MinutemanUPS.com

TwoJ · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 4

This is really getting anonyning!

I just typed out a fairly long and detailed post to describe my problem and then i get some spam filter on your website that goes and deletes it so that now i need to re-type everything. i strongly suggest you modify this feature or else whats the point in using this forum if there is a chance that your post will be automatically deleted.

My problem is that my recently returned RMAed RPM1609 is not sending email alerts, i know the configuration information is good because i have powerchute using the same information and those emails are coming through. when an event occurs it is logged in the log and then right away is another entry
Device: 'UPS' Event: 'Failed to send mail'

any ideas?

jeff · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 187

Twoj,

Good Morning,

I will ask the MIS to look at the Spam filter.

Did you turn the Power Center Software off?

What I have seen in the past is the Power Center goes out and grabs the available COM PORT. Can you shut the power center off and try it. Can you also send me a copy of your e-mail page from the RPM?

jmoore@minutemanups.com

TwoJ · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 4

Hi Jeff

I'm afraid i don't know what power center software you're referring to? I was just using the web interface of the RPM to do the configuration.

jeff · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 187

800-238-7272 ext 206

Jeff Moore

tvancil · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:50 pm Post subject:

***From TwoJ - Helpful information on RPM/Email server configuration behind a firewall***
I thought i would post my findings so that it may help others.

Initially i had a difficult time to configure the RPM's email settings, my setup was a domain with an Exchange 2007 server plus an external ISP mail server.

When i first got the RPM i had configured the system to send out emails to my cell phone through my isp's mail server and although it was really rare i would receive something it did work. Along the way the configuration of the network changed and then i couldn't get the unit to send emails. My last post was because i had tried most combinations to get the thing to work without sucess.

Here are some points to consider to get it working if you are having trouble.

The breakthrough was to remember that the RPM has a basic SMTP engine in it. Considering that, it is essentialy a small program to send emails through SMTP (Port 25).

- Although it didn't affect me i know some antivirus programs block port 25, while i don't see how it would affect a system its a consideration that shouldn't be overlooked.

- The email server box should have the FQDN or the IP, i had initially put just the server name, ie MX1, and it would not work until i put the full FQDN, ie MX1.mydomain.com or the IP

- The next point is that as i put the internal exchange 2007 as the mail server. Exchange 2007 will allow relaying (accepting mail from other smtp engines - ie RPM) as long as the destination email is an internal destination email, ie I had initially wanted to send an email to myself@mydomain.com and my cellphone xxxxxxxxxx@cellphone.com, exchange 2007 is fine with the myself@mydomain.com since it handles that email, but when you try to send to another domain (ie @cellphone.com) it is called external relaying which it doesn't allow by default. If you put internal address plus 1 external address - you will not receive any emails either internal or external ones. if you put only internal emails then you should be fine.

- If you want to send an email to an external address you must add a Send Connector for exchange 2007 (and 2003 i believe) to allow the RPM's SMTP emails to pass from the RPM to the exchange's smtp engine for delivery. just google adding a send connector for external relaying for the process.

- Next, it was my hope that instead of using my exchange server, i wanted to use the mail server of my ISP, and although i haven't got that working yet i'm pretty sure i know whats stopping it. As mentioned before the key was to figure out that it was just a smtp engine and as such, must communicate with the sending mail server on port 25. On the internal network with exchange its not an issue, but to connect to my isp's mail server it must pass through my router/firewall, a Snapgear SG575. While most cheap routers (like the one i had before - which was when it was working) allow any traffic to pass from the internal network to the external(internet), more professional firewalls can allow certain ports, like 25 (SMTP) to&from certain internal IPs, so i suspect that my firewall is only allowing port 25 traffic to&from the exchange server. Although i set this up, i still haven't figured out to allow port 25 to another IP, but this is a network protection that only the exchange server can send emails.
So since the RPM is trying to send email it is probably being blocked by my firewall not allowing it to communicate with the isp's mail server.

- I hope this helps anyone who is having difficulty
and if anyone knows how i can configure my snapgear sg575 to test this last issue i would very much like to hear from you.

TwoJ · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 4

Well i've spent a good part of the day on this, and i am defeated

My hope was that my router was blocking port 25 outbound but i'm pretty sure its not the case.

I have a APC UPS that i run Powerchute, which is configured to send out emails to my cellphone when there is any alert. The Powerchute program requires the email server name(DNS or IP), the email of the sender (any email will do) and the destination email.

I set this up on a computer (192.168.22.2) and tested the Powerchute and i sucessfully recieved an email on my cellphone.
I then unplugged the computer and changed the RPM to the same IP and entered exactly the same information, and no luck

As posted before it seems that the RPM wants only to use my local email server (192.168.22.1), as soon as i point it out to my ISP's server it constantly gives in the log";
Device: UPS EVENT: Failed to send email

However i fail to understand why the powerchute program with the same information can send and the RPM doesn't.

I'd really like to get this working if anyone has some ideas!

tvancil · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

TwoJ-

Did you have the same primary and secondary DNS servers listed in the RPM Network settings that you did for the Powerchute PC and/or your router?

Just wondering if the RPM is able to look up the hostname for your mail server correctly to send mail (mail.hostname.com). That is something to check.

-Todd