send email to ip address

[lee hite]

i'm looking for a way to send email to a specific ip address, rather
than using the domain name. what i'm trying to do is test out a given
hosting service's email server before actually transferring the domain
name to it. i can easily test out the web server by uploading files
to the IP address and browsing to that IP address -- but i can't
figure out how to do the equivalent with the mail server.

FWIW, i've tried using the formats name@[w.x.y.z] and (e-mail address removed).,
but neither of those work. outlook won't even accept the [w.x.y.z]
format, and with other email clients that do accept the format, i
always end up with the email returned with various asundry errors like
"not a gateway", "domain name not found", etc.

seems like this is something that should be do-able, but maybe not?

lee

 

[Brian Tillman]

FWIW, i've tried using the formats name@[w.x.y.z] and (e-mail address removed).,
but neither of those work. outlook won't even accept the [w.x.y.z]
format

The bracketed form is explicit called out in the RFCs for SMTP mail as being
legal. Obviously Outlook is not a standard-conforming product.

what i'm trying to do is test out a given
hosting service's email server before actually transferring the domain
name to it.

Use telnet to mimic an SMTP or POP3 client:

telnet w.x.y.x 25
telnet w.x.y.z 110

Use the commands appropriate to the protocol you're testing.

 

[lee hite]

FWIW, i've tried using the formats name@[w.x.y.z] and (e-mail address removed).,
but neither of those work. outlook won't even accept the [w.x.y.z]
format

The bracketed form is explicit called out in the RFCs for SMTP mail as being
legal. Obviously Outlook is not a standard-conforming product.

that was my thought as well.

Use telnet to mimic an SMTP or POP3 client:

ah, when all else fails drop down to the command line. good
suggestion -- but alas, that doesn't work either. the TELNET session
seems to accept the domain literal format fine, as it echos back
appropriate OK's. but eventually i get the email returned to sender
with errors such as:

(reason: 501 <abc@[w.x.y.z]>: domain literals not allowed)

or

(reason: 550 <abc@[w.x.y.z]>: User unknown in local recipient table)

or

(reason: 550 Relaying Denied. Not A Local Domain: [w.x.y.z]. If you
are a customer, download messages via POP, and try again.)

lee

 

[Brian Tillman]

ah, when all else fails drop down to the command line. good
suggestion -- but alas, that doesn't work either.

Then the fact that Outlook won't allow it is moot, since the server won't
accept it either.