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I am trying to create a situation where when I client's email addresses changes, I recieve a notification via email. I verified our email server address with our outside IT company.  When I test this function I receive the following error:

Error^Action Sequence:1. Error with connecting server;socket timeout to connect "our server address listed here"

What can we do to correct the situation? Email is exchange server

Hi there!

Can you please provide me with some more info about this error.  I'll need to know how you are handling this, in other words, the action set that you set up in order to identify when the client's email address changes, the actions that you're using to send yourself the email notification, etc. in order so that we can see if there's a bug, or if it's just something in the action set itself. 

Thanks so much!

 In the Customer list screen I edited the properties for the email field. In step 2. I selected  add action. Event = text change.

Action was send email.   As far as action properties go  subect is value from screen (customer:Customer) Email is type in  ( a gmail address) The email from is a type in (my work email address.) The body is type in(blah blah blah)  and the rest of the fields I left blank.

Okay, so I had no problem sending out an email based on a text change using the action set that you gave me:

Here's what I did:

1. I copied the Customer List screen.
2. Using the Text Change trigger on the Email field, I added the Send Email action.
3. For Subject: > Type In > I entered: Sample Email.
4. For Email To: > Type In > I entered my personal gmail address.
5. For Email From: > Type In > I entered my work email address of k.gallub@methodintegration.com.
6. For Email From Name: > Type In > I entered: Sample.
7. For Body: > Type In > I entered: Sample text goes here.

I left everything else blank and it worked like a charm.

I even tested it by changing step #5 to: For Email From: > Value From Session > Email Address.  That also worked fine, capturing the email address of the user who is signed into that session of Method. 

Are you sure that you have your Email Preferences set up properly?  Verify that the info entered in Default Email Preferences is accurate.  To do so, go to Customize > My Account > Default Email Preferences.  You'll need to have your Email Server address, Email User Name, and Email Password entered properly in there.  (Note: It is normal that after clicking Save Settings your Password will disappear - this is for security reasons!)  Sounds to me that the connection error message you're getting is caused by maybe an incorrect Email Server address or incorrect Email User Name or Password.

One other thing that you may not have considered.  If you're using the Customer Portal or the Starter Portal you may want to consider putting this same action on the Email field within the portal.  In the portal, the customer can access their personal information for their own account and change their email address on their own, without needing to contact you directly.  Without the Send Email action on the Email field in the portal, you'll miss any changes that customers make to their email addresses via the portal!!!

Please give that a try and let me know what happens!  Thanks!

Kristopher,

In regards to this issue, does Method support exchange or do we need to enable POP access?

Hi there.  We use exchange internally and do not have POP enabled.  I recommend checking the server to see if your settings are set up to allow for authenticated users to send emails.

 I believe Andrea's question is in regards to the email settings section where it asks about server info.  She is using exchange at her office and is wanting to know if she needs to input info to access it via OWA (much like alot of the non-windows mobile phones access email) or if she needs to enable POP and external access.  

Emails sent via Method are actually sent from the host’s server (your server).  So the server name, the email user name and password is all Method needs to access your server – and you’ll need to input the server address where the username and password can be authenticated against.  No need to access via OWA.  As for enabling POP, it is not necessary, but external access is required. 

If we are going to enable external access we want to lock the port down to only allow traffic from your IP.  What IP will it be coming from?

Sure!  The IP address to our server is 67.192.223.114

thanks!