New ISP problem (Outlook 2007)

[silverback]

My neighbour has just switched to the same ISP as me and asked me to set up their Outlook Email Accounts.
I've set up the account details exactly as mine are set (I'm on Outlook 2003).
However, when I test their account details, it consistently fails "Unable to connect to the outgoing SMTP server."
The account succcessfully receives incoming emails.

I'm at a loss to understand why it won't connect to allow outgoing emails. Can anyone help, please?

Thanks
Silverback

[HansV]

You could create a new e-mail profile and let Outlook try to figure out the settings automatically (it'll contact the ISP's mail server and ask for the settings).

If that doesn't work: have you also opened More Settings... and compared the settings there?

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[silverback]

Hans.
No luck after another couple of hours on the problem which is now beyond my comprehension.

About 1 time in 10, the test email gets sent; all the other times we try, Outlook errors "Unable to connect to SMTP server".

It's beyond my skill set so I've said he has to contact the ISP help desk.
Most unsatisfactory on my part, but I completely at a loss. It's one thing if it never works, but intermittent success is baffling.

Thanks for your help
Silverback

[HansV]

Puzzling indeed, and it's best to let the ISP's help desk look at it.

Have you tried increasing the server timeout period?

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Some time ago, my ISP's mail server had problems, and I had to increase the timeout period to 2 or 3 minutes, otherwise I'd get errors. (Fortunately, the problems didn't last long.)

[silverback]

My neighbour now reports that emails are sending at normal speed and that there are no 'Unable to connect to SMTP server' errors.

The wonders of computers, eh?

I suspect that the ISP had left something undone/partially done when transferring their account - the new ISP insists on taking over the phone line rental as part of the broadband contract. However, networking/broadband is a black art as far as I'm concerned, so I'm just glad they're sorted.

Thanks for your help
Silverback

PS : They haven't changed anything/phoned the help desk.

[HansV]

In the ISP's defense: they may have had to perform some kind of fine-tuning on the line. I switched to a different kind of broadband last month (from ADSL to VDSL), and my ISP asked me to leave the new modem they sent me turned on without interruption for at least 3x24 hours. During that time, they did some tweaking which significantly improved the connection speed.