Sending emails through SMTP with PHPMailer

Question

I'm trying to send SMTP e-mails using PHPMailer, but I keep getting this error message, any ideas how to get rid of it?
I'm trying to connect via SSL on port 465.

SMTP -> FROM SERVER: 
SMTP -> FROM SERVER: 
SMTP -> ERROR: EHLO not accepted from server: 

Notice: fputs() [function.fputs]: send of 18 bytes failed with errno=32 Roura přerušena (SIGPIPE) in /home/www/amazonek.cz/subdomains/library/PHPMailer_v5.1/class.smtp.php on line 494
SMTP -> FROM SERVER: 
SMTP -> ERROR: HELO not accepted from server: 

Notice: fputs() [function.fputs]: send of 12 bytes failed with errno=32 Roura přerušena (SIGPIPE) in /home/www/amazonek.cz/subdomains/library/PHPMailer_v5.1/class.smtp.php on line 212
SMTP -> ERROR: AUTH not accepted from server: 
SMTP Error: Could not authenticate.

My code:

  require_once('../library/PHPMailer_v5.1/class.phpmailer.php');

        try{
            $mail = new PHPMailer(true);
            $mail->IsSMTP();
            $mail->SMTPAuth = true;
            $mail->Host = SMTP_SERVER;
            $mail->Port = SMTP_PORT;
            $mail->Username = SMTP_USERNAME;
            $mail->Password = SMTP_PASSWORD;
            $mail->SMTPDebug = 2;
            $mail->SetFrom(MAIL_ORDERS_ADDRESS, MAIL_ORDERS_NAME);
            $mail->Subject = 'AMAZONEK.cz - objednávka číslo '.$_SESSION['orderId'];
            $mail->MsgHTML('<b>Ahoj</b>');
            $mail->AddAddress($_SESSION['user']['email'], $_SESSION['user']['name'].' '.$_SESSION['user']['surname']);
            $mail->AddBCC(MAIL_ORDERS_ADDRESS, MAIL_ORDERS_NAME);

            if(!$mail->Send()) throw new Exception($mail->ErrorInfo);
        }
        catch(Exception $e){
            echo $e->getMessage();
        }

Constants definition:

define('SMTP_SERVER', 'smtp.ebola.cz');
define('SMTP_PORT', 465);
define('SMTP_USERNAME', 'myEmail@myDomain.tld');
define('SMTP_PASSWORD', '***CENSORED***');

define('MAIL_ORDERS_ADDRESS', 'myEmail@myDomain.tld');
define('MAIL_ORDERS_NAME', 'My Name');

Any ideas?

Answer 1

As far as I can see everything is right with your code. Your error is:

SMTP Error: Could not authenticate.

Which means that the credentials you've sending are rejected by the SMTP server. Make sure the host, port, username and password are good.

If you want to use TLS, try adding:

$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';

If you want to use SSL, try adding:

$mail->SMTPSecure = 'ssl';

Keep in mind that:

• Some SMTP servers can forbid connections from "outsiders".
• Some SMTP servers don't support SSL (or TLS) connections.

Maybe this example can help (GMail secure SMTP).

Answer 2

Try to send an e-mail through that SMTP server manually/from an interactive mailer (e.g. Mozilla Thunderbird). From the errors, it seems the server won't accept your credentials. Is that SMTP running on the port, or is it SSL+SMTP? You don't seem to be using secure connection in the code you've posted, and I'm not sure if PHPMailer actually supports SSL+SMTP.

(First result of googling your SMTP server's hostname: http://podpora.ebola.cz/idx.php/0/006/article/Strucny-technicky-popis-nastaveni-sluzeb.html seems to say "SMTPs mail sending: secure SSL connection,port: 465" . )

It looks like PHPMailer does support SSL; at least from this. So, you'll need to change this:

define('SMTP_SERVER', 'smtp.ebola.cz');

into this:

define('SMTP_SERVER', 'ssl://smtp.ebola.cz');

Answer 3

try port 25 instead of 456.

I got the same error when using port 456, and changing it to 25 worked for me.

Answer 4

This may seem like a shot in the dark but make sure PHP has been complied with OpenSSL if SMTP requires SSL.

To check use phpinfo()

Hope it helps!

Answer 5

Yes, you need OpenSSL to work correctly. My backup testing site worked, my live server didn't. Difference? Live server didn't have OpenSSL within PHP configuration.

Answer 6

SMTP -> FROM SERVER:
SMTP -> FROM SERVER:
SMTP -> ERROR: EHLO not accepted from server:

that's typical of trying to connect to a SSL service with a client that's not using SSL

SMTP Error: Could not authenticate.

no suprise there having failed to start an SMTP conversation authentigation is not an option,.

phpmailer doesn't do implicit SSL (aka TLS on connect, SMTPS) Short of rewriting smtp.class.php to include support for it there it no way to do what you ask.

Use port 587 with explicit SSL (aka TLS, STARTTLS) instead.

Answer 7

I had very similar problem for something like an hour, until I figured out what went wrong. My problem was, that I used SSL, instead of ssl. Check is case sensitive in the code. AlexV guided me to the source of the problem. That helo/ehlo -stuff seems irrelevant.

Answer 8

Simple smtp client with php stream socket with tls/ssl smtp STARTTLS command: https://github.com/breakermind/PhpMimeParser/blob/master/PhpSmtpSslSocketClient.php

works with gmail.com with authenticate:

<?php
// Login email and password
$login = "your-email@cool.xx";
$pass = "123456";

ini_set('display_errors', 1);
ini_set('display_startup_errors', 1);
error_reporting(E_ALL);

$ctx = stream_context_create();
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'verify_peer', false);
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'verify_peer_name', false);
try{
    // echo $socket = stream_socket_client('ssl://smtp.gmail.com:587', $err, $errstr, 60, STREAM_CLIENT_CONNECT, $ctx);
    echo $socket = stream_socket_client('tcp://smtp.gmail.com:587', $err, $errstr, 60, STREAM_CLIENT_CONNECT, $ctx);
    if (!$socket) {
        print "Failed to connect $err $errstr\n";
        return;
    }else{
        // Http
        // fwrite($socket, "GET / HTTP/1.0\r\nHost: www.example.com\r\nAccept: */*\r\n\r\n");
        // Smtp
        echo fread($socket,8192);
        echo fwrite($socket, "EHLO cool.xx\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        // Start tls connection
        echo fwrite($socket, "STARTTLS\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo stream_socket_enable_crypto($socket, true, STREAM_CRYPTO_METHOD_SSLv23_CLIENT);

        // Send ehlo
        echo fwrite($socket, "EHLO cool.xx\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        // echo fwrite($socket, "MAIL FROM: <hello@cool.com>\r\n");
        // echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, "AUTH LOGIN\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, base64_encode($login)."\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, base64_encode($pass)."\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, "rcpt to: <to-email@boome.com>\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, "DATA\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, "Date: ".time()."\r\nTo: <to-email@boome.com>\r\nFrom:<zour-email@cool.xx\r\nSubject:Hello from php socket tls\r\n.\r\n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        echo fwrite($socket, "QUIT \n");
        echo fread($socket,8192);

        /* Turn off encryption for the rest */
        // stream_socket_enable_crypto($fp, false);

        fclose($socket);
    }
}catch(Exception $e){
    echo $e;
}