Mail not send, new twist

Question

Qwest.net cancelled my email service without warning (yes, I was paid up- they just stopped offering that package!!) So I kept the Qwest.net basic ISP (no email boxes, just net access) and registered a domain with Emerald Web Host. I set up several new email boxes.
POP and SMTP server settings are
mail.mydomain.com or the numeric IP address provided by the host xx.xx.xxx.xxx. Server Option settings: no authorization, port 25 assigned. (I also tried it with authorization account, password in different combos with port 25, 110, 587. Different results, but let's stay with the no auth for now)
So, the usual story. POP works fine (incoming mail), SMTP (outgoing) returns error:
"Cannot send message using the server xx.xx.xxx.155.
The server response was: Adminstrative porhibition.
Try again using another server XYZ?." (XYZ doesn't send either).
Here's the twist - If I close the email (red button), choose Save as Draft, then open Drafts folder and select/open the email and click the send button . . . IT SENDS! Same story when connected via Comcast accross town, cafe' wireless, etc. Reproducable result. Sends from draft folder every time. What a hassle, though.
OK this is almost how Mail acted before with Quest.net. Incoming worked fine, Outgoing only worked if I clicked Get Mail just before Send Mail. At the the new host, I want send with one click instead of two or three.
Here is what I have done so far:
Trashed Launch Services plist and both cstor files
Trashed Outbox.mbox
repaired permissions
System mainenance, all three (MacJanitor)
relaunch mail
restart
Host thinks it's an Apple Mail thang, but they would love to know how to advize customers for success.
Is Quest blocking port 25? I tried the local Qwest smtp server address. No send - I have no email account at Qwest and therefore, no username or password.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
-B

Answer 1

Hi, Allen - thanks for reply, you seem to take on this issue all the time.
Re older issue of need to Get Mail before successful send: At that time, Qwest was ISP and email provider. The need to collect mail prior to successful send varied in time. Some times the send would work for a minute or two after a Get Mail, sometimes not. Never more than 5 or 10 minutes, though. I guess the authentication timed out at different rates.
Re new "Save to Draft" twist: Qwest is ISP, Emerald is webhost. I spoke with Qwest (misspelled earlier as "quest") techsupport: no restrictions at Qwest on port 25, nor any other special requirements of smtp servers outside of Qwest network. I have 5 email email accounts on my webhost. Of the 5, 4 need Save to Draft for successful send. 1 sends successfully each time (at least today). I can copy the setting format to the 4, but they still need Save to Draft for send. Get Mail prior to Send does not help.
Mail Preference Settings for the one that works:
Account Information
Outgoing Server: mail.domain name
Server Setting
Port 25
SSL off
Authentication -None
(if set for Password w/ID and PW filled, then Save as Draft still needed)
Advanced Settings
Enable Y
Include for auto check Y
Remove copy from server Right away Y
Prompt for large message N
Port: 110 SSL N
Auth: Password
Sometimes a Send results in a 15 second spin of the Send progress dial thingy instead of the server error message, and then an outbox appears with the message in it. Otherwise, there is no outbox icon visible in my sidebar. Is that how Mail is supposed to work - no outbox unless there are messages qued for send?
My next step is to remake each "bad" mailbox at host and at each account in my Mail. I already did this once, to no avail, but it may be worth another try.
OR other suggestion?
-B
PB G4 1.33   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   1 GB RAM