Did You Change Your Outgoing SMTP Server Settings?

"Did you change your outgoing SMTP server settings?," he asked me. I had no idea how to answer. I mean, what in the world is an SMTP server (outgoing or otherwise), and why would I need to change it's settings? I soon learned that it was actually a sensible question, and that I did indeed need to change those settings. Want to hear my story?

I got that strange-sounding question from a tech at work, when I was explaining that I could receive email on the road, but not send any. He explained to me that the SMTP server is what takes the outgoing messages that I send from Outlook, and passes them on to their destinations.

It turns out that companies are changing the way they set up their SMTP servers to protect against outsiders using the company's email system to send their junk mail or viruses. That's all pretty cool, but if your email program is set up to use the default settings, you are probably going to have a problem when you are not connected directly to the local network. This was my problem, and once I changed the SMTP settings, my sending problems were solved.

All that is my clumsy way of saying that if you can receive email when you are away, but not send it, you probably have to change the outgoing SMTP server settings to match the security setup of the company that handles your email. You don't really have to understand how it all works (I don't) but I hope you now least now have a better idea of questions to ask whoever you go to with your email questions.