Problem connecting to Outgoing mail

What are you using for your IMAP and SMTP settings? What error do you get when you telnet? I think something is going on with Cox's email and your technical data could be very useful.

When I try to telnet, I get the message that the connection to the server cannot be opened. When I try the IMAP settings I get the message "Send test e-mail message: Outlook cannot connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server." I have mail1.alexandrialighting.com as the inbound and outbound server, and I have the authentication set both on the configuration page and in the More Settings Outbound Server tab.

netnewbie said:
When I try to telnet, I get the message that the connection to the server cannot be opened.

What are you telnet-ing  to? Cox's IMAP? Cox's SMTP? What port? Can you copy/paste the results?

netnewbie said:
have mail1.alexandrialighting.com as the inbound and outbound server,

Then how is this a Cox email problem? You aren't using Cox's email servers. Are you forwarding your email from the domain at the DNS level? I notice some things like not having a good PTR on the MX and not allowing open relay but not sure if those are relevant to your configuration. I do notice they block Telnet though, so that explains why that wouldn't work.

The thing I notice that probably is relevant is mail1.alexandrialighting.com doesn't use SSL or TLS for SMTP. That means you are trying to send SMTP via port 25, which is blocked on Cox to all SMTP servers except Cox. See here to confirm. I would suggest contacting your web admin (or who ever you pay for email) and ask them to enable TLS or suggest something to use when you CAN'T use port 25.

netnewbie said:
I have the authentication set both on the configuration page and in the More Settings Outbound Server tab.

What settings are you using? You need to use either port 465 with SSL or port 587 with TLS, neither which seem to be open on that server. 

I'll see if port 25 is closed on my Cox router. I would try to telnet to the mail server, and would not be able to. It's not a Cox email problem, it is that I cannot connect to an email server using Cox internet. I can connect to the server using Verizon WiFi. I am trying to find out what could be causing the difference.

netnewbie said:
I'll see if port 25 is closed on my Cox router.

It doesn't matter if port 25 is closed on your router. It IS closed/blocked inside Cox. Cox blocks all the ports seen below:

netnewbie said:
I would try to telnet to the mail server,

That is because the server blocks telnet access. 

netnewbie said:
I can connect to the server using Verizon WiFi.

That is ironic because Verizon also started blocking port 25 recently too. Sometime in October I think, so probably right after you switched. I know because I have Verizon FIOS. See Verizon article here and forum post here. Take note of the forum post, because it offers different solutions people used to get around the problem, however it is not for the layman. Who do you pay for email? Godaddy?

We have our own mail server.

netnewbie said:
We have our own mail server.

Do you mean on site at the Cox internet service location? If not, where or by who? No offense, but it doesn't sound like you set up the server. Would it be possible to get the person who did involved?

It's not on site at the Cox location. It is at another facility, and I was testing being able to access it from my home. Since I could access it through my Verizon hot spot, but not my Cox modem, I was wondering what could be causing the issue.

netnewbie said:
It is at another facility,

Are you not giving specifics for privacy reasons? If so, my apologies for digging. If not, who manages your email? If I know, then maybe I can search how other users of that email are handling the problem. 

netnewbie said:
Since I could access it through my Verizon hot spot

When was the last time you tried? I think Verizon started blocking the port last month. 

netnewbie said:
but not my Cox modem, I was wondering what could be causing the issue.

Because Cox blocks the port you are trying to use. AFAIK so does Verizon now, but maybe their Wifi Hotspots are different then normal Verizon FIOS. Either way if you want to be able to send email to that server you need to find a way to use a different port. If you are looking for a work around until then, try using http://mail1.alexandrialighting.com/_index webpage and send email through there.

netnewbie said:
It's not on site at the Cox location.

Not sure where it's hosted, but I see the software is by CodeCrafters. This is directly from their site:

Thanks for all the info. We'll explore another way  to get email thru. Thanks for your help.