Email Stopped Working! Please Help!

The email on my site just stopped working for no reason that I can see!

Last email was 4-days ago, and before that time, all new account and order emails, as well as contact-us mail was working fine! Then just stopped!

On the 24th (4-days ago), I added a banner on the main-page, but that is it! Haven't done anything else, and can't see a relation with a banner and email!

I'm hosted with GODaddy (I know, 1st strike), and using "sendmail" through a gmail account!

I know all is setup correctly, as it has been working fine! I really hope some one has some advice! :shocking:

You will have to check that GD and Gmail have not changed anything

IMO I do not understand why one would use gmail for a business??

kobra:

You will have to check that GD and Gmail have not changed anything

IMO I do not understand why one would use gmail for a business??

Thanks Kobra! I would generally agree about gmail for business, but in my case I provide a service to business owners (contractors), out of which, probably 90% of them use gmail anyway!

How would I check or what would I look for to know if GD or gmail changed anything? What could they change that would stop this from working?

Thanks for your help....

I assume that your method is SMTPAUTH
Set admin > config > email options > Email Archiving Active? > to on only for awhile
Check that you can send from the admin manually
If ZenCart is transferring mail to your hosts mail server, then the issue lies there as once handed off ZenCart has no more control over it

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Email_Problems
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Understanding_Causes_Of_Lost_Emails

kobra:

I assume that your method is SMTPAUTH
Set admin > config > email options > Email Archiving Active? > to on only for awhile
Check that you can send from the admin manually
If ZenCart is transferring mail to your hosts mail server, then the issue lies there as once handed off ZenCart has no more control over it

Thanks Kobra! Can't use SMTPAUTH with gmail as far as I know. I've been using sendmail, as I'm on Linux hosting, and as I said, it was working!

Just got off the phone with GoDaddy, and as I figured, they were unable to help. One strange thing though... The rep was able to send mail to me using the site Contact form, both from the server directly, and using an outside server, but yet it does not work for me! :(

I can't send from the admin, or from the contact-us on the site! Just don't understand it!

DrByte:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Email_Problems
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Understanding_Causes_Of_Lost_Emails

Thanks DrByte! The links are some useful info, but couldn't find any reason within them as to my problem!

Seems that much points toward NOT using the free email (gmail and such), but although my Zen Cart store is relatively new, my gmail address has 3-4 hundred customers attached to it, and has been in use for more then 3 yrs! Would be really hard to change...

Any ideas what/where to look in gmail to see what may have changed, or other possible ideas to fix it? Getting desperate! :wacko:

Can't use SMTPAUTH with gmail as far as I know.
I have a gmail account that I use my local email client to collect it and respond from

Incoming mail[POP3} = pop.gmail.com
Outgoing Mail[SMTP] = smtp.gmail.com

And to be able to send "My Server Requires Authentication"

Which indicates that one must first log into the pop server to be able to send

So From here it looks as though you need to set the method to SMTPAUTH and provide the details in ZenCart

E-Mail Transport Method = SMTPAUTH
SMTP Email Account Mailbox = you at gmail.com
SMTP Email Account Password = XXXXXXXX
SMTP Email Mail Host = smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Email Mail Server Port = 995 or 465

kobra:

I have a gmail account that I use my local email client to collect it and respond from

Incoming mail[POP3} = pop.gmail.com
Outgoing Mail[SMTP] = smtp.gmail.com

And to be able to send "My Server Requires Authentication"

Which indicates that one must first log into the pop server to be able to send

So From here it looks as though you need to set the method to SMTPAUTH and provide the details in ZenCart

E-Mail Transport Method = SMTPAUTH
SMTP Email Account Mailbox = you at gmail.com
SMTP Email Account Password = XXXXXXXX
SMTP Email Mail Host = smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Email Mail Server Port = 995 or 465

No good, Kobra! I too have an email client where I have 3-gmail accts coming in, all with the same settings that you have above. Just doesn't seem to work for ZC! Nothing received from the Contact-Us, and when I try to send from the admin I get.. " ERROR: Failed sending email to: "xxxxx" with subject: "xxxxx" SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host."

In one of the links that DrByte posted, I also found this..

