Use Telnet to troubleshoot email connectivity problems

Telnet is an Internet protocol that lets users log in to a remote computer with a user name and password.

Using a telnet connection can troubleshoot connectivity issues between an email server and an email client. Unsuccessful telnet connections indicate firewall or other connectivity issues. Running a telnet to one of the secure ports will fail, as that is intended due to it being secure.

Before You Start

You need to find out what your incoming and outgoing (SMTP) email servers are. To find your email servers:

1. Log in to your Workspace Email account and open your product. (Need help logging in?)
2. From the Help menu, select Email Client Settings.
3. Note your incoming and outgoing servers.

Reviewing Your Results

If you receive a response of "+OK" or "220" when connecting to the incoming port, then the connection was successful and the two systems can connect.

If you receive a response of "200" when connecting to the outgoing port, then the connection was successful and the two systems can connect.

If you receive a response of "Connect failed" when making either connection, it indicates network issues are preventing you from connecting to the server.