mail() and SMTP authentication (Windows)

Blulagoon

It would seem BT Internet have just turned on SMTP mail authentication although they have been talking about it for years as I now get the following error message using the mail function on my local machine which worked fine a couple of weeks ago.

Warning: mail() [function.mail]: SMTP server response: 530 authentication required - Your email could not be sent. To fix this you must make a simple change to your email (known as SMTP authentication). For advice visit www.btyahoo.com/smtp or call 0800 328 9968

Needless to say "Advice" relates to Outlook Express and little else, certainly not PHP.

Anyone know the changes I need to make and where, parameters for the mail() function or in the php.ini file perhaps. Naturally I know the information relating to mail username and password.

Blu

MarkR

You should get your local MTA to relay messages. If BT require it, then you should configure your local MTA to use their SMTP server as a "smart host", with authentication as necessary.

It really is a vastly better idea to run a local MTA; it allows mail to be queued if someone else's server is down (otherwise if you're sending it directly, the mail will be lost forever).

Mark

Blulagoon

Thanks Mark.

Can you tell me what an MTA is ?
Do I need to download and install, or is part of say IIS 5 that I need to configure ?

Blu

MarkR

MTA = mail transfer agent, a server program which moves mail around, also doing queuing etc. You may be able to use the IIS built-in MTA, but it will require significant configuration.

It's extremely inflexible and keeps poor logs (i.e. does not log delivery AT ALL, not even optionally), but otherwise fine.

Alternatively use one of the large number of other MTAs out there.

You will need to configure PHP on win32 to deliver to localhost, where the MTA will pick it up and send it on.

The tricky bit will be configuring the smart host to use authentication (if that's what you need to do). I've never needed to do that before.

Mark