Troubleshooting PEAR Mail connection issues with Gmail SMTP server

Other Questions Gmail
1

Help needed with PEAR Mail and Gmail SMTP setup

I’m trying to send emails using PEAR Mail through Gmail’s SMTP server, but I’m running into some problems. Here’s what I’ve got:

  • Apache 2.4.27 (Win64)
  • PHP 7.2.0beta3
  • PEAR 1.10.15
  • Mail 1.4.1
  • Net_SMTP 1.8.0
  • Net_Socket 1.2.2

I added extension = php_openssl.dll to my php.ini file, but I’m still getting this error:

Failed to connect to ssl://smtp.gmail.com:465 [SMTP: Failed to connect socket: fsockopen(): unable to connect to ssl://smtp.gmail.com:465 (Unknown error) (code: -1, response: )]

I’ve tried googling for solutions, but I’m more confused now. Can anyone help me figure out what’s wrong? Maybe there’s an issue with my SSL config or firewall settings?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

2

I’ve dealt with similar PEAR Mail issues before, and it can be quite frustrating. In my experience the problem frequently stems from SSL/TLS configuration problems. It is worth double-checking your php.ini file to ensure that the openssl extension is properly enabled and that the configuration is correct.

Another approach is to try using TLS instead of SSL by switching your connection string to tls://smtp.gmail.com:587. Also, make sure your firewall is not blocking outgoing connections on the necessary ports. If you are using a Google account, enabling less secure app access or creating an app-specific password may resolve the issue.

Finally, updating your PEAR packages could fix compatibility problems with Gmail’s newer security requirements. I hope these suggestions help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

3

have u tried using port 587 instead? sometimes that works better w/ gmail. also, check if ur antivirus or firewall is blocking the connection. might need to add an exception. and make sure u’ve got 2FA turned on for ur google account + app password set up. those things fixed it for me

4

From my experience, PEAR Mail can be finicky with Gmail’s SMTP. Have you considered using PHPMailer instead? It’s more actively maintained and generally easier to set up with Gmail. If you’re set on PEAR Mail, try enabling debug mode to get more detailed error messages. Also, check your PHP error logs for any SSL-related issues. Sometimes, outdated root certificates can cause connection problems. Updating your CA bundle might help. Lastly, ensure your Gmail account has IMAP access enabled in the settings. These steps helped me resolve similar issues in the past.