In this article, we explain why you may not be able to send emails from your VPS and what you can do to resolve it.

Why is email sometimes restricted?

Outgoing email from a VPS may be limited by default to prevent abuse and spam. This mainly applies to SMTP mail traffic, for example through port 25.

This restriction helps protect the network and prevents VPS services from being abused for spam.

What can you notice?

You may notice that:

• your mail server cannot send emails externally;
• your SMTP connection times out;
• emails remain stuck in the queue;
• your mail software shows a connection error on an SMTP port.

Are you using an external mail provider?

If you are using an external SMTP service, such as a mail provider or relay, first check whether you are using the correct details:

• SMTP hostname;
• username and password;
• port, usually 587 or 465;
• security type, such as STARTTLS or SSL/TLS.

Port 25 is usually used for server-to-server mail traffic and may be blocked.

How can Etheron help?

Create a support ticket from the account that owns the VPS. We can then check what is blocked. If everything looks correct, we can reopen the required mail ports for your VPS.

Please include as much information as possible, such as:

• which VPS it concerns;
• the IP address of the VPS;
• which port you are using;
• the error message you receive;
• whether you are using your own mail server or an external SMTP provider.

When can we reopen the ports?

We can reopen mail ports when the use case is clear and legitimate. Please explain in your ticket what you want to use outgoing email from the VPS for.

Note for self-hosted mail servers

Do you want to run your own mail server on your VPS? Make sure your DNS settings are configured correctly, including:

• rDNS/PTR record;
• SPF;
• DKIM;
• DMARC.

Without these settings, emails may end up in spam more often or be rejected by receiving mail servers.

If you need help, feel free to reach out via Discord or create a support ticket.