Symmetra email alerts via SMTP and Office365?

[Anonymous user]

I have been trying to set up our Symmertra RM 6000 to send me email alerts and self-test updates via one of our Office 365 accounts, and being unsuccessful.

Settings-

SMTP: smtp.office365.com

Port: 587 (I've tried with both 25 and 587)

Authentication is enabled and a valid email and password are typed in.

Use SSL/TLS - Always (as O365 requires TLS)

Whenever I test the email setup, it fails:

Last Test Result: (my email) Test e-mail failed; SMTP configuration error.

Last Server Response: 220 2.0.0 SMTP server ready

I've gotten other devices up and running with SMTP using these same settings. Any suggestions?

[BillP]

I believe the problem is that Office 365 requires TLS v1.2 for SMTP authentication and we do not support that specifically for SMTP authentication...yet. It is on the list of feature requests for NMC2 (AP9630/31) and NMC2 embedded devices. I don't know if they have the capability to use any other versions of SSL/TLS...

*Edit* - I think it is TLS 1.1 they require, not 1.2.

[Anonymous user]

Is there any sort of ETA on when this functionality will be available? Just being on a list of feature requests doesn't sound very promising, and it's a serious drawback to the system itself. As it stands now, we have no notification if there are any sort of events like a power failure or temperature alarm. If there was some sort of backup system, like sending a text (sms) message, this wouldn't be such a big deal - but it is.

[BillP]

I don't have a date yet specifically because the issue is within the AOS component (AKA APC OS). Then, each application has to release/become available with the new APC OS that would include it. So, it will depend on the firmware application/product you're referring to.

I will follow up on it tomorrow and report back.

[BillP]

I have escalated this to engineering management to drive this to a resolution AKA providing support for TLS 1.1 via SMTP authentication. Unfortunately, that still does not mean I have an ETA currently but it is definitely a top priority issue both for me on behalf of our users and also our firmware engineering management.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for the follow up.

[BillP]

Hi Angela,

Could you please give us another update on this?

Regards

Deniz

[BillP]

Hi Deniz,

I have been keeping on top of this each project to stress the urgency of adding TLS 1.1 SMTP authentication. It is slated to be addressed in our APC Operating System (AOS) project in the first half of this year and be released for different applications afterwards. Unfortunately, it relies on some other system upgrades and hasn't been able to been implemented all by itself when first requested.

[Anonymous user]

Was this ever implemented?  I have a new UPS that I cannot send notifications through Office365 with.

[BillP]

Unfortunately, TLS 1.2 for the web server took priority among other required security changes to SSH and the web server. But, I just double checked the status of upgrading the TLS versions for SMTP authentication and it is currently being worked on as we speak though and tentatively scheduled to be completed for the Q1 2017 project we have going for the AOS (APC Operating System) component of the firmware. 

From there then, the different firmwares used on our devices (Smart-UPS, PDU, Symmetra, etc) would then adopt it.

I hope that when we have something tangible, I may be able to offer a beta to our users to test.

[BillP]

Over 2.5 years and this still isn't working? You say that office 365 requires TLS 1.1 or 1.2 and that you do not support it but when I spoke with their exchange online support they said office265 smtp supports TLS 1.0...

[BillP · Accepted solution]

I had found a link here (which now appears to not be working) saying it required TLS 1.2 for authentication.. http://community.office365.com/en-us/f/158/t/209395.aspx

But, I see this now after reeading what you said: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/How-to-set-up-a-multifunction-device-or-application-to-send...

And I also see it says TLS 1.0 there. If it is not working, it could also be a cipher negotiation problem on with TLS 1.0 that causes it not to work. We may need to check SMTP server logs or do a packet capture somehow to verify that possibility. I will also find out if someone can test it internally.

There also appear to be numerous security settings for today's email clients and servers that can interfere with emails working or not from my experience and it is hard to know without seeing everyone's environment what is causing it in a particular situation.