SMTP - ERROR: Failed to connect to server: Connection refused (111)

Question

Error which I am getting :
~~~~~~~~~~~
SMTP -> ERROR: Failed to connect to server: Connection refused (111)

Below Code which I am using in my own server using PHPMailer ::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

$mail->isSMTP();                                      // Set mailer to use SMTP
$mail->SMTPKeepAlive = true;
$mail->Host = 'email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com';                    // Specify server+
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;                               // Enable SMTP authentication
$mail->Username = 'xxxxxxxxx';           // SMTP username
$mail->Password = 'xxxxxxxx';           // SMTP password
$mail->Port = 587;                                    // Recommended Port
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';  
$mail->Priority = "1";

What cld be the reason , It was working fine for last 5/6 years

Answer

A connection refused means that when trying to establish a TCP connection to :587 on `email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` the server (or something in between, like a firewall) responded with a reset packet.

My suggestion, first check if you can reach `email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` outside of your PHP program, from the machine that is running PHP, if you are running linux you can do it with NC as follows:

`% nc -4 -v email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com 587
Connection to email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com port 587 [tcp/submission] succeeded!
220 email-smtp.amazonaws.com ESMTP SimpleEmailService-d-F1IOSWD55 oz6dMFr1gGLg97gxKjp6`

As you can see, from my machine this succeeds.

If you get a connection refused here - then you should start with some network troubleshooting - and see if there is a firewall on your network that is refusing you to connect to port 587 on this host, or the internet in general.

Answer

I am on a hosted server and do not have access to the console

SMTP -> ERROR: Failed to connect to server: Connection refused (111)

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