SMTP blues
I propose a web-based service that takes a shot at guessing an smtp-server that is open for the particular network you are connecting from.
It would do a reverse lookup on the IP, , find the domain of the ISP you're connecting from, and then try to ping mail.domain.com and smtp.domain.com and show me the best-bet smtp servers.
Perhaps a small java-based client app that did the same, and then
automatically tests whether the smtp server is open to relaying from your current machine would be even better. An app that runs on the Java MIDP profile so prevalent on smartphones and pda's.
WHY?
Well, as some of you know already, I have a WiFi enabled Handheld computer. The one and only, wonderful Palm Tungsten C. And owning this handheld, wireless enabled device has shown me the usefullness of free, open wireless networks. Instead of having to bring out my 3 kg dell laptop, wait 3 minutes for it to boot, and then try to connect to a network that doesn't exist, I can whip out my palm, and be on-line in a matter of seconds, rather than dozens of minutes.
I do it a lot. I check my mail, I update the weather forecast, and read up on my favourite blogs via blogstreets excellent rss2imap aggregation.
I have seen a small wink of a ubiwuitous future, and I like it. The only problem is that I can't really send e-mail without knowing an smtp server that's open for me. The palm seems to have some issues with POP authentication for SMTP, my server doesn't run ESMTP, and I have little desire to set-up and monitor an open relay, even if it is on a non-standard port and completely obscure ip.
I could use the palm's built-in PPTP VPN client, but some firewalls won't pass-through PPTP, and besides, I want a generic solution to the problem, that I can use with my laptop, smartphone or any other device.
What say you?
