Command Center

A bit cheeky, but why not try emailing one of the users from a test Hotmail account to see if it bounces? Doesn't need to be linked to your business, just send a blank email from some random Hotmail address. Then you know whether there is a problem or not.

Is it always the same email addresses that fail? Are you sending all the emails in one go? Maybe Hotmail implements rate-limiting or something and is just stalling.


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When sending email, you receive an immediate bounce such as the following:

Subject: RE: XXXXXX - October 27, 2005
Sent: 10/31/2005 12:40 PM
The following recipient(s) could not be reached:
'John Doe' on 10/31/2005 12:40 PM
503 valid RCPT command must precede DATA

This means you must check your email before trying to send mail meaning that our mail server requires authentication, which can be achieved using one of these methods:

A) Pop before smtp -- check your email for new mail before trying to send email. This adds your IP address to a relayhosts file and allows any email to be sent from that IP address for up to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you have to authenticate again.

B) Configure your email client to authenticate automatically by checking the "my server requires authentication" box in your email configuration. You will be able to send mail without having to "pop" your mail box first.

If using MS Outlook, please try the following:

1) Open outlook
2) Go to Tools/Email Accounts
3) Select the Account with the trouble and click Change
4) Click on More Settings
5) Click on Outgoing Server Tab
6) Click "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) requires authentication" and make sure "Use same settings as incoming mail server" is selected (see attached image)
7) Click on "Advanced Tab"
8) Set outgoing Port (SMTP) to 25
9) Click Ok and then Test Account Settings

If it fails on send then repeat starting from 7.

7) Click on Advanced Tab
8) Set outgoing Port (SMTP) to 587 (See attached)

REFERENCES
https://www.powersurge.net/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=185



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This usually is a result of the mail server requiring authentication.
If you are using Outlook 2003, here are the steps to enable authentication:

Watch the Outlook 2003 Tutorial!

1. Open Outlook
2. Go to Tools | Email Accounts
3. "View or change existing e-mail accounts" should already be marked
4. Click Next
5. Select the Account with the trouble and click Change
6. Click on More Settings
7. Click on the Outgoing Server Tab
8. Click "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" and make sure "Use same settings as my incoming mail server" is selected
9. Click on the Advanced Tab
10. Set "Outgoing server (SMTP):" port to 26
11. Click OK and then Test Account Settings
12. If everything is fine and reports no errors,
    • Click Close.
    • Click Next.
    • Click Finish.
13. If an error does occur, it will switch to the Errors tab and display the error

Note: If you are still having errors, make sure your login username is your full email address and that the password is correct.

REFERENCES
https://www.bluehost.com/cgi/help/000218


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Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.
Subject: Insert files as printouts
Sent: 1/1/2009 12:12 PM
The following recipient(s) cannot be reached:
dest@host.com’ on 1/1/2009 12:12 PM
503 Valid RCPT command must precede DATA

Generally, when you get this error when sending a message from microsoft outlook, it is because you did not enable authentication for outgoing emails.
To fix this error open the outlook “tools menu” and select “account settings” , from there select “Change” while selecting the account you want to use from the list. Now click the “More settings” button and select “outgoing server”, click “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” and keep “Use same settings as for my incoming mail server”
Press Ok , next , finish, close, die
try it now, it should be working


REFERNCES
http://angrybyte.com/windows-hacks/503-valid-rcpt-command-must-precede-data-fix/