Simple Text Mail Setup

[Ethan Furman]

Bill Moran wrote:
> In response to Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us>:
> 
> 
>>FT wrote:
>>
>>>>>>                    ...  But I can't send mail because the system
>>>>>>isn't configured for that, and I'm in the dark as how to accomplish it.
>>>>>>Is there somewhere that I can go for info on setting up a simple
>>>>>>configuration which will let me send mail from Mutt?  ...
>>>>
>>>>Well, I have had sendmail enabled, but my outgoing mail gets
>>>>bounced with a message saying that Comcast has blocked the process.
>>>
>>>Yes. On most residential connections, Comcast blocks port 25 to reduce
>>>the spam burden created by compromised hosts. Your options are not to 
>>>send mail on port 25 (using port 587, for instance, but that makes you 
>>>unable to communicate with many servers) or to buy business class 
>>>service from Comcast, if they'll let you. You can try calling support
>>>and asking to have 25 unblocked, but I have yet to hear of a case 
>>>where that was effective.
>>
>>As an aside, I recently had a similar problem being able to send e-mail 
>>to my host (webgator.com) through Comcast's network -- a Comcast tech 
>>suggested using port 26 instead of 25, and that worked for me.
> 
> 
> That's exactly the kind of brain-dead answer I'd expect from Comcast.
> 
> The Internet community comes up with a solution, and publishes the
> fact that port 587 is specifically _for_ this purpose, yet Comcast
> suggests 26 ... go figure.
> 

Well, I certainly don't think highly of Comcast as a whole, but in this 
case they did suggest port 587.  Apparently either HostGator doesn't 
(yet?) support it, or I'm not paying enough to get it.
--
Ethan

P.S.  The correct name is HostGator, not webgator as my original post 
indicated.  oops.