Calibre mail server

Gwen Morse · 02-20-2010, 09:08 PM

I have to use my ISP mail server in order to send mail. They also require plain text authentication (no SSL, no TLS).

When I set up the mail server in Calibre, I get a choice between SSL and TLS. Is there a way to set up Calibre with plain text authentication, no security?

kovidgoyal · 02-20-2010, 10:32 PM

No, there isn't. plain text authentication is really, really insecure.

I suggest signing up for a free google mail account and using it in calibre. It's free and if you dont like google mail you dont have to use it for anything else.

Gwen Morse · 02-20-2010, 11:20 PM

I have a free google mail account. However, I can't send messages out using it because my ISP blocks email sent through any server other than theirs. I can send google webmail, but, configuring my google account in Calibre doesn't work.

I understand plain text is insecure. I hate it. However, it's a limitation of my provider.

Actually, testing it here at work with my portable Calibre (I work for my ISP), I find I can send from my work PC. So, SMTP isn't blocked for company computers, only customers. Nice (is there an eye-rolling smiley?)

If I submit a ticket requesting plain text authentication as a feature, is there any chance it would be implemented?

kovidgoyal · 02-21-2010, 01:22 PM

I'd rather not, as it is really insecure.

Jonas777 · 02-21-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gwen Morse

I have a free google mail account. However, I can't send messages out using it because my ISP blocks email sent through any server other than theirs. I can send google webmail, but, configuring my google account in Calibre doesn't work.

I understand plain text is insecure. I hate it. However, it's a limitation of my provider.

Can you submit a ticket to them since this really is their fault?

pdxsam · 02-23-2010, 12:27 AM

Most ISP's block outgoing port 25 for email purposes to try and defeat botnets. Likewise most ISP's allow port 587 out to send email. You might try checking to see if they support alternate smtp outgoing ports.

Gwen Morse · 03-05-2010, 05:25 AM

They also block 587. However, Kovid has spoken, so there's no point in discussing it further.

Obviously there has to be _some_ way around it. If it continues to annoy me I'll look into alternate options.

I appreciate the answers, thanks for reading!

bloski · 09-07-2010, 06:16 AM

I have the same issue, I would like to set up a server at work to send news articles to my Kindle while I am on holiday, but we have a firewall to the internet so no direct access to Gmail. The only way I could get this to work is if I sent if via our Exchange server, but TLS and SSL have not been implemented on it, only unsecure smtp on port 25. I'm sure having an option to just not use encryption would be very simple to implement. (But what do I know).

Manichean · 09-07-2010, 09:04 AM

There's the option of tunneling into a network that doesn't block SMTP to get it to work. But, personally, I'd get seriously angry at my ISP, if they were doing that sort of thing, to the point of not deeming them worth my money and just changing ISPs. You might consider doing that.

DoctorOhh · 09-07-2010, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manichean

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloski

I have the same issue, I would like to set up a server at work to send news articles to my Kindle while I am on holiday, but we have a firewall to the internet so no direct access to Gmail.

There's the option of tunneling into a network that doesn't block SMTP to get it to work. But, personally, I'd get seriously angry at my ISP, if they were doing that sort of thing, to the point of not deeming them worth my money and just changing ISPs. You might consider doing that.

The person who revived this old thread is dealing with restrictions at his/her work place not an ISP.

chaley · 09-07-2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloski

I have the same issue, I would like to set up a server at work to send news articles to my Kindle while I am on holiday, but we have a firewall to the internet so no direct access to Gmail. The only way I could get this to work is if I sent if via our Exchange server, but TLS and SSL have not been implemented on it, only unsecure smtp on port 25. I'm sure having an option to just not use encryption would be very simple to implement. (But what do I know).

If you have control of the server, and if it is running linux, then you can do what you want with stunnel. Set it up to accept SSL connections and forward them as unencrypted connections. For example,
stunnel -d submission -r yourmailserver.atcompany.com:smtp
will accept SSL connections and forward them on to the mail server.
Of course, anyone with a network sniffer can see your password.

You can get stunnel to run under windows with a little hacking. Check out the stunnel.org compiled binaries. You will probably want to make it into a service, which is the hacking part.

