MS Outlook Express timeout!

[Mustang]

Help! I have moved a desktop from a dial up connection to a broadband connection. I have managed to get everything up and running but I am having problems with Outlook Express. I can receive emails now but it doesnt seem to want to send them and they are mounting up in my outbox!

Everytime I press send/receive I get a message saying that the server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. It tells me possible causes for this are "server problems, network problems or long periods of inactivity". Error number: 0x800CCC0F.

Any ideas of what I may have set up incorrectly?!

[Alexander Coe]

Not used express much, but done lots with outlook -

Firstly, I'd re-enter the connection setting (not sure if anything needs to change when you swap over to broad band, but check the service provider websites for connection setting or ring their tech support)

however, I've often seen Outlook errors in that kind of format "0x800ccc0f" being caused by the program being corrupt, so if a fresh set of setting don't help - reinstall!

if that doesn't help, google the error, theres lot of info on it... (some virus scanners can cause the error apparently, so also worth disabling and re-trying)

[DimPrawn]

If it's OE that's the issue, take a look at Thunderbird.

Free and so much nicer to use than OE.

http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/

[NoddY]

Try an interactive telnet session, i.e. "telnet smtphost.myisp.com 25"

and have a chat to make sure all is ok at their end:

http://www.yuki-onna.co.uk/email/smtp.html

Else it really is Outlook Express.

[Mustang]

Maybe I should add, the broadband connection is with "ISP#1" and the email account is with "ISP#2". Does this present a problem?

[scotspine]

sending [smtp] needs to go out via isp1 i believe

[malvolio]

Ignore them. Outlook is assuming you're already logged in to the ISP, 'cos with a dial up you will already be. Broadband only logs on when you need it, and you haven't left enough time for it to connect (only a couple of seconds) so it fails becuase it can't see the SMTP server. Turn up the connection time-out timer in the Outlook / Tools /Accounts/Connection (I think, can't check it from here) to 5 seconds.

[malvolio]

Found it - on Tools/ Accounts /Properties /Advanced, move the Server Timeout slider up from zero to one minute. Gives the Broadband connection enough time to log on to the server before it decides the SMTP server isn't there.

[NoddY]

Maybe I should add, the broadband connection is with "ISP#1" and the email account is with "ISP#2". Does this present a problem?

It does present a problem. Mail servers will not relay mail from clients on 'foreign' networks - else they would be open relays a.k.a. a spammers dream.

Some will relay from clients of foreign networks, but only after authentication. The most common type is POP [authentication] before SMTP.

What where the results of the telnet session?

[malvolio]

Which is no doubt why I can happily collect mail on an A+A connection from Wanadoo and Demon then?