How to check email server

There are several ways to check an email server:

Method 1: Using Telnet

  1. Open a command prompt or terminal window.
  2. Type telnet followed by the email server's hostname or IP address, and the port number (usually 25 for SMTP or 587 for submission). For example: telnet mail.example.com 25
  3. Press Enter to establish a connection.
  4. Type HELO (or EHLO for a more modern version) followed by the name of your email client or a random string. For example: HELO myemailclient
  5. Press Enter to send the command.
  6. If the server responds with a greeting message, it's likely that the server is running and accepting connections.
  7. Type QUIT to disconnect from the server.

Method 2: Using a Mail Client

  1. Open a mail client such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Apple Mail.
  2. Set up a new account or edit an existing one.
  3. Enter the email server's hostname or IP address, and the port number (usually 25 for SMTP or 587 for submission).
  4. Try to send an email to a test recipient (e.g., yourself).
  5. If the email is sent successfully, it's likely that the server is running and accepting connections.

Method 3: Using a Web-Based Email Client

  1. Open a web-based email client such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Outlook.com.
  2. Log in to your account.
  3. Try to send an email to a test recipient (e.g., yourself).
  4. If the email is sent successfully, it's likely that the server is running and accepting connections.

Method 4: Using a DNS Lookup

  1. Open a command prompt or terminal window.
  2. Type dig (or dig +short for a shorter output) followed by the email server's hostname or IP address. For example: dig mail.example.com
  3. Look for the A record (or AAAA record for IPv6) that corresponds to the email server's IP address.
  4. If the record is present and points to a valid IP address, it's likely that the server is running and accepting connections.

Method 5: Using a Network Scanner

  1. Open a network scanner such as Nmap or OpenVAS.
  2. Scan the email server's IP address or hostname.
  3. Look for open ports (usually 25 for SMTP or 587 for submission) and check if the server is responding to queries.

Remember to replace mail.example.com with the actual hostname or IP address of the email server you want to check.