SMTP Services on Windows7 - asp.net

i read here in other threads that Windows 7 does not include the SMTP service anymore, so it doesn't have a local SMTP server. all threads directed the Questioners to other, 3rd party SMTP services. The question is: is there any other way of configuring a local SMTP server yet? or is it still an open issue, and i have no choice but to use a 3rd party software?

Since Windows 7 doesn't have a smtp service only other way I could find that you could set up a Microsoft smtp server would be using "IIS6 management console" which comes after installing "Remote Server Administration Tools". From what I read you cannot install Remote Server Administration Tools on Windows 7 with SP1 but seeing your comment I guess there is a version specifically for SP1.
Using a 3rd party smtp server for production I would recommend hMailServer. It's free and recommended on a lot of posts about free smtp. Before using .net to connect to it you will need to setup Domain and Accounts for it to work.
If you just need a smtp server for testing you could use smtp4dev.
Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2010 compatible dummy SMTP server. Sits in the
system tray and does not deliver the received messages. The received
messages can be quickly viewed, saved and the source/structure
inspected. Useful for testing/debugging software that generates email.

Related

Does Microsoft recommend blocking port 25?

We are asp.net developers, work in a company.
Development achieved in our development devices/laptops where VS installed.
After development, test operations finished, we publish application into servers.
Our applications need to send emails, so we do that via exchange server through port 25.
Suddenly, during development and test stage, we noticed that we cannot send emails. We contacted exchange server administrator. He told us that he blocked port 25 for our development devices/laptops because Microsoft recommends that.
We asked him how we can achieve development, test operations? He said that you can do that from server! Note that server is for just publishing; it does not have any IDE for developing or test!
Is this true?
Does Microsoft recommend this?
Thats not true. But it is recommended, not to allow anonymous smtp access to Exchange Server.
So there should be a (named) connector for your application on port 25, which is requiring TLS and authentication, which means, your application needs to implement smtp authentication.
In that scenario, the Mailbox you are authenticating with should be monitored for NDRs.

microsoft azure smtp email relay setup

We are migrating from a dedicated server with a local virtual SMTP server to Windows Azure. As far as I can tell Windows Azure does not allow a local SMTP server to be setup in IIS. The SMTP Server option in the management console is missing. How would I setup an email relay so that I can have a .net web application send emails from a Windows Server 2012 virtual machine in Azure?
This is more like corollary to what #mcollier has stated. Given that you are already on Azure and you get 25,000 free emails (there are higher plans as well) with your subscription as well.
You can configure a Virtual SMTP server which relays to the sendgrid services. For the development perspective you will have the view of using your own SMTP server / service. Setting up a sendgrid based service is explained in this link.
I have used sendgrid earlier and my experience with this was amazing. As #mcollier has pointed out, using services like Sendgrid will give good chance of staying away from spam problem, if you try to setup and use the SMTP service of your own because of the reverse lookup etc.
PS: The above Virtual SMTP Server can be replaced with Amazon SES, which is equivalently a good service. Check out more info here.
First, assuming you're using a Windows Azure IaaS VM. Correct? If so, I think you need to enable that role/feature in Windows Server.
Second, why the need to send emails from that specific server? Would a service like SendGrid work? One problem people sometimes have with email servers in Windows Azure is the domain of your service (something.cloudapp.net) does not match your vanity domain when a reverse DNS lookup is performed. This could cause the email to be flagged as spam (since you don't technically own the sending domain, something.cloudapp.net).
I developed an direct relay application using the normal RFC email commands and lock that on my application, but strange that some test emails get delivered using the relay on windows AZURE VM, and all other mails are not getting any bounce response, and making a sense that every email is being delivering,
This is strange behaviour on azure vm.
so it means you can't send email using azure vm as a smtp mail server, if like to test then simply download promailer marketing manager from jsmtp.com

Error in communicating LabView Client VI with WinCC OPC Server over the network (LAN)

