SMTP not working

[jca001]

I have tested my SMTP configuration by using the value on a SMTP Tester to make sure the SMTP Server could be reached and the credentials worked. But when I test in netalertx is fails and I have tried various combinations and made sure that SMTP_PORT is set. I changed logging to trace and here is the results. Note it shows SMTP_PORT == 0, but it is configured. And I cannot find a setting for SMTP_REPORT_ON. This is installed in Home Assistant.

18:23:34 [2025-07-02 18:23:34-04:00] [Test] START Test: SMTP
18:23:34 [2025-07-02 18:23:34-04:00] START Run: SMTP
18:23:34 [Plugin utils] Pre-Resolved CMD: python3/app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py
18:23:34 [Plugins] Executing: python3 /app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py
18:23:34 [Plugins] Resolved : ['python3', '/app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py']
18:23:34 SMTP In script
18:23:34 [SMTP] SMTP_REPORT_TO: jn@comcast.net SMTP_USER: netalertx.allenhouse.systems
18:23:34 [SMTP] Sending emails to [' jackson.c.allen@comcast.net']
18:23:34 Trying to open connection to allenhouse-systems-smtp.dynu.com:587
18:23:34 SMTP_FORCE_SSL == False so using .SMTP()
18:23:34 SMTP_PORT == 0 so sending .SMTP(SMTP_SERVER, SMTP_PORT)
18:23:34 SMTP In script
18:23:34 [SMTP] SMTP_REPORT_TO: jn@comcast.net SMTP_USER: netalertx.allenhouse.systems
18:23:34 [SMTP] Sending emails to [' jackson.c.allen@comcast.net']
18:23:34 Trying to open connection to allenhouse-systems-smtp.dynu.com:587
18:23:34 SMTP_FORCE_SSL == False so using .SMTP()
18:23:34 SMTP_PORT == 0 so sending .SMTP(SMTP_SERVER, SMTP_PORT)
18:23:36 ERROR: Couldn't connect to the SMTP server (SMTPServerDisconnected)
18:23:37 [Plugins] Processing file "/app/log/plugins/last_result.SMTP.log"
18:23:37 [Plugins] Processed and deleted file: /app/log/plugins/last_result.SMTP.log
18:23:37 [Plugins] SUCCESS for SMTP received 1 entries
18:23:37 [Plugins] Processing : SMTP
18:23:37 [Settings] ⚠ ERROR - setting_missing - Setting not found for key: SMTP_REPORT_ON in file /app/api/table_settings.json
18:23:40 [2025-07-02 18:23:40-04:00] END Run: SMTP
18:23:40 [Test] END Test: SMTP

[jokob-sk]

Hi @jca001,

Thanks a lot for the detailed log, this helps a lot.

I guess the issue is the port, since if you check the code, there is an explicit check for the port set to 0.

NetAlertX/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py

Line 189 in ad43e4a

if get_setting_value("SMTP_PORT") == 0:

To debug I'd recommend:

1. Please double check the port setting.
2. You can try to Ping your smtp server from inside the container (nax container, not HA) if it is reachable
3. Inside the container you can also run the script itself for testing (the value of the SMTP_CMD setting)
4. Test with an alternative SMTP server, tested examples here https://jokob-sk.github.io/NetAlertX/SMTP/?h=smtp

SMTP_REPORT_ON - you can search for these setting names in the Settings page (filter at the bottom of the page)

Edit: added 4

[jca001]

Thanks for the quick reply.

1. I have checked the Port Setting multiple times and tried different port numbers all with the same results.
2. How do I access the nax container to do the test?
3. I will once I can access the container.
4. I have done that several times with the same results.

I searched for SMTP_REPORT_ON and it was not found. The closet match is SMTP_REPORT_TO, which is set.

[jca001]

I have not been able to access the container as you suggested, so I have not been able to do the other test. Still working on doing it.
Mean while I did find the app.config file and found the SMTP_PORT=587. The SMTP_PORT_metadata entry showed a default of 587, so I tried clearing SMTP_PORT in the settings, but when I did a save it jut hung Loading. Checking the Addon log showed a syntax error at line 191 which was the SMTP_PORT= and then it would exit and try to restart again. So I edited the app.config file and added 587 and then stopped and started netalertx and it started running. So the metadata information is wrong that it will not default because it will not even run.

See comment and questions below in the log snippet.

