Paypal Standard Payments IPN error

Setting up Zcart 1.5.1 with paypal standard payments. Host is Godaddy (yes I know they suck). When I run a transaction in Live mode, the debug log shows an IPN error "could not establish fsockopen" Unable to find the socket transport "http". The error is occurring at the return to the cart after Paypal processing is complete. Have setup the return URL to
"http://www.swuniquities.com/index.php?main_page=checkout_process" per the instruction for Paypal Payments Standard, and when paypal attempts to return to the cart, the program hangs on a blank screen.

apparently, zencart is sending a IPN message to paypal formatted as "http://live:80" and paypal is not recognizing the host name of "live". This seems to be a result of $web[host] been assigned a value of "live" in line 441 of paypal_functions.php because MODULE_PAYMENT_PAYPAL_HANDLER was assigned a value of "live" in paypal.php.
Makes no sense to me, and can not find an error in the code.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question, but there's no reason I'm aware of to use Paypal Standard anymore. Switching to Paypal Express will solve most connection issues.

Fixed... Was missing an outdate for 1.5.3. Had a hybrid 1.5.1/1.5.3 paypal config.

chinonknee:

Fixed... Was missing an outdate for 1.5.3. Had a hybrid 1.5.1/1.5.3 paypal config.

It's good that you fixed it, but as stevesh stated "there's no reason I'm aware of to use Paypal Standard anymore".

PayPal express is a much more reliable option (and still provides the IPN functionality if/when needed. For example, to update the store when an echeck has been cleared).

As well as being more reliable, the PP Express provides a means of an instant payment so there is less chance of the customer leaving the store and then deciding they don't want the purchase and not submitting payment.

Cheers
RodG

chinonknee:

Fixed... Was missing an outdate for 1.5.3. Had a hybrid 1.5.1/1.5.3 paypal config.
Yes, your symptoms were exactly a result of using v1.5.1 code against a 1.5.3 database.