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    System/Advanced/Notifications/Email ... "Test SMTP Settings" - no emails

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      Yeah, it seems likely there is is something more subtle at work here because it would break a lot of other things if localhost became completely inaccessible.

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        reberhar @stephenw10
        last edited by reberhar

        @stephenw10 Truly.


        The routing table in BSD is sending the email query to the OpenVPN gateway address.

        The next place to look is in OpenVPN, then the email server.

        Now to try to find time to figure out what is happening in OpenVPN.


        I wish there was a way to send these messages through the LAN interface. Then there would be a unique IP arriving at the email server. Making LAN a gateway creates a potential infinite loop.


        Here is part of the Dovecot log. I wish it had more information.

        My wife says that I am "too persistent." Maybe I just need to take the easy way around this obscure problem and just delete this post. Nuts, I like clean resolutions.

        Dec 11 01:33:16 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=18233, secured, session=<0aj3cvoosop/AAAB>
        Dec 11 01:33:16 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 11 12:01:06 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19902, secured, session=<upJDOAMpuox/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:01:06 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360The ne is in OpenVPN.
        Dec 11 12:01:39 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19912, secured, session=<8vo8OgMpvIx/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:01:39 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 11 12:03:51 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19924, secured, session=<DNsjQgMpvox/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:03:51 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 11 12:05:00 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19935, secured, session=<U/48RgMpwIx/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:05:00 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 11 12:05:49 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19951, secured, session=<bq0lSQMpxox/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:05:49 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 11 12:06:46 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=19963, secured, session=<PbSPTAMpyIx/AAAB>
        Dec 11 12:06:46 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360
        Dec 12 01:33:09 catalina-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<roy>, method=PLAIN, rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, mpid=21469, secured, session=<pvRokA4pUo9/AAAB>
        Dec 12 01:33:09 catalina-sme dovecot: imap(roy): Connection closed (No commands sent) in=0 out=360

        R GertjanG 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • R
          reberhar @reberhar
          last edited by

          This post is deleted!
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          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            Hmm, that's from a local smtp server?

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            • R
              reberhar @stephenw10
              last edited by reberhar

              @stephenw10 Yeah, from the email server. So I looked at the BSD side of things. Looks like pfSense might be writing a script and connecting by the commandline with the info from the GUI, like using SMTP.

              FROM FREE BSD DOCS

              I haven't chased i down to the actual code.

              So this is something I don't think there is a solution for easily.

              If I fuss with it I might be able to tweak the system somehow, but it is a bad idea. It would go away with an update.

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              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                Hmm, well I always think more info is better even if it documents a failure. 😉

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                • R
                  reberhar @stephenw10
                  last edited by

                  @stephenw10 I guess I was probing to see if you wanted me to leave it in the forum.

                  I thought of writing a patch, but I am unsure if that is the right thing to do.

                  Roy

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Hmm, those logs have me confused though. You have an internal email server and that's still failing?

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • GertjanG
                      Gertjan @reberhar
                      last edited by

                      Why are you showing imap connections :

                      @reberhar said in System/Advanced/Notifications/Email ... "Test SMTP Settings" - no emails:

                      xxxx-sme dovecot: imap-login: Login:

                      while the issue is smtp ?

                      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                      Edit : and where are the logs ??

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                        reberhar @Gertjan
                        last edited by reberhar

                        @Gertjan Hi Gerjan,

                        Well the Dovecot log is what was offered. I watched it populate these entries as I did the testing. This entries correspond to the pfSense servers attempts to send email to SME. I think this log is the BSD SMTP client logging onto the SME SMTP server and not the IMAP.

                        The IMAP IP would not be localhost, 127.0.0.1. I can make an IMAP test if you like, but there have been no IMAP logins to "roy" during the time these dates cover. Why it says IMAP, I have no idea. What's more I never use the "roy" account to fetch mail, but only to login to send mail from pfSense notifications.

                        My take on this problem is that the pfSense smtp client successfully connects to the SME SMTP mail server, but the return route is to the latest server to connect sucessfully and so not necessarily the right one to return to. So really the SME SMTP side might be sending the response to the wrong place.

                        After all, if I understand correctly, my routing table has the Open VPN address of 56.0.0.1 with a port of 11000 for me and then the localhost number from the sending pfSense unit. Then it should have the correct OpenVPN client as the target. There is not a place to take care of 9 different servers with the same IP at the same port. All the pfsense Notification servers are using 465 as well.

                        When I was running multiple OpenVPN servers, one for each client site, this problem was disambiguated by each server having a different IP and port number. Easy cheesy, but cumbersome.

                        Of course I am willing to be wrong and want to be informed of where I am mistaken. I like to understand better.

                        Thanks Gertjan

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                          reberhar @reberhar
                          last edited by

                          @reberhar I have 4 pairs of HA/CARP pfSense units and 1 stand alone.

                          9 pfSense units, plus other servers at these locations that occasionally send logs in this manner.

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