If you have ever rented a VPS or dedicated server and tried to send email, you may have run into a common question: why is outgoing SMTP port 25 blocked?
This is something that surprises a lot of people, especially those who are new to servers. Years ago, port 25 was the normal way to send email directly from a server. Today, the internet works very differently, and leaving this port open causes far more problems than it solves.
Most hosting providers block outgoing SMTP ports by default because it is one of the most abused ports on the internet. When hackers break into websites, one of the first things they try to do is send spam. Email is often their first target.
Even if a hosting provider does leave outgoing SMTP ports open by default, that does not mean your email will work. In fact, it often means the opposite. Over time, many of those networks become so heavily abused that their IP ranges are blacklisted beyond recovery. At that point, having an open SMTP port is meaningless because the mail never reaches its destination anyway.
At DataPacket, we take a more responsible and practical approach. Outgoing SMTP ports are not permanently blocked. They can be unlocked at any time once a customer explains their intended use, confirms that it follows our acceptable use policies, and completes basic identity verification. This protects the network while still giving legitimate customers the access they need.
That said, in most cases, opening outgoing SMTP ports simply isn’t the best solution anymore. Running your own mail server from a single IP address is fragile. If that IP develops a bad reputation, your email delivery suffers immediately. Recovering from that can take weeks.
This is why DataPacket provides enterprise-grade outbound mail gateways that servers can relay through using port 587. Instead of sending email directly from one IP, your server connects securely to trusted mail gateways with established reputations. This results in better delivery, fewer spam issues, and far less maintenance for the customer.
Using a relay on port 587 is the modern standard for sending email from servers. It is more reliable, more secure, and far more likely to reach inboxes instead of spam folders. For most customers, it makes far more sense than opening an SMTP port and hoping for the best.
Blocking outgoing SMTP ports is not about limiting customers. It is about protecting email delivery and keeping networks clean. When email matters, reliability matters more than old tradition.
At DataPacket, our goal is simple: make sure your email actually gets delivered. If you have a legitimate need for outgoing SMTP, we will work with you. If you want the most reliable solution available today, our mail gateways are already in place and ready to use.
That’s smarter hosting.
