I'm new to Portable TB. I've recently been away from home for three weeks, during which I've visited friends and internet cafes. I've had no trouble downloading e-mails with portable TB, but always ran into trouble for sending. Setting my pertable TB to work with the SMTP address used by the host computer's ISP worked just fine. However, many people don't know what their SMTP address is, and even if they do, I don't feel comfortable asking them to reveal their password. I took to using web-mail for replies, but obviously this is not ideal.
Since writing the above I've had a look at smtp.com, but there's something I don't understand. If I could set TB to send to smtp.com from any host computer, why can't I send to my own ISP from any computer ? Security would seem to be the obvious answer, but if smtp.com isn't blocked, why would 'relay.forc9.net' (my ISP) be blocked ?
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Good providers allow you to send SMTP from anywhere, usually by using SSL and providing your password. Bad providers don't. Nearly all webhosts and paid email providers do. Even some free ones (like Gmail) do. The better ISPs do. But most don't. It's simply easier to only allow people to send from their own network than to implement real security on the SMTP server. It's the lazy way out.
Most likely, your ISP only allows you to send via SMTP when you're on their network.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Are you saying (as I think you are) that the problem lies with my ISP and not the ISP on the visited computer ?
Nearly ALL ISPs block outgoing port 25 connections... to cut down on spam. So, your ISP would have to make SMTP available on an alternate port... preferably secured. Unless that's taken care of by your ISP (and you have to ask them), you're out of luck.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I see a Google Ad for 'AuthSMTP' on the same page as your reply. I've taken a look at their web site. It would appear that if I had an SMTP account with them I could send e-mails from any (or at least most) computers that I visited. I'd have to set my portable TB to send to AuthSMTP (instead of my ISP), of course, but that would be all. Is this correct ?
In theory, yeah. They're a paid smtp servivce.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks for your prompt replies. I worry about your 'in theory' comment, though. I don't mind paying 9a reasonable amout) for a good solution. I think that will be the only way out of the problem; I haven't asked my ISP yet, but I suspect they won't offer any solution.
I don't know where your trying to use TBird from, but I had a similar problem in Tunisia. Tunisia is one of the worlds most censored Internet countries. Many many sites are entirely blocked (eg. Amnesty International) and access to others may well result in a visit from the Guard Nationale. They also block you from receiving mail using 3rd part e-mail clients by blocking all SMTPX port 25 traffic. I've tried other ports suggested by my ISP, but they're blocked as well. The only answer seems to be a proxy server, but as soon as one becomes available the bar stewards block it within a few days. The only solution is to use webmail, ie. log onto your ISP's mail site, and be VERY careful what your saying because they ARE watching. This was written from the UK so sod 'em.