I'm trying to automate some system using Siemens PLC; for that we have developed a WinCC Flexible RT application for control and monitoring, and have also declared the PC based HMI panel as the OPC server. Which is working fine.
Now, when i try to create a OPC Client application either in WinCC or Labview, on the same PC, am able to access all the tags of the server on the client, am able to do so.
When i try to create the client application on some other computer connected over the local area network [perfectly fine and well configured network working], am unable to access the OPC server/tags in that case.
What can be done in this case.?
The easiest way to establish connection between OPC client and server applications is to perform the following:
turn off the firewalls on both machines
create the same windows account on both machines using the same login name and password
for windows account (pointed out in 2) allow all "access permissions" and "Launch and Activation Permissions" by running "dcomcnfg" command and navigating to "console root->component services->computers->my computer->com security"
The more detailed example of how to do steps described above is given in this article http://opc-da.com/Winsetup.html
Also, there is a powerful OPC client API implemented on LabVIEW using OPC .NET API with detailed documentation on how to use: http://opc-da.com
It would be helpful if you mentioned the OS on the server and the client computers. Anyway, I'm guessing that this is a DCOM issue, as #Ken mentioned.
It's been a while since I worked with this sort of thing, but you can try this article: http://www.opcactivex.com/Support/Tutorials/DCOM_Tutorial_-_Configuring_th/DCOM_XP/dcom_xp.html and see if it helps.
Make sure the firewall isn't blocking the connection. Disable it on both sides.
Take a look at this NI article: http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361G-01/lvhowto/psp_firewall/
keep in mind, the tcp ports used by OPC/shared variables changed somewhere between LV2009 and LV2011, so depending on what version you have, the ports may be different.
In addition to the ports and the firewall...
Make sure that the account in which the the OPC client is running has access to the OPC server, either through the DCOM default settings or the OPC Server-specific settings (also part of DCOM configuration) on the server machine.

VPN Connection Manager in asp.net

I want to create a VPN Connection Manager on user's PC. The connection Manager must set up 3 VPN protocols on user's PC for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
PPTP and
L2TP/IPSec and
OpenVPN
The Connection Manager shall receive server list from our servers.
Please help me to soulve the above issue. I google it since last 2 days bit not find any approproate solution to this. So please help me in this.
You can find details on creating a VPN Connection in .NET using:
Set up VPN Connection using C#
Remote Access Server Spec
However using ASP.NET is unlikely as browsers can't instantiate a VPN connection, they are sandboxed away from that functionality. Even services like GoToMyPC have a desktop client to perform the main functionality.
However you could create the RAS file then provide a download link on a website to it.
You can find the file at:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Connections\Pbk\rasphone.pbk
The person downloading the file can then just import that and have all the set up provided.

Alternatives to IIS SMTP service

I am using local IIS 6.0 SMTP service to send emails from ASP.NET application.
I am having the following issues:
Emails are being delayed from 1 hour to 24 hours, and our traffic is only increasing
No UI to quickly see what is going on. How many emails sent. Bad Emails, Queue, etc...
Have to install IIS 6.0 just to run SMTP service. Microsoft didn't include it in IIS 7.0, so not sure if they will be supporting it in the future.
Seems to send emails in single thread (not sure about this one).
I could use one of the cloud services like Amazon Simple Email, but it would cost me hundreds of dollars a month. I would like to keep it local since our hosting provider has plenty of bandwidth.
What are the alternatives to IIS 6.0 SMTP service?
There are a couple of options available to you as I see it but each has their own pro's and cons.
A local mail server application (eg: Exchange server) to manage your mail queue
pro - you retain total control
con - you retain total responsibility
con - depending on the email type and volume you could end up getting blacklisted
A cloud mail provider that you are obviously aware of.
Arrange with your ISP to direct smtp traffic directly through them rather than using your own smtp service which is forwarded through them anyway. They also may have tools that will allow you to view and control the traffic.
Good luck
AJ
You can use GMail as a free smtp server
Check out the articLE
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/tonyhughes/599

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