Problems with mail servers aren’t always clear and often you get to know a problem after a long period of time, without receiving any mail or you may get back from the server, stating non-delivery report. Testing the server and tracking down isn’t that hard, though it can sometimes be fairly complicated.
Checking Whether Your Email Server is Functioning Properly
If you get to know that your mail server isn’t receiving or sending email, the first thing that you should perform is to send a mail to another account that your server doesn’t host, like Hotmail and then send a message to yourself from that external account. If you do so, you’ll get a return message, stating why your message couldn’t be delivered, if the server is incapable of doing so; but, when the mail states simply to be lost in exchange, you’ve to detect the fault manually.
The Need for SMTP Servers
You might wonder what the necessity of an SMTP server really is, when you can use other mail servers like Yahoo or Gmail. The best reason is since billions of people use that server to send or receive mails, it is not suited to send thousands of mails from a single user. The utility of email marketing with SMTP server is quite easy to reach out to existing customers or clients, and prospective at one go. On the other hand, if you try email marketing using public servers, the messages may not reach the entire crowd and your account may get blocked from those servers.
With latest advancements, it is not tough to use Gmail as your SMTP server; one of the little-known free gifts that Gmail offers is a portable SMTP server that allows the users to send number of mails from any network to any email accounts. SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol that handles outgoing e-messages and works in conjunction with IMAP or POP3 server by transiting out any and all mail, while the other servers look after the incoming mail.
How to Use Gmail as Your SMTP Server
If you are going to use Google’s service to send mails, for all purposes and intents, it is completely transparent to both you and receiver. Instead of using a random SMTP server, look for an IMAP for the long run.
You can use Gmail as SMTP server by following the guidelines –
Firstly, log into your Gmail account and then to settings options and select Accounts and Import.
Next, under the option ‘send mail as’, select ‘from another address’ and enter the email address that you want to use and then press ‘Next’.
Select to use Gmail server and then send verification. Go to your email and open the verification email link and click it to check out the email address so that you can switch.
Follow the above steps, and then click ‘send mail as’, but selecting ‘make default’ link for email address you create and lastly, select the ‘reply from default address’. Now you can change your SMTP setting that varies from device to device. Be sure that you set it correctly or else all your efforts may go waste.
Select the system preferences from Edit menu and in the SMTP tab, type smtp.gmail.com address into the server field.
Be sure to configure Port Field (465) and check Use SSL box and enter your email address and password and click on the test server button to see whether or not the mail went successfully.
That’s it – using your Gmail account, now you can send mail to any addresses from any network that allows you to connect to an SMTP server!
Simon has been reviewing web hosting companies, SMTP services and latest Android phones for several years. He is the editor of many popular tech blogs, and he also writes on dozens of top technology websites.