Why You Can’t Send Mail Using Mweb’s SMTP Server

• If your email address is not hosted by Mweb, you won’t be able to send emails using the Mweb SMTP (outgoing mail) server. This is a built-in security measure that helps protect against spam and unauthorised mail relaying.

  Why It Happens

  Mweb’s SMTP server (smtp.mweb.co.za) is restricted to email accounts hosted by Mweb. When you try to send an email through this server using a non-Mweb address (for example, Gmail, Outlook, TelkomSA.net, or a domain like @yourcompany.co.za), the server rejects the message because it doesn’t recognise your domain as authorised.

  This prevents misuse of Mweb’s network by spammers and keeps the service secure and reputable.

  How to Fix It

  To send emails successfully, you must use the SMTP server that belongs to your email provider or domain host.

  Here’s what to do:

  1. Identify your email host.

     • If your address ends in @gmail.com, your host is Google.

     • If it ends in your business or personal domain (like @yourcompany.co.za), check with your website or email hosting provider.

  2. Use the correct SMTP details.
     Example configurations:

     • Gmail: smtp.gmail.com (Port 465 or 587 with SSL/TLS)

     • Outlook.com / Hotmail: smtp.office365.com (Port 587 with TLS)

     • Yahoo Mail: smtp.mail.yahoo.com (Port 465 or 587)

     • Custom domain: Contact your host or IT admin for the correct SMTP server and port.

  3. Authentication is required.
     Always use your full email address and password for outgoing mail authentication.

  When You Can Use Mweb’s SMTP Server

  You may only use smtp.mweb.co.za if:

  • Your email account is hosted by Mweb (for example, @mweb.co.za @iafrica.com @netactive.co.za etc.).

  • Your business or personal domain is hosted by Mweb (like @yourcompany.co.za)

  • You authenticate with your Mweb email address and password.

  Common Error Messages

  You might see one of these messages if you try to send mail using Mweb’s SMTP server with a non-Mweb address:

  • “Relay access denied”

  • “550 Relaying not permitted”

  • “Sender address not allowed”

  These errors mean the SMTP server has blocked your request because your email domain isn’t authorised.