13:44:16 [Plugin utils] display_name: Email publisher (SMTP)
13:44:16 [Plugins] CMD: python3 /app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py
13:44:16 [Plugin utils] Pre-Resolved CMD: python3/app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py
13:44:16 [Plugins] Executing: python3 /app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py
13:44:16 [Plugins] Resolved : ['python3', '/app/front/plugins/_publisher_email/email_smtp.py']
13:44:16 SMTP In script
13:44:16 [SMTP] SMTP_REPORT_TO: j*************n@comcast.net SMTP_USER: netalertx.allenhouse.systems
13:44:16 [SMTP] Sending emails to [' jackson.c.allen@comcast.net']
13:44:16 Trying to open connection to allenhouse-systems-smtp.dynu.com:587
13:44:16 SMTP_FORCE_SSL == False so using .SMTP()
13:44:16 SMTP_PORT == 0 so sending .SMTP(SMTP_SERVER, SMTP_PORT)

It would be nice to show the SMTP_SERVER value and SMTP_PORT value that is being used in the above call. Or within the method.
And if SMTP_SERVER is a name, what IP Address it resolved to.
And if SMTP_PORT is 0, then what it is defaulting to?

13:44:16 Setting SMTP debug level
13:44:16 SMTP_SKIP_TLS == False so sending .starttls()
13:44:16 SMTP_SKIP_TLS == False so sending .ehlo()
13:44:17 SMTP_SKIP_LOGIN == False so sending .login()
13:44:17 ERROR: Couldn't connect to the SMTP server (SMTPAuthenticationError)

Even though the Error indicates an Authentication problem, did it really get connected to the Server if the Port number used is in question?

13:44:17 ERROR: Double-check your SMTP_USER and SMTP_PASS settings.)
13:44:17 [Plugins] Processing file "/app/log/plugins/last_result.SMTP.log"

Maybe show the contents of the file above would help determine the problem. Maybe it has the responses from the Server which would help to know the Login was invalid and/or some other setting was wrong, like SSL was selected, but the Port number used only supports TLS.

13:44:17 [Plugins] Processed and deleted file: /app/log/plugins/last_result.SMTP.log
13:44:17 [Plugins] SUCCESS for SMTP received 1 entries

The above seems a little misleading, because it seems as if it worked and received something back.

13:44:17 [Plugins] Processing : SMTP

[jokob-sk]

Hi @jca001 ,

Thanks for the suggestions.

So the metadata information is wrong that it will not default because it will not even run.

As stated in the header of app.conf, the file is ingested by a Python script so if you leave a variable blank (VAR =) this will lead to a syntax error. The defaults are initialized only if you first time load the plugin.

Unsure if you got the email notifications working?

If not, did you try a different SMTP server? Here is a sample config with brevo which works fine for me, can you give it a try?

Other SMTP server examples can be found here https://jokob-sk.github.io/NetAlertX/SMTP/?h=smtp

If a default configuration is not working, try disabling your firewall as a test.

And if SMTP_PORT is 0, then what it is defaulting to?

As far as I know the call .SMTP_SSL(SMTP_SERVER) is executed.

It would be nice to show the SMTP_SERVER value and SMTP_PORT value

I enabled this and it will be available in the next release.

The error messages are directly passed from the email library. Feel free to submit a PR to clarify the error messages further, if yo have an idea on how to improve on the error logging.

Maybe show the contents of the file above would help determine the problem.

You can find the result of the above file logged in Integrations -> Plugins . Not sure if it will contain the error message though. You can find a guide on Plugins troubleshooting here (teh above file can be found here app/log/plugins/): https://jokob-sk.github.io/NetAlertX/DEBUG_PLUGINS/

[jca001]

I still cannot get it to work.
I use dynu.com to register my domain and their email service. You can connect to smtp1.dynu.com or your domain name as it is in the screen shot. I have tried both and get the same results that SMTP_PORT == 0. I have also tried setting different port numbers and still get the same SMTP_PORT == 0. It is like it is not getting the value from the file or it is being cleared later.

The warning about the file being ingested by python is at the bottom of the file I had to manually edit. About that it may be good that when the Settings are save that certain parameter like SMTP_PORT, etc, should be checked and if there is no value then add a default so that at least NAX will run and you will be able to fix the missing value in settings.

My Home Assistance is running in a VM in ProxMox and there are no firewalls enabled at the VM level or the ProxMox level. I have other VMs that are connecting to the same Mail Server with no problem, so I know it is not being blocked by my router either. In fact Home Assistant uses the same basic configuration (Email Server, TCP Port), just uses a different user name so the from email is identifiable.

I will create an account and use your settings and give it a try.

[jca001]

I finally got it to work. It was a typo for the SMTP_USER. There was a '.' where there should have been a '@'.. Same for the SMTP_REPORT_FROM.

When I would test using a WEB SMTP Tester, I would enter everything correctly.

I was able to access the container and added some more logging in the email_smtp.py file which helped me see my typo. I also found out why the SMTP_PORT == 0 was misleading. Look around line 193, the first line after the else:. The mylog message should be SMTP_PORT != 0.

I also tried increasing the debuglevel for the smtp_connection, but it did not show the message from the email Server.

Thanks for all your help.

[jca001]

I checked the log file again and the messages from the email Server do get logged. I was just searching on SMTP and missed them.

[jokob-sk]

Thansk for the update, glad it's working. Let me know if you want me to update the docs to help people in future