Help! Need new SMTP Service before Valentine's

[desertjedi]

For whatever reason, we can no longer connect to our current SMTP Service (3rd party vendor). Troubleshooting for days with them has proved ineffective. I can ping their server but when I attempt to send an e-mail using their server, their sniffer shows no activity from my IP. They tell something is blocking it at my end. I have done everything thinkable: take down firewall, anti-virus, etc. But the kicker is that my other PC, a simple gaming rig with no firewall, no AV, no nothing cannot "connect" either. They only thing the two PCs have in common is a cable modem, router, and of course, ISP - Comcast.

Someday this may get solved (I still have to try disconnecting my router) but most likely not in time for Valentine's Day. We have an opt-in email list which is always very lucrative for us on a holiday. Can anyone recommend a good SMTP Service for email campaigns? In my previous net search, this vendor was the only one who could handle 5,000 emails (lol - as if this was alot) and also was very reputable. None of emails are flagged as spam with this SMTP service.

Any suggestions greatly welcomed,

GDINM - Getting Desperate in New Mexico

[Corey Bryant]

Did you ISP block port 25? Can you telnet to port 25 to their SMTP service?

-Corey

[desertjedi]

We've tried changing port numbers to another one the vendor suggested and still get the error.

[Corey Bryant]

How many emails do you send out at once? Or how amny emails are sent out since I am sure they are "grouped"? Do you have your own system (PHP / ASP)?

-Corey

[desertjedi]

At the moment, we have about 3500 subscribers so they basically all go at once..sequentially. We do this about every 6 weeks. We use Group Mail Pro (very nice mailing list software) which allows us to do this. We simply configure it with the SMTP server we've "hired". It has worked beautifully for almost a year.

I'm not sure what you mean about having a PHP and ASP system.

[Corey Bryant]

Gotcha - I am looking at the program now. (Sorry I thought it was web-based.)

I sent you a stick with a few links to maybe check out

-Corey

[desertjedi]

Hey I figured out what Sticky Mail was - probably my biggest accomplishment of the day so far and I replied. I'm used to the term PM. But I didn't see the links you mentioned.