Could not connect to mail server in db mail 2016

The classic "could not connect to mail server" error in DB Mail 2016!

Here are some troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the issue:

  1. Check the DB Mail configuration:
    • Open the SQL Server Configuration Manager (SSCM) and navigate to the "Database Mail" node.
    • Verify that the "Database Mail" service is started and the "Database Mail" account is set up correctly.
    • Check the "Mail Server" and "Mail Server Port" settings. Make sure they are correct and match your mail server's settings.
  2. Verify the mail server connection:
    • Try connecting to the mail server using a mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird to ensure that the connection is working.
    • Check the mail server's logs for any errors or issues that might be preventing the connection.
  3. Check the SQL Server service account:
    • Ensure that the SQL Server service account has the necessary permissions to connect to the mail server.
    • Check the account's credentials and make sure they are correct.
  4. Check the firewall settings:
    • Verify that the firewall is not blocking the connection to the mail server.
    • Check the SQL Server service account's firewall settings to ensure that it can connect to the mail server.
  5. Check the DB Mail profile:
    • Open the DB Mail profile in the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and check the "Profile" settings.
    • Verify that the "Profile" is set up correctly and matches your mail server's settings.
  6. Check the SQL Server error logs:
    • Check the SQL Server error logs for any errors related to the DB Mail connection.
    • Look for any error messages that might indicate the cause of the issue.
  7. Try restarting the DB Mail service:
    • Restart the DB Mail service to see if it resolves the issue.
  8. Check the mail server's authentication settings:
    • Verify that the mail server's authentication settings are correct and match the settings used by the DB Mail service.
  9. Check for any network issues:
    • Verify that there are no network issues that might be preventing the connection to the mail server.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to try enabling the SQL Server error logging to get more detailed error messages. You can do this by setting the "Database Mail" error logging level to "Verbose" in the SQL Server Configuration Manager.

I hope these steps help you resolve the "could not connect to mail server" error in DB Mail 2016!