Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

When sending email I get this error message: An error occurred sending mail: The mail server sent an incorrect greeting: Cannot establish SSL with SMTP server

more options

This issue has popped up before then went away after I switched to SSL setings as suggested by my website host. Or...was it pure coincidence? Same problem today and I haven't made any changes since the above mentioned and have had many successful emails sent. Can't reply or send emails and the draft gets removed from the draft folder even if I saved it before hitting send. Thank you!

This issue has popped up before then went away after I switched to SSL setings as suggested by my website host. Or...was it pure coincidence? Same problem today and I haven't made any changes since the above mentioned and have had many successful emails sent. Can't reply or send emails and the draft gets removed from the draft folder even if I saved it before hitting send. Thank you!

All Replies (3)

more options

I see that part of my error code was clipped. The entire message is: An error occurred sending mail: The mail server sent an incorrect greeting: Cannot establish SSL with SMTP server 192.185.3.59:465, SSL_connect error 1:error:14077410:SSL routines:SSL23_GET_SERVER_HELLO:sslv3 alert handshake failure.

more options

You have instructed Thunderbird to connect to the server with SSL. When Thunderbird connects to the server, it is replying that it does not support SSL so the session dies there and then.

Recently there have been security issues with SSL. The latest releases support TLS but as I understand it all SSL support is withdrawn as it is broken.

Note that TLS is the successor to SSL and that most references to SSL actually mean TLS.

A bit of general overview on recent events here http://disablessl3.com/

So perhaps you need to tell Thunderbird to use TLS. Perhaps your host needs to get with the program and update their cryptographic protocols

more options

Thank you Matt. I'm sure this will be frustrating ...but the more I think about this problem there more info I have to share. The emails I write that do not get sent do end up in my "sent" folder but never reach the recipient. And, most perplexing, the issue/problem is sporadic. It was coming and going before I switched over to the SSL/TLS option in T-bird. And...since the switch it has reappeared and disappeared. I have made zero changes other than the above mentioned. I did get a security update today for T-bird perhaps this will help? I read your link, thank you. I obviously don't understand how these systems work. I'm baffled how an issue like this can come and go...