Won’t connect to Office 365

  • Resolved nikolajm13

    (@nikolajm13)


    1 year, 2 months ago

    Hi,

    I’m trying to set up SMTP for my client, but it won’t connect no matter what i try.

    I have been in touch with Microsoft, and they said the problem is not on their side. I have attached the full report: 

    Versions:
    WordPress: 6.7.1
    WordPress MS: No
    PHP: 8.2.27
    WP Mail SMTP: 4.3.0

    Params:
    Mailer: smtp
    Constants: No
    ErrorInfo: SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host. Failed to connect to serverSMTP server error: Failed to connect to server SMTP code: 110 Additional SMTP info: Connection timed out
    Host: smtp.office365.com
    Port: 587
    SMTPSecure:    tls
    SMTPAutoTLS:bool(true)
    SMTPAuth:bool(true)

    Server:
    OpenSSL: OpenSSL 3.0.2 15 Mar 2022

    Debug:
    Email Source: WP Mail SMTP Mailer: Other SMTP SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host. Failed to connect to serverSMTP server error: Failed to connect to server SMTP code: 110 Additional SMTP info: Connection timed out

    SMTP Debug:
    2025-01-06 21:12:51 Connection: opening to smtp.office365.com:587, timeout=30, options=array()
    2025-01-06 21:13:21 Connection failed. Error #2: stream_socket_client(): Unable to connect to smtp.office365.com:587 (Connection timed out) [/customers/8/7/c/c2nfq9api/webroots/67abf991/wp-includes/PHPMailer/SMTP.php line 412]
    2025-01-06 21:13:21 SMTP ERROR: Failed to connect to server: Connection timed out (110)
    SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host. Failed to connect to server

    Please help me. Thank you in advance.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • David

    (@dpinson)

    1 year, 2 months ago

    Hi there @nikolajm13,

    Thanks for reaching out! Based on the error you’re seeing, your site is not able to reach the Outlook SMTP server. This may be due to a restrictive firewall setting.

    That said, there is also something else to be aware of regarding Outlook’s SMTP service.

    Recently, Microsoft updated their email service connections by removing Basic authentication. This change affects users trying to connect via their SMTP server using the “Other SMTP” mailer. Unfortunately, because of these changes on Microsoft’s end, we can’t re-enable Basic authentication. This change prevents SMTP plugins like ours as well as other software from being able to connect to Outlook over SMTP.

    The good news is that you can still connect to Outlook using the Outlook mailer in WP Mail SMTP Pro, which uses Modern authentication with OAuth2 for a secure connection. However, it’s important to note that Microsoft no longer supports this connection method for free accounts. If you have a paid Azure account, a Microsoft 365 account or other upgraded Microsoft account, you should still be able to create the necessary credentials for the Outlook mailer.

    Check out this guide in our documentation. It walks through setting up a connection to Outlook using the Outlook mailer, and includes screenshots of each step in the process: https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-set-up-the-outlook-mailer-in-wp-mail-smtp/

    And in case it helps, we have a video walkthrough on setting up a connection to Outlook. The presenter goes over each step in the process, so you’re able to see exactly what they see as they connect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4IClPHbg3k

    I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

    I hope that helps! Have a great day!

    Thread Starter nikolajm13

    (@nikolajm13)

    1 year, 2 months ago

    Thanks for responding!

    Will the problem be solved by using the Pro version? And isn’t there any free alternatives to set up outlook.

    David

    (@dpinson)

    1 year, 2 months ago

    Hi there @nikolajm13,

    Using the Pro version goes around the problem because it has the Outlook Mailer built in, which uses Microsoft’s API rather than their SMTP server.

    The issue you’re running into has to do with two things:

    1. Your connection looks like it’s not making it to Outlook, which typically means it is being blocked by a firewall. A lot of web hosts block outgoing SMTP connections, which would also prevent you from reaching the Outlook SMTP servers. Basically, they’ve locked the door and aren’t letting the connection through. You can ask your host to allow the connection, but it’s up to them as to whether they will (we don’t run across many that do). If they do allow the connection, you’ll run into issue number 2:
    2. Outlook changed how their SMTP service works. Because of those changes, you still would not be able to connect via SMTP. They removed a connection method that SMTP plugins connect through, and since that’s gone, we just aren’t able to connect that way anymore. The Outlook Mailer in the Pro version use the API, which doesn’t have this problem (and gets around the firewall issue mentioned above).

    If you’re looking for a free service to send from, you could try switching to Brevo. They have a free tier available that many people use (myself included). All versions of WP Mail SMTP can connect to it via a built-in mailer, which uses the Brevo API.

    If you’d like to check it out, this guide in our documentation walks through setting up a connection to Brevo, and includes screenshots of each step in the process: https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-set-up-the-sendinblue-mailer-in-wp-mail-smtp/

    That would get your email working again with a free service.

    I hope that helps! Have a great day!

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

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