How to troubleshoot email using telnet

This article will cover troubleshooting sending email using telnet. If you are using Windows XP or Windows 7 you just need to install the the built in telnet program. If you are running Windows Vista in order to use telnet you should download “puttytel”.

 

 

These are the steps you would use to test sending emails using telnet. This assumes that telnet is running on your machine or you have installed puttytel. Puttytel will be a bit different but shouldn’t be that different that you won’t be able to follow along.

1.) Open Command Prompt – Start – Run – cmd.exe

2.) type “telnet domain-name.com 25” – Eg. Here’s a real life example. telnet smtp.themeetingplace.mb.ca 25 (BTW

What this is going to try and do is:

a.) Run Telnet connection

b.) To smtp.themeetingplace.mb.ca

c.) on Port 25.

Here’s an example of what will be displayed.

 

Here’s an example how to test sending email using Telnet. I have replaced the “@” with “_” to prevent spiders from harvesting the email addresses.

HELO smtp.themeetingplace.mb.ca
MAIL FROM: <tech_themeetingplace.mb.ca>
RCPT TO: <jheinrichs_winningdesigns.ca>
DATA:
Subject: Test email using Telnet
From: tech_themeetingplace.mb.ca
To: jheinrichs_winningdesigns.ca
<hit Enter>
Hello,
This is a test using telnet
Goodbye!
<hit Enter>
QUIT
.

 

The period “.” in the telnet session closes the connection. It has to be on the last line. Please note the using the back-key it inserts special hidden character that can mess up sending the message.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am and is filed under Command Prompt. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.