Email error 80040211

[bms]

Emails have stopped working (Gmail) in the last couple of days. What does error 80040211 mean when sending?

[AzeoTech]

Any error code that is 8 digits and starts with 800 or similar when doing any network function is going to be a standard networking error code which you can search the internet for.  That said, I get a different error, namely that the username / password are not accepted.  This appears to be because Google is no longer accepting logins with just username / password.  It is once again a case of a big company using excessive requirements to fix security issues that don't apply in all cases.  You can read about it here:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255?hl=en&utm_source=google-account&utm_medium=profile-less-secure-apps-card

You have two solutions for now:

1) get a google workspace account, though this is probably a bandaid as I am guessing they may eventually make the same change.  They might not because a lot of corporate customers do things like alarming etc with older hardware and are going to balk at having to replace it all just because the guy down the hall doesn't know how to be safe on the web, but you never know

2) use a different email service for your outgoing emails

We will look into using a login they accept, but it will be some time before anything can be implemented.  Of course the best way to ensure you aren't subject to the whims of google or some other big company is to install an email server of your own that only does outgoing email.  You could then use a whitelist in addition to user/password combo to really button down the security, though really, if you are only using the outgoing email address for alarms and notifications to a select few, and never giving it to any website, there is no reason a hacker would pick it up.

 

[SteveMyres]

It actually does, it's just more roundabout than before.   You have to set up the GMail account to use 2 Factor authentication.     Then, while logged into your account, you can get GMail to generate a new password to use with "less secure" devices (or software) that can only do username + password.   I guess GMail assumes that if you're logged in using 2FA to generate the password, then the necessary enhanced security wonderfulness will rub off on that password.    I do this with PLCs quite a bit, and there's a step by step instructions on how to set GMail up for this at  ttps://forum.hosteng.com/index.php?topic=3163.0.   Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.

[AzeoTech]

Thanks Steve.  But does this work for gmail.com addresses?  They have a different policy for workspace accounts.

[SteveMyres]

Yes, I'm using a GMail.Com address and that process is what I'm using with all my emailing PLCs, and they're all still working as of last night.

[AzeoTech]

OK, good to know. I couldn't find that "less secure" setting when I looked, but maybe it was because 2 factor was turned off.  I can't imagine that gmail will stop allowing this.  It will kill a LOT of automation devices.  Maybe we need to get a petition going?

 

[SteveMyres]

Host created an FAQ that includes screenshots for the steps at https://hosteng.com/FAQFiles/Do-more.htm#FAQ0054

They did the FAQ earlier this week and were of course testing it as they went, so I know it still works.

[SteveMyres]

9 minutes ago, AzeoTech said:

OK, good to know. I couldn't find that "less secure" setting when I looked, but maybe it was because 2 factor was turned off.  I can't imagine that gmail will stop allowing this.  It will kill a LOT of automation devices.  Maybe we need to get a petition going?

 

Or build an SMTP server.   And yeah, I think you have to enable 2FA to get it working.

[bms]

Thanks Steve, but still no luck for me unfortunately.

2 Step verification is on, and I have generated an "app password."

private semail = new(CEMail)
semail.strhost = "smtp.gmail.com"
semail.port = 465
semail.strUserName = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strPassword = "<app_password>"
semail.strAuthenticate = "AuthLogin"
semail.strBody = "this is a test"
semail.strReplyAddress = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strReplyName = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strSubject = "test subject"
semail.strTo = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strConnectionType = "STARTTLS"
semail.strSSLProtocol = "TLSv1_2"
semail.Send()

Error 80040227 every time. Tried port 25, 465, 587.

Help please!

[SteveMyres]

Suggest the following.   These settings look closest to what the working settings are called in that note I directed you to.

semail.strAuthenticate   = "LoginPlain"
semail.strConnectionType = "SSL_TLS" 
semail.strSSLProtocol    = "SSLv2orv3"

 

 

[bms]

Finally got this going today, using these credentials:

private semail = new(CEMail)
semail.strhost = "smtp.gmail.com"
semail.port = 587
semail.strUserName = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strPassword = "<app_password>"
semail.strAuthenticate = "AuthLogin"
semail.strBody = "this is a test"
semail.strReplyAddress = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strReplyName = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strSubject = "test subject"
semail.strTo = "<gmail_address>"
semail.strConnectionType = "STARTTLS"
semail.strSSLProtocol = "TLSv1_2"
semail.Send()

These are my original settings, so it seems there is something else going on beyond just having the right code and account settings. For anyone else reading this, I'd recommend logging out and back in to your google account every day until it starts working.

I suspect Google is blocking access for a period of time; I had a similar problem last year (https://support.azeotech.com/topic/4251-twitter-feed-anyone/):

 

[SteveMyres]

Glad you got it to work!