How do I determine if my ISP is blocking SMTP access?

To determine if your ISP is blocking SMTP port:

Open a command prompt by going to "Start" -> "Run" and typing "cmd" or "command" (depending on your version of windows).

At the command prompt, type:

ping smtpauth.ionline.co.za

If that works, then type this:

telnet smtpauth.ionline.co.za 25

If you receive "220 smtprelay-01.ionline.co.za", then you’re OKAY.

If you receive, "connection timed out", then your ISP IS blocking port 25 the SMTP port. Contact your ISP for more details about your block and how you can send e-mail using their mail servers.