Overview

Customers using Microsoft 365 as an SMTP server for their website(s) or multi-function devices (printer, scanner, etc) will begin to receive ‘401 (Unauthorized)’ or similar error messages as of October 1st, 2022.

This is due to Microsoft removing older ‘basic’ authentication methods from Microsoft 365. Unfortuantely this is outside of our control and not something we can re-enable for customers.

From December 31st, 2022 Basic SMTP Auth will be unavailable.

There are alternative options available which we’ve detailed below.

Can I still use Microsoft 365 for SMTP?

Microsoft 365 still supports SMTP through many different methods. Below is a list of options available:

Direct Send

If your device, application or website needs to send emails internally to your own domain we recommend using Direct Send:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mail-flow-best-practices/how-to-set-up-a-multifunction-device-or-application-to-send-email-using-microsoft-365-or-office-365#option-2-send-mail-directly-from-your-printer-or-application-to-microsoft-365-or-office-365-direct-send

SMTP Relay

For customers with dedicated and/or static IP addresses, an SMTP relay connector can be used to bypass authentication:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mail-flow-best-practices/how-to-set-up-a-multifunction-device-or-application-to-send-email-using-microsoft-365-or-office-365#option-3-configure-a-connector-to-send-mail-using-microsoft-365-or-office-365-smtp-relay

Authentication with OAuth2

If your website or application supports OAuth2 Authentication, your developer or application support team can provide instructions on how to configure SMTP settings.

Otherwise Microsoft have a technical guide on how to setup OAuth below:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/client-developer/legacy-protocols/how-to-authenticate-an-imap-pop-smtp-application-by-using-oauth

Warning

The process for setting up OAuth Authentication in Microsoft 365 is quite complicated from a technical perspective. We only recommend this solution if you are experienced with Microsoft 365 and AzureAD.

Can I use your SMTP servers instead?

Customers needing to send email from their Conetix hosted website(s) are able to use the web server’s built in SMTP functionality at no additional cost:

https://conetix.com.au/support/how-to-send-email-from-your-websites-web-server/

I don’t host my website(s) with Conetix, what can I do?

The vast majority of hosting companies provide SMTP services alongside their hosting subscriptions. As such we recommend getting in touch with your hosting company to ask if your service includes SMTP functionality and if so, how you can configure it.

Alternatively Conetix offers the first month of hosting for free, which includes the migration of your existing website to our platform.

What are my other options?

If the above solutions aren’t practical or don’t apply; you may wish to use a paid 3rd party dedicated SMTP service:

If you’re unsure regarding the above, please reach out to our friendly support team for with any questions or concerns.

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