“Could not authenticate” usually indicates that you can connect to the server but some of your details are wrong. Most common cause is a bad username or password, but trying to use the wrong port/encryption could give you this result too.
“Connect failed’ indicates that the connection to the SMTP server was not possible. This can be due to wrong hostname, port or encryption. Your hosting blocking the access to the SMTP server or your SMTP server blocking you (e.g. due to too many failed authentication attempts).
What SMTP server provider are you using?
Using Rackspace as the email provider. I’ve tried every combination of these settings on their website –> http://www.rackspace.com/apps/support/portal/1088
Then you should contact with their support to check correct details and if they are blocking connections from the webserver (some providers don’t allow to use their SMTP from web).
An easy way to test the SMTP details is to configure your email account in an email client (i.e. Thunderbird).
You can also give a try to Mandrill SMTP server, it works pretty fine. See a tutorial here on how to configure it: http://www.gravityanswers.com/post/smtp-gravity-forms-notifications/ (the tutorial was written from Gravity Forms users but the SMTP settings are the same even if you’re not using Gravity Forms).
Thank you I’m reaching out to them right now.
I tried using Mandrill – using the guide in the link you provided, and I’m still getting the “SMTP connect() failed” error.
Assuming I’ve done everything correctly, could it be something outside of this plugin that’s conflicting, and how might I find out?
I have many sites running the plugin with Mandrill and have no issues never, that’s why I recommended you to try it.
The plugin simply tells WordPress to use SMTP instead of the webserver and the details it must use to connect. If WordPress is not able to connect to the server most probable cause (assuming you have configured the settings properly) is that your server is blocking the outgoing connection.
If you have any other plugin active relaying to the phpmailer class it could interfere, you can try disabling all other plugins. But according to your issue it looks more like something related to your hosting limitations.
What said the hosting support about your issue with their email server?
I think the better question is who is your host? Sounds like sometimes they block the port, and sometimes they redirect SMTP traffic through their own server, either way resulting in failure. GoDaddy does that.
He already said his host is Rackspace.
I’m wondering if posting in other SMTP plugins forums without helping really is a way for you to promote your plugin? This is the second time this week I see you answering my plugin forum threads without saying anything that really helps…
He already said his host is Rackspace.
No he didn’t. He said his email provider was Rackspace. His web host could be anything.
If you’re upset about my public help in a public forum (not your forum), tell your user to post in the general forum where there are helpful people, not rude, angry people with bad ideas. I help everyone with SMTP problems because I actually understand how it works. Blocked ports is quite likely if you re-read his symptoms. “Try disabling other plugins” is simply bad advice.
I said “my plugin” not my forum. I’ll be happy to see you helping someone some day here, less work for me. Next time I’ll wait for your great ideas before doing anything…
By the way, I asked you a question and you call me rude, angry and people with bad ideas… Looks like the rude here is not me.
Thank you all for your feedback. Rackspace (Email host) was not able to help resolve. The host is GoDaddy, who is also no help. But I’ve had other domains hosted on GoDaddy with no email issues.
Been dealing with this for months and hoping to solve once and for all if possible.
I’m afraid that your issue is tied to your server Cameron, and therefore only GoDaddy support can help you to solve it.
Looks like you’re not the only one having trouble to use Mandrill SMTP server from GoDaddy, see this: https://longreply.com/r/4b912424
You can try to disable the SMTP plugin and try using Mandrill API with the official plugin from Mandrill: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpmandrill/
