SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host

SMTP Error: Could Not Connect to SMTP Host

This error occurs when your PHP script or email client cannot establish a connection to the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server.

Common Causes:

1. Incorrect SMTP settings (host, port, username, password)

2. Firewall or network issues blocking the connection

3. SMTP server downtime or maintenance

4. Invalid or expired SSL/TLS certificate

5. Email account authentication issues

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Verify SMTP settings like host, port, username and password

2. Check firewall and network settings ensure outgoing traffic is allowed on the specified portW and whitelist the SMTP server's IP address

3. Test SMTP connection

4. Verify SSL/TLS certificate

5. Authenticate email account (ie, Verify username and password)

PHP mailing code:

$mail->Host = '(your host)';

$mail->Port = 587;

$mail->Username = 'your_email@example.com';

$mail->Password = 'your_email_password';