023609

ok set up the email settings for smtp like in the picture

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 20:24:32ID: 23023690

I tried setting up the yahoo smtp but it seems to have made matters worse.  my yahoo account still isn't getting email notification, and neither is the account on my hostmonster domain email.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-22 at 20:27:46ID: 23023695

it might be not set up right,

try replacing mail in the smtp address to att

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-22 at 21:07:53ID: 23023747

Changed smtp.mail.yahoo.com to smtp.att.yahoo.com.  Still nothing.

==============
here's what it says on monster hosts's site.  How can I be a sure a new host (if I switch)  wouldn't have this problem?

Problem
I am not receiving messages sent through my e-mail forwarders!

Solution

Unfortunately, several ISPs have chosen to blacklist our e-mail forwarding servers. This has occurred because we do not personally initiate controls over email that is incoming to your forwarded email addresses. We do not initiate these controls because they often result in legitimate e-mails being filtered. This can result in a large amount of spam that is sent to your forwarded address, which gets delivered to your ISP account (user@comcast.net). The ISP perceives this spam as having originated from our forwarding server (because it was forwarded from your account), and as a result chooses to block the 'offending' IP address (our IP that you are using). Unfortunately, many ISPs have become unbending on this issue (which we can sympathize with, as our company is well aware of the trouble spam e-mails cause), and regrettably there is nothing further we can do to prevent this from happening to our customers if the ISP they are forwarding e-mail to is promoting these measures.

If this is happening to you, we suggest you create an e-mail account for your address and set up a mail client to access the address via POP or IMAP. ISP's that we have been able to identify as employing these measures are noted here:

    * AOL
    * Comcast
    * AT&T Yahoo!
    * Earthlink

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-23 at 12:00:55ID: 23025761

seems odd that they would get a activation email and not an notif. did they chack their spam folder? and their block list?

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-23 at 17:27:35ID: 23026464

yeah - not in spam folder.  it's my email!  As for the block list, I don't think I have one (except maybe defaults), and I did get the activation email!  odd.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-23 at 19:44:14ID: 23026681

send me an email with the email in my profile, of a thread,  go to a public thread, and at the top it should have an option to email to friend there.

let me know when you send it, I wonder if it if your account?

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-24 at 06:30:38ID: 23028135

I'll try to send an email.  Do I need to make a member?  I can do that, subscribe you, then make a post.

I was just reviewing the info from HM's site that talks about blocked email.  It is talking about the MAIL FORWARDERS.  Don't know if this would affect email from within phpBB.

BTW I am not getting notifications of EE being updated.  Were you having the same trouble (notification server down)?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-24 at 09:21:41ID: 23029159

Got the email,

yes, EE's mail server and expert tab is down, the people at the office are fixing it.

seems strange that you wouldn't get the notif from phpbb, and i do.

Btw i updated my PW there, just to post back what i got the notif from

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-24 at 11:36:31ID: 23029933

As I said, I get it on the xxx@mydomain email address, just not at yahoo.  Leads me to believe they are blocking it.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-24 at 12:54:41ID: 23030420

well the one i have in my profile is a yahoo email, I'll change it to a @yahoo.com domain to see if that affects it

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-24 at 14:58:49ID: 23031256

what's the difference between a yahoo email and an email at @yahoo.com?  mine is xxx@yahoo.com and it doesn't work.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-24 at 15:04:33ID: 23031307

not sure, but made a topic there for you to post in, if it works i should get a notif.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-26 at 09:39:06ID: 23043980

well notifs are working fine for me,

and you say it is only you that doesn't get the notif,

try registering a new account with your email, and see if you get the activation email or whatever. if not, then it must be blocked, if it goes through then your subscription to the forum is messed up,

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-26 at 11:48:33ID: 23045037

You are getting them at xxx@yahoo.com??  did you get the post on the "test" forum titled "test test1 w gmail"?  It was posted at 7:26 on 1126?  I am not getting them at yahoo or a new gmail account.

Can we talk somehow?  I am so frustrated.....

Brian

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-26 at 15:48:31ID: 23046865

nope, didn't get that one,

and i didn't see the test forum, so it might not be set up right

hmm so new gmail account and your not getting notifs either.

but other people get them. really odd.

you could try posting a support request on phpbb.com in the 3.x support forum, with a copy of the posts here(not a link, sincei doubt any have a account with EE, and posts are blocked to guests) the support team there might know why this is happening.

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2008-11-26 at 17:10:28ID: 23047190

I thought you were able to see Test and subscribed.  I changed your permission and added a post.  Did you get the email?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-26 at 19:47:21ID: 23047580

no, still no email

I'll check to see if i'm subscribed

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-26 at 19:52:38ID: 23047594

ok i wasn't subscribed to the test forum, but am now,

it has to be with your email setup. are you sure your subscribed to the forum?

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-28 at 18:52:14ID: 23058276

hey, I got an idea, I'll setup a test forum on my server and see if you can get notifs from there, I'll need to use the same email settings you have, I got the email your forum uses, so i put that for the email, then once i get it setup, i'll post a link for you to sign up on

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-28 at 19:22:18ID: 23058368

sign up here

http://bsatroop50.info/T50/phpBB3/index.php

see if it works.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-28 at 20:02:07ID: 23058503

I am really confused, I have it sending from your email but am using mine for SMTP server, BUT it seems to be sending from mine yet.

so it HAS to deal your email I think, I ain't recieving emails from it, when i send a pm to myself, any email at all.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-11-28 at 20:12:22ID: 23058520

test it on another forum, pm to self and no email either,

so i dono, if it is just an issue with your account, I'd wouldn't worry about it, you could use a domain email instead, other than that i cannot help you further.

so my test forum won't help you if it doesn;t work correctly.

 

by: compfixer101Posted on 2008-12-01 at 18:47:47ID: 23074211

any update?

 

by: BrianEKramerPosted on 2009-01-14 at 19:33:58ID: 31519523

It seems to be working, though I'm not sure what changed.  I appreciate all the help, though I never got to the bottom of the whole thing.  Thanks.

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