Troubleshooting tips for common email issues.
For email troubleshooting, there are a few things you can try:
- First, try to send a test email by entering the following XML command into the browser:<DEVICE’S IPADDRESS>/state.xml?testEmail=1(Example: 192.168.1.2/state.xml?testEmail=1, or 192.168.1.2:8000/state.xml?testEmail=1)Note: This feature is not supported by the Five-Input Module™. Also using this command several times in quick succession can cause issues.
- Check the email SPAM folder. Some email programs or email services will flag the email notifications as SPAM. If this occurs, please change the email rules so the email will not be marked as SPAM.
- Check to make sure that the ‘Reply to’ or ‘return email’ settings within the ControlByWeb module match the email sending the message. These must match – Some spam filters and SMTP mail servers will reject the message if the sending email address and reply to email address are different.
- Some ISP’s block traffic on port 25 (default SMTP mail port) from everything except their own mail servers. Try using port 587 instead.
- Double check the network and SMTP settings, particularly the DNS field and the Gateway field, to ensure that they are correct.Note: The device must be power cycled when any network settings are changed. A few devices such as the 5-Input and Temperature module must be power cycled when SMTP settings are changed.
- Use a password without any special characters or punctuation. Some older modules have difficulty with special characters, currently the Series 4 and X-600M modules accept most special characters. Retype the password to ensure it is correctly entered.
- Check the system log file at: <DEVICE’S IPADDRESS>/syslog.txt (on units that support this feature). When a problem is encountered sending an email, it will be noted in the system log. Common errors are:
“Failed DNS Lookup” — Unit was unable to use the entered DNS server to find the SMTP server. Try entering ‘8.8.8.8’ or ‘8.8.4.4’ in one of the available DNS fields on the Network or Email tab. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are free DNS servers provided by Google. Also ensure that the ‘Gateway’ setting on the Network tab is correct. If DNS problems persist, it can be useful to put the IP address of the mail server in the SMTP field. Remember to power cycle the device if network settings are changed.
“No Response” — The SMTP server at the address is not capable/willing to handle your data. Ensure that “SMTP Server” address/name is correct and that the port number corresponds to an unencrypted port on the mail server. It could also indicate that encryption is required.
“Bad password” — ensure that the username and password fields are filled out correctly. Retype the password if necessary.
No error code — If no error code is present in the log, the email was sent to the server successfully. If no email notification is received, there may be an issue with the server or spam settings. This can sometimes be the case if the “Username” and “Return Email” fields in the ControlByWeb module do not match (the receiving server in this case may assume the email is spam). Contact the mail server administrator for help.
For additional information, please refer to the following resources:
- The user’s manual for the specific module
- Information on the outgoing email server you are using
- Additional email tutorial: How to Set Up Email Notifications