I’m stuck with a weird problem. My app can send emails through Gmail’s SMTP when I run it on my computer, but it’s not working on my cPanel hosting. Here’s what happens:\n\n\nError: Can't connect to smtp.gmail.com:587 (Connection timed out)\n\nSMTP_SERVER=smtp.gmail.com\nSMTP_PORT=587\[email protected]\nPASSWORD=MyAppPassword\nENCRYPTION=tls\[email protected]\nFROM_NAME=${APP_NAME}\n\n\nI’ve double-checked everything:\n- Email and password are correct\n- Tried different ports (587, 465, 25)\n- Using PHP 8.2 and Laravel 11\n- 2FA is on for my Google account\n\nI’m thinking maybe cPanel is blocking Gmail SMTP. How can I check this? Are there other ways to test SMTP on shared hosting? Should I ask my host to unblock ports?\n\nI can’t access the server directly, just cPanel. Any tips on fixing this would be awesome!
I’ve been through this nightmare before. It’s likely your host blocking outgoing connections to Gmail’s SMTP. Here’s what worked for me:
First, try using your hosting provider’s built-in SMTP server. It’s usually more reliable on shared hosting and doesn’t require external authentication.
If that’s a no-go, look into transactional email services like Mailgun or SendGrid. They’re designed to work well with shared hosting setups and often have free tiers for low volume.
As a last resort, you might need to upgrade to a VPS. It’s pricier, but you get full control over your server configuration.
Whatever you do, don’t waste too much time battling with Gmail SMTP on shared hosting. It’s usually more trouble than it’s worth, especially if you’re sending bulk emails.
man, i had the same problem! cpanel is such a pain. have u tried sendmail? its usually pre-installed. change ur config to sendmail driver. if that doesnt work, try amazon ses - it’s reliable. good luck!
I’ve encountered similar issues with Gmail SMTP on shared hosting. It appears that your host may be blocking outgoing connections to Gmail’s SMTP servers as a security measure to reduce spam. You might consider contacting your hosting provider to confirm if they restrict these connections and ask if they can whitelist Gmail’s servers. Alternatively, many cPanel setups include a built-in mail server that can be used without external authentication. Another option is using a third-party SMTP service like SendGrid or Mailgun since these services often work more reliably on shared hosting environments. Upgrading to a VPS or dedicated server can also give you more control over outgoing connections.
Even if you resolve the Gmail SMTP connection, be mindful that it may not be ideal for bulk emailing on shared hosting due to rate limits and potential deliverability issues.