SMTP Port question

[Nadia]

I was looking through and noticed that next to where it shows SMTP as an item included in a plan it also says ports 25 and 26 in parenthesis. What do the ports do? Do I need to be able to open those ports or what? I've not done much in reference to ports so I'm clueless. Thanks in advance.

[dave]

Some internet providers block outbound connections on port 25 (standard sending port for email). This means that you cannot send email through any mail server but that internet provider from inside their network. We run multiple ports so that customers on internet connections where port 25 is blocked can simply switch to port 26 and use our services as intended.

[Nadia]

So that is yet another of your added bonuses basically and not something that is a must for hosts to offer rather your way of making the customer have a better experience with your services. Does it take much effort in order to switch from the one port to the other if needed?

[dave]

That's correct it is something that not all hosts do (although they should).

Ir order to switch to port 26 you typically just go to the advanced properties of your email account setup in your mail application and change the port from 25 to 26. It's different for all email applications so we provide help via support tickets for that function if needed. However most users stumble across it within a minute or 2 so I would say it's pretty simple.

[linker]

I've never heard of this feature before and I'm glad that you are helping the clients obtain the best service.

Why does internet providers block port 25? Is this port dedicated for the ISP email only? Will it be alright if I setup my email of my domain to port 25 even if it is already used by my ISP email?

[dave]

Mostly to block outbound spam on their networks like when a clients computer gets infected by a virus and tries to start relaying email. It's a very crude solution and it hinders the capability of their subscribers. ISP mail servers are typically slow and prone to issues because they serve so many people.

[Nadia]

Thanks so much Dave for being so helpful and answering in such a detailed way. I think I've learned more in this forum recently than I have with all those e-books I bought!

[Seth]

Are the ports 25 and 26 the only ports that can be used for emails? I know very little about setting up ports but are there any more ports that can be used for dedicated email service?

[dave]

We only run port 25 and 26 for smtp, there would be no reason to use anything else.

[Taz423]

How do I set up my router to forward ports from the Internet to my computer?  It sounds complicated, maybe I should hire someone to set it up for me, or can it be done with the proper instructions.

[dave]

What Manufacturer and Model router do you have?