OE express won't send mail

I am trying to send an email to a group, but all I get is this error msg:
The message could not be sent because one of the recipients was rejected by the server. The rejected e-mail address was '[email protected]'. Subject 'Next Meeting', Account: 'pop.paterras.net', Server: 'smtp.paterras.net', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 RCPT TO:<[email protected]> Relaying not allowed', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC79

Help??

 

The original message said relay, sounds like you are trying to send from one account say hotmail.com thru a different one, say xyz.com which is relaying outgoing email.
The outgoing mail server (SMTP) has to be the one you are connected to when sending the email.

 

I am using the account I always use (smtp.paterras.net). If I send mail to another address on paterras.net I have no trouble. It is only when I try to send to addresses on other servers (yahoo.com, aol.com, etc.). I haven't had this trouble before, and I don't understand the "relay" business. I am only trying to send from my email address on paterrras.net directly to another person's address. Could there be some screw-up with my email host?

 

Open OE, click on Tools > Accounts. Click the Mail tab and what do you have listed under Account Name?

 

The account name shows liz (my wife's name). Properties show the correct pop and smtp servers.

 

If you only have one account name, double click it and make sure your wife's email address is correct. Usually when you get a relaying email error, you are sending thru one provider with another provider's outgoing email address listed.

 

All the settings are correct. I am also having the same trouble with my own email account with the same servers. We can exchange email with each other, but not with any outside addresses. I am beginning to think there is something wrong with the servers, because last week there was a period of about 40 hours when there was no mail in or out. Apparently some backbone server hardware went down and had to be replaced -- or so they said when I called. I guess I'll give it until tomorrow morning and then call them if there is no improvement. Does that sound reasonable to you, or am I indulging in wishful thinking?

 

Problem solved. The problem was that the server now requires authentication. When I changed the account properties to show that authentication is required all became well again. This change was made because the smtp server has been having intermittent problems. Thanks for your advice.