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I understand your frustration with email sending limitations. Here are your options for sending emails from your EC2 instance:
For Port 25 Restrictions: Amazon EC2 restricts outbound traffic on SMTP port 25 by default on all instances as an anti-abuse measure. You can request that these restrictions be removed by submitting a request through the AWS Knowledge Center article "How do I remove the restriction on port 25 from my Amazon EC2 instance or AWS Lambda function?"
For Using Amazon SES: If you choose to use Amazon SES instead of running your own mail server, you have several options:
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Use Alternative Ports: Amazon SES supports ports 587, 465, and 2587 for SMTP connections, which are not restricted. You can configure your email application to use port 587 instead of port 25 to avoid the default restrictions.
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SES Sandbox Exit: If your request to exit the SES sandbox was rejected, you should review the rejection reason carefully. Common issues include insufficient information about your use case, unclear email sending practices, or concerns about compliance. You can resubmit with more detailed information about your legitimate use case, expected sending patterns, and how you'll handle bounces and complaints.
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SMTP Interface Access: To use the SES SMTP interface, you'll need to obtain your SMTP credentials, endpoint address, and port number. Ensure your instance role has the necessary ses:SendEmail and ses:SendRawEmail permissions, and verify your email address or domain identity with SES.
The combination of requesting port 25 unblocking or using SES with alternative ports should allow you to send legitimate emails from your domain. For the most straightforward solution, I'd recommend resubmitting your SES sandbox exit request with comprehensive details about your use case while configuring your mail client to use port 587.
Sources
Send email from inside a private Amazon VPC. | AWS re:Post
Sending emails programmatically through the Amazon SES SMTP interface - Amazon Simple Email Service
Hello , Here is the Guide on how to Request the port to be opened
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- asked 6 years ago
No AI agent, Yeah, sure, I can switch SES to port 587… but it’s still sandboxed, so I can’t send a single damn email to anyone. Great, thanks Amazon I don’t want to touch SES ever again. I don’t want to jump through hoops for sandbox restrictions, verified addresses, or any of that nonsense. I want to use my own mail server on my own domain, the way email is supposed to work.
Telling me to “just use port 587” with SES alternatives completely misses the point. I need port 25 unblocked, period. My instance should be able to send standard emails from my domain without being forced into Amazon’s anti-spam sandbox or SES limitations.
This is not a theoretical use case or a spam operation. This is normal, legitimate email for my personal domain. Right now, the current restrictions make running my own mail server impossible, which is absurd considering I’ve paid for a full EC2 instance.