SMTP/SMTPAUTH is the venerable granddaddy of them all. The original mail transport, used by every internet mail server to interchange mail. As such, it is extremely standardised and cast in stone, and is also the most robust of the transports.

That said, the only auth functionality that the version of phpMailer in ZC v1.3 offers, is PLAIN, so the likes of the Gmail servers are not usable, as they use TLS or SSL encryption. (v1.3.8a has some improvements to aid in this, so YMMV.)

zapme1:

Thanks DrByte! The links are some useful info, but couldn't find any reason within them as to my problem!
Perhaps the part about your server getting blacklisted might be part of the problem?

Scratch that.
Your server isn't reaching your email server:> zapme1:

I get.. " ERROR: Failed sending email to: "xxxxx" with subject: "xxxxx" SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host."
This suggests that your hosting company has changed things such that your server cannot connect to the other server.
Could be a blocked port.
Could be broken server (internal) SSL? TLS? etc

So, yes, seems like GoDaddy problem.

What version of Zen Cart are you using?

DrByte:

Perhaps the part about your server getting blacklisted might be part of the problem?

Ouch! :shocking:
I did see that link, so probably should check. Do I check with my domain's IP?

DrByte:

Scratch that.
Your server isn't reaching your email server:
This suggests that your hosting company has changed things such that your server cannot connect to the other server.
Could be a blocked port.
Could be broken server (internal) SSL? TLS? etc

So, yes, seems like GoDaddy problem.

What version of Zen Cart are you using?

I'm current with 1.3.9h. Guess I need to get back on the phone with GD! It is strange that when I called earlier, that they were successful in sending mail with my contact form (twice), but I can't!

The port setting for outgoing mail is 465, but if this was blocked by them, wouldn't that also prevent sending mail from my email client as well?

Update: Ok, missed "scratch that" in your reply, so guess we're down to the GD issue!

The port setting for outgoing mail is 465, but if this was blocked by them, wouldn't that also prevent sending mail from my email client as well?
Your local email client connects directly and not through the GD servers
I did see that link, so probably should check. Do I check with my domain's IP?

http://www.mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

Enter the mail server

kobra:

Your local email client connects directly and not through the GD servers

http://www.mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

Enter the mail server

Thanks Kobra! Understood about the client. Makes sense, so back to GD!

Good news is, upon a black list check, I am "all green" and not listed with any of the 103 blacklists returned, so good news there.... :lookaroun

So, now back on the phone with GD! Will post the results shortly.

BTW: I really appreciate all the help, Kobra & DrByte! Feel like you guys have helped me narrow it down, so now on to beat up GD!

Good news is, upon a black list check, I am "all green"
What maile server did you enter??
If you entered your domain then it would come back green as your domain does not run it's own mail server
You need to enter the GD mail server

As far as blacklisting goes, if you're sending your email through gmail, then it would be google's servers handling your mail ... and while google isn't perfect I imagine they've got some sort of arrangement which prevents them from being blacklisted.

But, as I said, "Could not connect to SMTP host" messages mean that your webstore can't connect to the specified mailserver to send the emails. That's got nothing to do with being blacklisted.

Ditto...DrByte
I forgot that you were sending through gmail

Well, another 45 minutes on the phone with GD, and another dead-end! They swear that they do not block any ports, and that their server is working fine.

Again they tried to send from my contact-us, and it worked! Just so strange that it works for them and no one else. Really makes me think that the issue does exist with them, but can't seem to get them to do anything!

I think that my only work-around is to setup an email on my domain, and somehow try to incorporate "through" gmail, so as not to confuse my customers.

Just haven't decided how to do that yet. Guess i will sleep on it and try tomorrow with a fresh brain.... I really need to fix this quick, so that if someone tries to contact me and I don't answer (or get it), I don't want to have them think I'm just not responding!

Which URL is this with?

Have you tried having some friends or colleagues test the form for you and see whether it works for them?

DrByte:

Which URL is this with?

Have you tried having some friends or colleagues test the form for you and see whether it works for them?

It is for Ohio Electrical Training!

Yes, I had my neighbor try, my daughter on the other side of town, as well as one of my existing students! results were all the same! :(

Interesting. It just worked fine for me.