Email Problem    "We do not Relay"

Question:    Why do I get the message "We do not relay." when I try to send email?

The Fix
Set your email program to use the SMTP server of your internet connection provider (your ISP). This is done in the Settings or Preferences of your email program. If you have misplaced the name of that SMTP server you will need to contact your ISP.

The Explanation
Most internet service providers and web hosting providers protect their customers and others on the internet from unwanted email (spam). We do this also. We apologize for the occasional inconvenience this causes. Our SMTP (mail) servers will not allow email to be relayed from one place to another THROUGH our systems. Each email message that reaches us must either originate at or terminate at (be destined for) a location [DEF] that is "known" to one of our SMTP servers.

Unfortunately even our corporate clients and other customers may attempt to send email from an unknown location. The solution (given in the FIX above) is be sure the SMTP server designated in your email program is the one belonging to your internet dial-up company or DSL provider.

The diagram below may help: It illustrates the typical situation of people using email.



Your ISP has an SMTP server (shown as "A" in the diagram). We have an SMTP server (shown as "B" in the diagram). You can see that B may not "know" the location of your machine. But A will always know that location, since there is a direct connection. So the solution is to have your email program use A rather than B as its SMTP server.