Posted by laz on Sun, Jun 16, 2019 - 5:36pm

i am using the smtp module, and i have system mail and smtp configured correctly. smtp is turned on (not using queue) and has these settings:

 

server: smtp.office365.com

port: 587

encryption: use tls

username: support@mydomain.com

password: <it is correct>

email from address: support@mydomain.com

 

the site email is configured as support@mydomain.com, and that email is set up both on the web host (bluehost) and on office365. of course the password in the smtp settings is the office365 password.

when i turn on smtp debugging and send a test message (on smtp settings page), it appears that backdrop is trying to send the message through a bluehost mail server, instead of the o365 server i specified.

any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

here is the full debugging output:

=== smtp debug ===

SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was ""
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited, "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited, "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited, "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "220 and/or bulk e-mail. "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited, 220 and/or bulk e-mail. "
SMTP -> FROM SERVER:220-box5377.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.92 #2 Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:17:09 -0500 220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited, 220 and/or bulk e-mail.
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was ""
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-SIZE 52428800 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-8BITMIME "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-PIPELINING "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250-STARTTLS "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN 250-STARTTLS "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN 250-STARTTLS "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "250 HELP "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN 250-STARTTLS 250 HELP "
SMTP -> FROM SERVER: 250-box5377.bluehost.com Hello mydomain.com [162.241.216.47] 250-SIZE 52428800 250-8BITMIME 250-PIPELINING 250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN 250-STARTTLS 250 HELP
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was ""
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "220 TLS go ahead "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "220 TLS go ahead "
SMTP -> FROM SERVER:220 TLS go ahead
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data was ""
SMTP -> get_lines(): $str is "!�U�<6��"��G�B���uZ�0250 Reset OK "
SMTP -> get_lines(): $data is "!�U�<6��"��G�B���uZ�0250 Reset OK "
SMTP -> FROM SERVER:!�U�<6��"��G�B���uZ�0250 Reset OK
SMTP -> ERROR: RSET failed: !�U�<6��"��G�B���uZ�0250 Reset OK
StartTLS not supported by server or could not initiate session.

=== smtp debug ===

 

Accepted answer

the problem was, of course, bluehost. whereas they allowed sending to an external smtp server a month ago, they do not now (they don't acknowledge that they previously did, but i did it consistently while testing a month ago). they have the worst support i have ever dealt with.

bye bye bluehost. i'm sure some folks here know this, but just the heads up:

any hosting company owned by EIG (a hosting conglomerate) will have issues with their mail infrastructure, as they all use the same infrastructure and it is notorious for spammers. bad news.

Comments

Sun, Jun 16, 2019 - 5:39pm by laz

oh yes, here is the actual backdrop error displayed on the settings page (in case it helps):

  • Warning: stream_socket_enable_crypto(): Peer certificate CN=`*.bluehost.com' did not match expected CN=`smtp.office365.com' in SMTP->StartTLS() (line 211 of /home3/wxvmwlmy/public_html/modules/smtp/includes/smtp.transport.inc).
  • Unable to send e-mail. Contact the site administrator if the problem persists.

Wed, Jun 19, 2019 - 9:14am by laz

does anybody have any idea why the smtp module would be attempting to send email to a different server than the one specified in the smtp settings?

Mon, Jun 24, 2019 - 5:23pm by laz

the problem was, of course, bluehost. whereas they allowed sending to an external smtp server a month ago, they do not now (they don't acknowledge that they previously did, but i did it consistently while testing a month ago). they have the worst support i have ever dealt with.

bye bye bluehost. i'm sure some folks here know this, but just the heads up:

any hosting company owned by EIG (a hosting conglomerate) will have issues with their mail infrastructure, as they all use the same infrastructure and it is notorious for spammers. bad news.