[FX.php List] Yikes! mail() has stopped working

[Stephen Knight]

The mail function as well as SMTP connections have been known to drop due to
ISP restrictions. A few weeks back I was attempting to use the PEAR SMTP
class to deliver the mail since my localhost did not have a mail server -
when monitoring my packets it was clear that the SMTP connection was
immediately closed. After some research this was due to port 25 being
blocked by the ISP - your ISP might have similar restrictions. Also have you
tried different email addresses (on different hosts), I suspect some might
be blocking SMTP connections from domains that do not have proper mail
credentials, since that could be the case with a local server. 

But all that is under the assumption that the server is hosted on a
residential or a small business ISP connection - in a data center, I would
be looking at the mail server logs instead. 


In Kindness
Stephen K Knight
http://www.fmwebschool.com
800.353.7950 / 386.453.5843
FMWebschool, we bring the web to life 
FX.PHP PHP XML MySQL CDML ASP

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This Electronic Mail (e-mail) contains confidential
and privileged information intended only for the use of the individual or
entity to which it is sent. If the reader of this message is not the
intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivery to the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination,
distribution, or copying of this communication is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If
you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the
sender by reply e-mail or telephone.

-----Original Message-----
From: fx.php_list-bounces at mail.iviking.org
[mailto:fx.php_list-bounces at mail.iviking.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Schwartz
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 1:52 AM
To: FX.php Discussion List
Subject: [FX.php List] Yikes! mail() has stopped working

Talk about coincidence.  Just as I was about to pro-actively beef up the
mail() function in my scripts, the function stopped working.

I've spent most of the day trying to revive it, to no avail.

To test, I just have a one line script
<? mail( "me at mydomain.com", "My Subject","My Message", "From: 
admin at mydomain.com); ?>

When I run the script on the server, it runs without error.  Watching the
EIMS mail server console, the SMTP connection opens and then immediately
closes.  No message is received.  No errors in the log.

When I run the exact same script from my local machine using localhost, the
script also runs fine and also delivers the mail as desired.

Have to conclude that it is PHP/mail()/SMTP/Sendmail/whatever is broken on
the server, and not the email server.

I just don't know how to go about finding the problem other than performing
the tests I have already done to isolate the problem. 
And, I'm nit sure f I should be looking under the covers at PHP or OS X
Server.

I really need to revive the email() function...fast.

Thanks

Jonathan

-- 

Jonathan Schwartz
FileMaker 8 Certified  Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance Schwartz & Company
jonathan at eschwartz.com http://www.eschwartz.com http://www.exit445.com
415-381-1852

_______________________________________________
FX.php_List mailing list
FX.php_List at mail.iviking.org
http://www.iviking.org/mailman/listinfo/fx.php_list