It continues to astound me that companies/ISPs still set up unencrypted authenticating mail servers, but they do. I am even more astounded that companies still set up non-authenticating internal mail servers, but they do. The spambots thank them for their cooperation.

Manichean · 09-07-2010, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanthny

The person who revived this old thread is dealing with restrictions at his/her work place not an ISP.

Oops, sorry. I didn't look at the dates.

DoctorOhh · 09-07-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manichean

Oops, sorry. I didn't look at the dates.

You gave good advice.

I hate it when I take time to respond only to discover I replied to a year old post after a thread had been reactivated. I haven't been caught by this in a while, knock wood.

Manichean · 09-07-2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwanthny

You gave good advice.

I hate it when I take time to respond only to discover I replied to a year old post after a thread had been reactivated. I haven't been caught by this in a while, knock wood.

Thanks. And, actually, I was about to suggest that tunneling might work in this scenario as well, but then I noticed chaley already had typed up a howto.

bloski · 09-08-2010, 10:12 AM

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will certainly give this a try.. Many thanks.. Bloski..

02-20-2010, 09:08 PM	#1
Gwen Morse Addict Posts: 254 Karma: 59872 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New York, USA Device: Kindle 3 (wifi) + nokia n900 tablet phone	Calibre mail server I have to use my ISP mail server in order to send mail. They also require plain text authentication (no SSL, no TLS). When I set up the mail server in Calibre, I get a choice between SSL and TLS. Is there a way to set up Calibre with plain text authentication, no security?

02-20-2010, 11:20 PM	#3
Gwen Morse Addict Posts: 254 Karma: 59872 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New York, USA Device: Kindle 3 (wifi) + nokia n900 tablet phone	I have a free google mail account. However, I can't send messages out using it because my ISP blocks email sent through any server other than theirs. I can send google webmail, but, configuring my google account in Calibre doesn't work. I understand plain text is insecure. I hate it. However, it's a limitation of my provider. Actually, testing it here at work with my portable Calibre (I work for my ISP), I find I can send from my work PC. So, SMTP isn't blocked for company computers, only customers. Nice (is there an eye-rolling smiley?) If I submit a ticket requesting plain text authentication as a feature, is there any chance it would be implemented? Last edited by Gwen Morse; 02-20-2010 at 11:24 PM.

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02-20-2010, 10:32 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No, there isn't. plain text authentication is really, really insecure. I suggest signing up for a free google mail account and using it in calibre. It's free and if you dont like google mail you dont have to use it for anything else.

02-21-2010, 01:22 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I'd rather not, as it is really insecure.

02-23-2010, 12:27 AM	#6
pdxsam Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: none	Most ISP's block outgoing port 25 for email purposes to try and defeat botnets. Likewise most ISP's allow port 587 out to send email. You might try checking to see if they support alternate smtp outgoing ports.

03-05-2010, 05:25 AM	#7
Gwen Morse Addict Posts: 254 Karma: 59872 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New York, USA Device: Kindle 3 (wifi) + nokia n900 tablet phone	They also block 587. However, Kovid has spoken, so there's no point in discussing it further. Obviously there has to be _some_ way around it. If it continues to annoy me I'll look into alternate options. I appreciate the answers, thanks for reading!

09-07-2010, 06:16 AM	#8
bloski Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle	I have the same issue, I would like to set up a server at work to send news articles to my Kindle while I am on holiday, but we have a firewall to the internet so no direct access to Gmail. The only way I could get this to work is if I sent if via our Exchange server, but TLS and SSL have not been implemented on it, only unsecure smtp on port 25. I'm sure having an option to just not use encryption would be very simple to implement. (But what do I know).

09-07-2010, 09:04 AM	#9
Manichean Wizard Posts: 3,130 Karma: 91256 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Device: Cybook Gen3	There's the option of tunneling into a network that doesn't block SMTP to get it to work. But, personally, I'd get seriously angry at my ISP, if they were doing that sort of thing, to the point of not deeming them worth my money and just changing ISPs. You might consider doing that.

09-08-2010, 10:12 AM	#15
bloski Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle	Thank you all for your suggestions, I will certainly give this a try.. Many thanks.. Bloski..

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