SMTP outbound blocked

Wish it were good news, but...earlier today I:

1.) Called CS, wound up with clueless tech who only wanted to discuss setting up my email client (NOT the problem).  When I heard her start hemming and hawing when I said I use a Macintosh computer (many low level techs will immediately insist things won't work on Mac when they're simply too lazy or uninformed to gather the correct information), I asked to be transferred to higher-level support.  She sent me to Connect Tech, which asked for its $29.99.  The justification is that I'm using a "third party client" and not AT&T Webmail, which is the only email option AT&T is prepared to support.  I literally laughed before I more or less hung up on them (not rudely, but I don't see why I should pay $30 to use my work email address on DSL service I pay for).

2.) Tried online chat.  The tech said I had to upgrade to a business account to unblock 25 but couldn't tell me how much it would cost and said I had to call Sales.

Here's the backstory:  Sometime last fall (how I wish I had recorded when/who I spoke to) I called AT&T to register my two or three Yahoo/Comcast/Secureserver email addresses so I can send mail from 'em.  At that point I was told that was an option and that I needed to register said addresses to be able to use them.  I get that they need to battle spam, and can live with this as a compromise to having a blocked 25 but...only one of the three addresses (the Comcast one) will send mail.

I can't seem to find the proper bit of information I need to request this over again.  Guess I could call Tier 1 again, but the last tech didn't understand even what I was talking about...the web "help" pages have been redesigned and I can't find anything to do with this issue, just dum-dum information on what email is, how to press the "send" button etc.

Sigh.  Any info on where to go from here appreciated.  My issue is that I have to design a complicated email newsletter, with graphics and special fonts, and I simply can't do that using (anyone's) Webmail.

I think what I'll do is call back, record the Tier 1 agent's user name/info number or whatever and keep a paper trail so I can try every option to get hold of someone in Tier 2.  By the way, when I called I wasn't told there was a Tier 2 - was transferred directly to Connect Tech, which immediately asked for money to solve the problem.

Wow, this thread blew up here recently.

I'm really bummed out to see all the problems people are having trying to get SMTP unblocked.  I too had no problem at all the first time, took a couple minutes.  The first person I spoke to had it done and it was immeadiate.  No sweat at all.

This thread I started was because there was some crazy problem where their system SHOWED that 25 was already unblocked, but it wasn't really.

And what's with 143 now?  Wha?  Blocking 143???  That's ridiculous, AT&T!!!  That's just standard IMAP, not specific to exchange.  They aren't trying to block IMAP now, are they?  How the heck does that help fight spam?  Stupid.

Man, I'm really starting to regret giving up Comcast in favor of U-verse.  My connection was faster, and way more reliable.

Well, only thing I could suggest is continue being persistant.  I'm very interested to know if AT&T actually did change their policy regarding unblocking port 25 on request.  I'd have to drop AT&T if they stopped letting me run my own mailserver.  That'd certainly be the straw that breaks this camel's back, considering the very unstable service I've had so far.

I'm just not very happy with my service.  Having another service tech come out today to try to fix my unstable internet issues, fix my non-working 2nd ipTV receiver, and replace the dead PSU battery.  I'm a bit anxious over it, because the last time a tech came out to my house, he replaced some equipment, and that's when all this mess with SMTP being blocked again all happened.

But no, I would NEVER speak to Connect tech and pay money to have someone give me incorrect info.

Well, tech came and left.  He got my 2nd receiver working again, and showed me how my bonded pair install shouldn't be necissary.  He said he can't see why they even set me up with a bonded pair in the first place, and said the bonded pairs can be kind of flaky.

So I'm trying running with only one of the links up, and I'll see if that improves stability.

The important thing is that this time, my smtp outbound is still working.  Yay!  I was worried about that.

Great you're up and running again.

I don't understand what's up the port blocking lately either.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I now have an experience to share ...

I recently signed up for U-Verse DSL with the 8 static IP package in the Santa Clara, CA area.

Install went well, figured out how to config the statics on RG so far, etc.

However as many others have experienced, outbound SMTP on port 25 is blocked.

After reading many (many!) other peoples' experiences here and elsewhere, and because I'd

had a good experience with them for another issue, I decided to try emailing u-versecare@att.com

to unblock port 25 for my address range.

FYI, the folks responding to my emails to that address have email signatures which say:

AT&T U-Verse Tier II Technical Support

Social Media Support Team

So I had hope I was reaching knowledgeable people who could actually help me -- the forums

almost always say "talk to Tier II to get help".

But cutting to the chase:  the technician tells me:

   "The port 25 filter is set to protect our network from spammers. Since
     your account is labeled as a Consumer account there is a onetime fee to
     unblock the port 25 filter. I can unblock the port if you will allow the
     charge of $29 to be added to your account."

So it sounds like I've found someone who can/will fix the situation, but there's the infamous

$29 fee again that I've read so much about.

Any advice on how to handle this before I agree to the $29 fee (ransom?) to restore acces

to port 25 ?  I never had to do anything like this in 10+ years as a regular DSL customer,

and never had blocked access to any common network services ports.

Matt, who used to be on the Social Media Support team has stated over on DSL Reports that the $29 has been officially instituted and can't be waived, unfortunately.

My guess would be that AT&T wants only people who seriously have the need to have port 25 unblocked to have it done.  Many power users used to call and request the port be unblocked "just because" when they didn't really need or make use of that functionality.

You might, however, pay the $29 fee to have it unblocked, and then call billing and see if they can give you a small promotion on the TV service to make up for it.

Thanks SomeJoe7777 -- interesting news about the $29.  I (politely) asked the Tier-II Social Media Support

Team technician for a pointer/URL/etc. which documents the fee policy.

I can understand AT&T's stance on not wanting spam to originate from their networks, and I can even

understand (to a lesser degree) the fee to unblock port 25.  My issue at this point is the way AT&T/U-verse

handle (don't handle) disclosing their policy and the fee.

E.g. if it were clearly stated or documented up-front during the customer sign-up phase, it wouldn't come as

a surprise and perhaps wouldn't be as objectionable to some people.

Fortunately I wasn't taken completely by surprise at the block nor the fee, from reading other's experiences

here in the forums; but it still seems to me that AT&T/U-Verse are doing a disservice to their customers by

not being more forthcoming, and effectively forcing us to rely on rumor, guesses, tribal knowledge, etc.

- I thought every ISP blocked outgoing port 25.  I first encountered this with ATT (then SBC) about 10 years ago on a regular old DSL line.  I formally had COMCAST at home and they blocked it as well.

- The company I use to host my email provides port 587 as an alternative for outgoing mail. gmail also supports 587. This works fine for client to server connections on UVERSE and COMCAST. I've never had the need to run SMTP at home, so I don't know if server to server connections work on this port or not.

- even the guys explaining how to set up Outlook should have this information.

Not all ISPs block outgoing port 25.  Many ISPs have customers who run their own mail/SMTP servers and therefore require

the ability to send messages to other mail servers and relays, on port 25.

In fact, I ran my own domain and mailservers on AT&T residential DSL (not U-Verse) for 10+ years and port 25 was never

blocked, nor was it ever even an issue as far as I know.  Of course, as has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, "not

all AT&T's are created equal".  🙂  That is, what may be (have been) the case for PacBell could be different for SWBell etc.

The point about alternate ports is fine for some mail clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc), but as noted -- it doesn't apply if

you are running a mail server and need to deliver mail messages to/from other mail servers.