Webserver from home, ISP blocks port 25

[ElvisG]

This is a two part question. First, I'm running a webserver (apache2) from home so I'm running a CSM (Joomla) to maintain my site. When people try to register on my website the required activation is suppose to be sent from Joomla to my webhost mail server. But my ISP is blocking my port 25 so I'm getting a timeout error when Joomla trys to send out the activation. My question is, is there anyway to bypass port 25 for SMTP mail? Even if I run a mailserver from home the port 25 is blocked so I'm curious about how to solve this.

Second part question rather a statement, in a earlier thread I was trying to get Auditor LiveCD (Knoppix) to install my wireless card. I found another Ubuntu distro called Nubuntu that has all the software built into the distro.

[seablade]

I am not familiar with Joomla, what does it use to send out the activation email? Postfix? Sendmail? etc?

Any of those you should be able to change the port on which it sends out the email I believe, though I dont do email administration, I decided to be cheap and let my webhost handle that one;)

Seablade

[ElvisG]

Joomla uses Sendmail, PHP, SMTP are the only options. If my ISP is blocking port 25 can I setup a mail server and have it use another port. My understanding is that SMTP has to use port 25. I don't mind changing the port once I install a mall server but will the receiving mailserver accept it on a different port?

[abf]

elvis... isn't Auditor the old version... BackTrack being the new one.

[seablade]

Elvis to be honest, while I could make a fairly educated guess on it, I dont think I am qualified to do that and it is better left up to someone more familiar with email admin than I am(BT you familiar with that at all?)

At any rate here is a link for your browsing enjoyment...

http://www.sendmail.org/faq/section3.html#3.39

Seablade

[seablade]

Ok I lied, Ill take a quick stab at it....

I dont believe it will be a problem. Changing the port number shouldnt make a difference as long as you change it across the board(Meaning configure Joomla to connect to that port instead of 25 etc.) I believe. Changing the port number on a mailsevere is afairly common practice to get around things like ISPs blocking the port I believe. Again take this thought with a grain of salt though.

However from your post I believe that both your web and mail server are on your side of the network correct(Meaning not comunicating through any ISP machines)? Then it shouldnt be a problem for one to communicate with the other unless you have an improperly set up firewall somewhere. Exactly where are you getting the problem at?

Seablade

You could always test it out, from the sounds of it your mailserver isnt doing you much good right now anyways, so its not like youll make things worse off;)

[ElvisG]

The webserver is on my home pc and the mail server is at my hosted online site. My main goal was to have my home pc as the frontend and then have all the media stuff be hosted from my online web host. I was just wondering if I created a mail server at home if that would bypass the ISP blocking of port 25

*edit I just didn't know if I created a mail server at home if the packets would reach their desination. Basically, if I create a mail server and change the ports would it reach the desination of whatever e-mail like smtp packet sent from port 454 to online mail server port 25.

[seablade]

Ahh ok that makes a bit more sense...

I take it you cant change the port your online host is on?

It is odd that your ISP would interfere with outgoing traffic on any port. Typically when they block port 25 it is incoming connections they block. If you are having problems with outgoing on port 25, then I would seriously consider a new ISP IMO. Are you sure you dont have an improperly set up firewall?

Seablade

PS Them blocking the outgoing port 25 might be considered a monopolistic practice, which is why I find it hard to believe. I suppose it depends on the terms of the service though, but if they have agreed to provide you with complete internet access(Not hosting, that is something else) then them blocking port 25 to restrict you to only their service is very questionable IMO. Its a bit different from them blocking incoming to prevent servers from being hosted, but of course you dont do that do you;)

[ElvisG]

You are an idiot for whomever gave me a bad rep for asking a question.

[seablade]

You do realise all rep got reset? Thus why the bars dont show up anymore.

Of course rep really doesnt mean much anyways to be perfectly honest.

Seablade

Had a lot, lost it all like everyone else, doesnt really care.

[ElvisG]

No, I just checked my status in the control panel and the same person gave me two negative reps on two different threads. The only comment was "No". So when I checked to see on what thread he gave me negative rep it was my first post here.

I really don't care about rep points but I just thought the person is an idiot for giving me negative reps for asking a question that I couldn't resolve.

[PDR60]

The reason the isp is blocking port 25 is to prevent you from setting up a mail server (MTA). You may change your port to anything you like but you'll not communicate with other MTA's as they will be listening to port 25. Your best solution is to configure your application to use your ISP's mail account. In other words use the mail account you have been given from the isp. That way the mail will be coming from your account and be using their SMTP server.

PDR60

[skytja]

PDR60 is right. You can test it with a telnet session. That's not to say that some mailservers won't listen for inbound on an alternate port like 587 or 2525 or some such. . . but generally, most will only listen to inbound traffic on 25.

You can usually send email on alternate ports because you are connecting to that mailserver, which then processes your mail to be sent, and routes it out through it's own port25.

Find the MX record for who you're trying to send an email to.

> dig example.org mx
;; ANSWER SECTION:
example.org. 20m57s IN MX 50 smtp-in.example.org

> telnet smtp-in.example.org 25
Trying 192.0.0.1...
Connected to smtp-in.example.org.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 smtp-in.example.org ESMTP rndm_mta-1.2.3.4; Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:16:44 -0400 (EDT); NO UCE
helo tester
250 mx22.stngva01.us.mxservers.net
mail from: generictester42@yahoo.com
250 Sender Ok
rcpt to: tester42@example.org
250 tester@housingtrustscc.org ok (normal)
data
354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
From: John Q. Public
To: Ilyana Rasputin
Subject: From outside the domain

"The door flew open and in walked a fig-newton"
--Groucho Marx
.
250 3-579246821 Message accepted for delivery
quit
221 smtp-in.example.org Service closing transmission channel
Connection closed by foreign host.
>


That's the basic template of what you'll see. example.org has no MX records.

If you try the same thing to port 587 for instance:

> telnet smtp-in.example.org 587
Trying 192.0.0.1...
telnet: connect to address 192.0.0.1: Connection refused
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host
>

[KinzaKracker]

why not port 110 or 995?

[PDR60]

Port 110 is reserved for pop3. That is a protocol for pulling mail from a server (MTA) with a client. It has nothing to do with sending mail. It only pulls mail. Port 995 is nothing but pop3s . In other words its function is identical to 110 only its an encrypted session. It is comparable to port 443 which is https.

Port 25 is used exclusively for MTA communication. Its the port that is used for Mail server communication to other mail servers.

So if the isp blocked 110 or 995 you would not be able to pull any mail except with IMAP on port 143.