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setting up offline email?

Hi,
My 1st question on EE!

I have several web applications hosted on my laptop and they send and receive email, I have a webserver xampp and a mail server hmailserver and I set up a domain in hmailserver susansaves.mail and go to outlook to test the account settings of pop server localhost and smtp server localhost user alanis@susansaves.mail password <<<<encrypted test>>>> and when I click on test account settings it tells me "establish network connection: unable to connect to internet or the network, check the settings. to check connections settings close this dialogue and go to more setting and connections tab" keep in mind that I am offline (no internet connectivity and am pointing outlook to localhost)

mycarefreepc

Hi there -

Which internet service provider do you use? Most ISP's will block traditional mail server ports in an attempt to prevent machines from becoming spam distribution centers. To host your own email on a normal, home ISP account, you will have to call the provider and ask them to open the ports (they get this request from time to time but you may have to speak to a higher tier tech support person). Sometimes they will open the ports for you, other times they may request you upgrade or get a commercial account, it all depends on your ISP.

Please respond wtih your ISP.

Best regards,
Brian

alanisfan2008

ASKER

I am not connected to the internet on my laptop and I am only wanting to send back to the local box (localhost)

mycarefreepc

Ok - can I ask what purpose this will serve, i.e. what are you trying to accomplish with this set up? This will help me put this question in better context.

Best regards,
Brian

alanisfan2008

ASKER

this is a "break me machine" (aka test lab) it will allow me to test my web applications before hosting them live on the internet

mycarefreepc

I'm reaching here, but you've got your incoming and outgoing email server set to 'localhost' on the correct ports that your mail sever is listening on? Any firewall active or anything else that could potentially be blocking access?

I've never tried this localhost type setup but I would see no reason it shouldn't work. Possibly the client and server will have to be on different IP's / compters.. just a thought.

Best regards,
Brian

alanisfan2008

ASKER

windows firewall in on and and ports are correct

mycarefreepc

Maybe try disabling Windows Firewall?

alanisfan2008

ASKER

tried that and still no go

mycarefreepc

Sounds like an Outlook limitation.. If Outlook is saying it can't establish a connection to the mail server and you've got the servers/ports in correctly and nothing else is running that could be interfering with the connection, I would try moving the mail sever to another computer or a virtual machine on this computer and give it a different IP. It's possible Outlook is not able to connect via a mail server located on the same computer (although I wouldn't see why not) ...
Best regards,
Brian Drain

alanisfan2008

ASKER

do you know of a free mail client that is capible of connecting to a mail server on the local box (same physical box)

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

mycarefreepc

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alanisfan2008

ASKER

I've fount that ThunderBird works 98% of the time wich is a hole lot better than 0% of the time this really helps out alot