Re: SMTP Server Port Number

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance



Until the "transition" is complete, what does the RFC say is the proper SMTP
port???

Per the RFC:

Port 587 is reserved for email message submission as specified in
this document. Messages received on this port are defined to be
submissions. The protocol used is ESMTP [SMTP-MTA, ESMTP], with
additional restrictions as specified here.

While most email clients and servers can be configured to use port
587 instead of 25, there are cases where this is not possible or
convenient. A site MAY choose to use port 25 for message submission,
by designating some hosts to be MSAs and others to be MTAs.

So, per the definition from the RFC, Port 587 is for ESMTP, not SMTP.

Really, is all this hair-splitting necessary?


--?
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, N. Miller asked:

| On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 22:43:34 -0700, Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
| wrote:
|
|| I know there are alternate ports but by definition, SMTP uses Port
|| 25 by default.
|
| SMTP, by definition, is "Simple Message Transfer Protocol":
|
| http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2821.html
|
| Sending email from a client is no longer considered "message
| transfer"; and has not been since, oh, 1998. Sending email from a
| client has been defined as "message submission" since, oh, 1998:
|
| http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2476.html
|
| That last RFC defines the "message submission" port. Internet email is
| currently in a state of transition to the those not-so-new
| definitions.


.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: SMTP SSL on Port Other than 25
    ... > use SSL/TLS over SMTP on a port other than 25. ... expertise with MS Outlook to offer a solution. ... and its predecessor, RFC 821, describe the SMTP protocol. ... which allows for authenticated connections by Message Submission Agents ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook)
  • Re: SMTP SSL on Port Other than 25
    ... >>connect to any other SMTP server to relay email to a destination. ... >>which allows for authenticated connections by Message Submission Agents ... a port for "Message Submission". ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook)
  • Re: [Full-Disclosure] Proposal: how to notify owners of compromised PCs
    ... > port 587 to be a message submission port for MUAs, ... "A site MAY choose to use port 25 for message submission, ... This is in fact our preferred mode of operation at example.com, ... When this happened with my ISP, ...
    (Full-Disclosure)
  • MSOE6 & START TLS
    ... With more ISPs getting on the port 25 blocking bandwagon, ... mail providers are implementing RFC 2476, the "Message Submission" standard. ... RFC 2476 describes the authentication method used as "START TLS". ... If you pay your $19.99US a year for Yahoo! ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • Re: "Offenes" SMTP-Relay mal anders
    ... Und wo muss derjenige, der einen Dienst auf Port 25 laufen hat, auch ... Wenn der Dienst SMTP spricht, ... Standards wie RFC 2821 zu arbeiten. ...
    (de.comp.security.misc)