Email Diagnostic Error: 550 Unexpected response from SMTP server during TO address

[vBBurger]

Do you have OpenSSL and a proper certificate installed on the server?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ix-my-ssl-cert

PHP is saying that it can't even open an SSL connection.

Wayne Luke Yes. But lets forget the hotmail example. I only did that because I was told to try other SMTP servers.

The problem is that I can't use Rackspace's SMTP server - all of a sudden - after nothing changed in the settings, which had been working for months prior.

I went to my Magento install. It is using the same basic function. It allows you to enter an SMTP server, email, password, and port number. Emails send fine from there. So just to test it out, I entered everything exactly the same as what is in Magento. Same email account. Same password. Same Port. Same server name.

And in vBulletin I still got the "from TO address" error.

This proves that there is something wrong with my vBulletin.

I need a solution for this now. Ive been talking to myself in this thread for nearly 2 weeks. I've been manually activating accounts. What do I need to do, to get someone maybe on Skype to help troubleshoot this, and get it rsolved? I am not a programmer and I can't be expected to figure this out.

[Wayne Luke]

Did you install addons or anything else? Something had to happen on your end that changed functionality if it was working and suddenly it wasn't. The functionality for connecting to SMTP in vBulletin hasn't changed for years. Your specific issue has been determined to be a server configuration issue according to this bug here:

http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBIV-16117

[Paul M]

I should note: everything was working perfectly fine with this setup for months.

Then how do you figure the issue is vbulletin ?
It doesnt randomly stop working, something has changed on the server side (or on the remote SMTP server).

I also note you have tried a number of invalid combinations.
Note that Port 25 requires Secure = None, Port 587 requires Secure = TLS, Port 465 Requires Secure = SSL
Other combinations will generate errors (for example, SSL will almost certainly fail on port 587 with "SSL23_GET_SERVER_HELLO:unknown protocol")

There is at least one known issue with using TLS on some STMP services (like Amazon SES).
There can also be issues using port 465 since its long been deprecated, so not all STMP servers will handle it.
The TLS issue can be worked around in vB4.2.3 by using some new hooks, but again, since its been working ok for months, something has changed outside of vbulletin.

[vBBurger]

Then how do you figure the issue is vbulletin ?

Paul M

I have established that:

• Magento on the same box, same domain, using the same email/pass, SMTP settings, and same email server, is able to send mail just fine.
• The same email address and password, are working perfectly on Webmail, and able to send/receive.
• The same email address and password, smtp server, and port is working perfectly on MS Outlook, and able to send/receive.
• 2 hours with 5 Senior Linux Techs and 4 people from the Rackspace mail team have checked everything there is to check.

After 2 hours they told me to ask *you* for support on this issue. Because they understand that even if its related to the server environment, its still your software failing to work in that environment. I am not claiming to know that vBulletin itself is broken. I am claiming that vBulletin is failing to work in the current environment, and that you are the only ones who know what environment your software needs.

It doesnt randomly stop working, something has changed on the server side

Actually yes it does randomly stop working. I've been running this website for 16 years. One thing that is consistent among ALL open source software is that at some point they just randomly stop working.

Knowing why is your job. Not mine. You wrote this software. Maybe the PHP version is wrong. Maybe my server is running some software that causes problems for vBulletin only. Maybe rackspace email is doing something vBulletin doesn't like. No matter how you look at it however, the problem is vBulletin failing to work in a certain environment. Providing support is where you guys would typically come in, and help determine what environmental factor that is, rather than just saying "its not vBulletin".

I also note you have tried a number of invalid combinations.

The only smtp server I care about is the one I want to use: Rackspace. Those settings were not put in wrong. So wasting time showing why I am too dumb to set up gmail properly doesn't get us any closer (after 2 weeks) to solving the problem. To be quite honest I wonder if you're even interested in providing support or just trying to make me look dumb.

Let me just say this finally for the record:

The words "this isnt a vbulletin problem" should never be spoken. If vbulletin software fails to work properly, the problem is that vBulletins requirements are not being met. Environments change sometimes. Your end users can not be expected to know which environmental change is responsible for your software falling apart. Especially when others like Magento continue to work just fine in the same environment. But no matter how you look at it, the problem is your software failing to work properly in a specific environment. Providing support means helping users determine what it is about that environment that causes the problems.

Which basically means I've been given zero support. For two weeks.

[vBBurger]

Your specific issue has been determined to be a server configuration issue

Okay. Then tell me what is wrong with my server configuration. I can't be expected to know what server configurations would cause this specific error. It would help if this error actually said something useful as well. Maybe Paul M can work on that for future versions. But either way, this is your software. Only you know what it needs. Maybe ask to look at my server. Or log in to my Admin panel. This is what other software developers do as part of basic support. Magento isn't detecting any "server configuration issues". Why is vBulletin?

Wayne Luke

[Wayne Luke]

The error isn't coming from vBulletin. It is coming from the SMTP server and it says that you don't have a proper SSH certificate to connect.

[Paul M]

Actually yes it does randomly stop working.

No, it doesnt. Something has to change.

The words "this isnt a vbulletin problem" should never be spoken.

Of course they should (in this case typed, not spoken).
If its not a vbulletin problem then pretending otherwise isnt going to do anything.

But no matter how you look at it, the problem is your software failing to work properly in a specific environment.
Providing support means helping users determine what it is about that environment that causes the problems.

Which basically means I've been given zero support. For two weeks. [/COLOR][/I]

Support is provided for the product, not every possible environment, which is out of our control.
You have not been given zero support, several people including me have responded, we dont have crystal balls or magic wands.

To be quite honest I wonder if you're even interested in providing support or just trying to make me look dumb.

I have no interest in how dumb you may or may not look, however just ranting at people who are trying to help you wont get you very far.