Getting Started with SMTP

SocketLabs can be used as a hosted SMTP relay service. It replaces either an on-premise SMTP server like IIS or Sendmail or an SMTP service hosted by your ISP.

The following information will help provide a basic guide for configuring your applications to use SocketLabs as an SMTP Relay.

How to get your SMTP Credentials

After logging in to your account, select Configuration from the menu. Under Key Manager, you will find your SMTP address, the ports available, and your server's username and password.  There are convenient copy icons for each item to make copying into your application simple and accurate.

Configuring Your Applications to Use SocketLabs

When we have completed provisioning your new service, you will receive an email from SocketLabs that details how to obtain your SMTP authentication details and server address. This will replace the SMTP server address that may be currently configured within your application (exceptions are if you are using an email client like Microsoft Outlook). The username and password are used to authenticate using SMTP authentication. Most applications should support SMTP authentication. If yours does not, we can put your SMTP client IP address on a whitelist as an alternative.

Using SocketLabs with Email Marketing Software

Most email marketing software like SendBlaster, GroupMail, Interspire, Arial Software, and eNewsletter Pro have settings for configuring the SMTP server you want to use to deliver your email. Use the server name, username, and password which we have provided. If a setting is available for the SMTP port, make sure this is set to 25. After these values have been entered into your application, it should be able to send email through the SocketLabs On-Demand platform. 

Using SocketLabs with an Email Client

You can use a standard [email client](doc:Mail Clients Index) like Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Apple Mail to relay email through SocketLabs. These clients may not, however, let you simply create an outbound-only connection. We recommend that you create a new account within our client different from the account you use for your person-to-person email. When you create a new account it should be a POP account. You will have to supply the incoming POP server credentials, as well as the outgoing SMTP server credentials. Make sure that you are connecting on port 25 for your SMTP settings. Use the same server name, username, and password for the POP credentials (even though any attempt at downloading email will fail). That is OK. It is outbound SMTP that matters. When you have entered in all of the POP and SMTP information, you should utilize the Test Connection facility that is typical of these clients to make sure your outbound SMTP connection is working.

Using SocketLabs With a Residential Internet Cable Service and Alternate SMTP Ports

If you are going to be sending email through your residential cable internet service you should be aware that most of these ISPs will block access to third party SMTP servers through the default port 25. In this case you can use an alternative port of 2525 when configuring your SMTP connection.