Email Not Being Sent

[JimSpy]

And once again, my email sending functions are failing.

To review, a few months back, my email wouldn't get sent, and I'd get an error in the log indicating that gmail was not accepting my login info. It was then I found out about "app passwords" and that I needed to set up a special password for Homeseer to log into Gmail (versus ME logging in to Gmail). So I took care of this, and its worked fine up till now. I went into my Google account security module, and come to find out, they are still doing app passwords, but now they DON'T RECOMMEND USING IT. They prefer you to login as yourself once again. (This is the silliest thing I've ever heard. They invent this new level of security, make us jump through all these hoops, but now they say they don't like it, and to go back to the old way? Pardon my french, but WTF???)

So now I'm totally confused. I have my old personal login info in TOOLS > SETUP > EMAIL > Email Settings General, and my "app password" underneath that in Email Settings Sending. I had unchecked "Use Gmail" which I believe means to use the second set of credentials (the app password), That was not working, so I checked the box "Use Gmail," which should log me in with my own credentials. But that's not working either. And yes, my password is correct in both cases. Have I missed something? Is there a NEW new way of doing things?

I gotta tell you, I am SO SICK AND TIRED of them constantly changing login procedures and password requirements and security procedures, 8 characters isn't enough, now it's 8-20 characters total, 1 uppercase character, 1 lowercase character, 1 numeral, 1 special character, 1 character from a Faulkner novel, 1 character from the Sopranos.....PLEASE STOP IT! JUST STOP IT! I'D RATHER BE HACKED THAN GO THROUGH THIS!!!

[Bernold]

Hi Jim,

Do you see an error in the Log? Can you share it? (With 'Use GMail' unchecked as described here under 1.)

Also, can you take a screenshot of the text where Google is recommending not using it? I just logged in to my (Homeseer only) GMail account and couldn't find it. I'm thinking even if they don't recommend it, the best option may still be 2 step verification plus app password. They don't say they're stopping this method, do they?

[Mack1979]

I had the same thing. I think the options with Google are:
1. Enable 2-step verification, then you need an app password for less secure apps
2. 1-step verification, using your normal gmail login, but you need "less secure app access enabled

If you were using option 2, as I was, then google will automatically disable the "less secure app access" if it isn't being used so if you only send periodic emails (like when an alarm is triggered) it's likely google will disable this for you (as it did for me this morning). You can re-enable this option manually through your google account, under the security settings section.

I use a separate account for Homeseer to send emails, so option 2 works for me. If I were using my main google account I use 2-step verification on that so would have to use the app password option (which I recently set up but there's a lot of circular screens making it pretty difficult so I won't even try to direct you here).

[jgreenberg01]

I had the same thing. I think the options with Google are:
1. Enable 2-step verification, then you need an app password for less secure apps
2. 1-step verification, using your normal gmail login, but you need "less secure app access enabled

If you were using option 2, as I was, then google will automatically disable the "less secure app access" if it isn't being used so if you only send periodic emails (like when an alarm is triggered) it's likely google will disable this for you (as it did for me this morning). You can re-enable this option manually through your google account, under the security settings section.

I use a separate account for Homeseer to send emails, so option 2 works for me. If I were using my main google account I use 2-step verification on that so would have to use the app password option (which I recently set up but there's a lot of circular screens making it pretty difficult so I won't even try to direct you here).

+1

I went this route too because google is nucking futts.

By the way, if you're going to use a Sapranos character, I suggest Ralph Cifaretto because Joey Pants is da bomb.

Appologies in advance if I just gave away part of your password

[Guest]

now it's 8-20 characters total, 1 uppercase character, 1 lowercase character, 1 numeral, 1 special character, 1 character from a Faulkner novel, 1 character from the Sopranos....

.

Sorry, no solution for you but thanks for the good laugh...

Cheers,

[JimSpy]

Hi Jim,

Do you see an error in the Log? Can you share it? (With 'Use GMail' unchecked as described here under 1.)

Also, can you take a screenshot of the text where Google is recommending not using it? I just logged in to my (Homeseer only) GMail account and couldn't find it. I'm thinking even if they don't recommend it, the best option may still be 2 step verification plus app password. They don't say they're stopping this method, do they?

Here's what I get:

Sep-03 6:01:23 PM

Error

Exception sending email via smtp.gmail.com (To:jimspeiser@vtext.com, cc:, bcc:, Sub:TEST, Attach = Username and Password not accepted. Learn more at

I just went back in to make sure I had the app password correct, but I guess I would have to generate another one. Everything else looks correct in my SETUP > Email.

I may have mis-remembered where that recommendation appeared in the process, it may have been warning me away from option 2. I'll get back to you on that, but for the moment I want to focus on what could possibly be wrong with my password. I do not have a separate account for Homeseer, as I am just not that hung up on security. Remember, this has worked for quite some time, it's just recently FUBARd on me.

[mulu]

I haven't read the show chain but if you want to access gmail from an external app like HS you have to setup a special app password. You have to go on your computer, log into gmail and then somewhere burried in their menu you can approve an app to have access to your account. It will generate a special password which you then can use in that app and that app only. It's a PITA.

[JimSpy]

I haven't read the show chain but if you want to access gmail from an external app like HS you have to setup a special app password. You have to go on your computer, log into gmail and then somewhere burried in their menu you can approve an app to have access to your account. It will generate a special password which you then can use in that app and that app only. It's a PITA.

Yeah, we've been discussing that. The confusion seems to be that you don't actually *HAVE* to do that, there's another option, but it's not clear which is the preferred method. Anyway, I have already set that up,it's been running for 6 months at least, but now its decided not to work any more, and we're trying to figure out why.

[Bernold]

Hmmm, that error in the log is not helping much. That's basically the same as in February.

The preferred method is actually only the first, so setting up 2 step verification and app password - repeated from an old post below. I described the second method before, too (see link in #2). But it will break after a while if you don't use it regulary. Problem is, you don't know when and there is no warning from Google. I read it in the reactions above too. Sure, you can re-enable. But do you really want to check this setting, or your HS log daily? First method has been working for me for a long time, after using the second for a while.



Setup 2-Step Verification in your (HomeSeer specific) email account and create an App password. You can do this by login in to your Gmail account, then go to Manage Your Google Account (under the avatar in the right top corner. Then go to the Security tab and simply follow both the setup for 2-Step Verification and Apps Passwords. I think they are pretty much self explaining. In HomeSeer you can then use these settings as following:

- Disable the Use Gmail setting.
- At Sending Settings use:
- SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
- SMTP Port Number: 465
- SMTP Username: your Gmail email address
- SMTP Password: the app password that you created in you Google account
- Use SSL enabled

You don't really have to do this with a seperate account, but it does let you use different security settings. And they mails come from your system, instead of you

[upstatemike]

Just curious if having Homeseer send a heartbeat email once per day would prevent it from breaking over time?

[Bernold]

Probably, but I couldn't find how often it should be send. And I'm not sure how intelligent the spam blocking mechanisms are. Sending an email each day at the same time, with the same content is pretty much just sending spam. That can of course all be fixed, but then the other method becomes much simpler

[JimSpy]

Hmmm, that error in the log is not helping much. That's basically the same as in February.

The preferred method is actually only the first, so setting up 2 step verification and app password - repeated from an old post below. I described the second method before, too (see link in #2). But it will break after a while if you don't use it regulary. Problem is, you don't know when and there is no warning from Google. I read it in the reactions above too. Sure, you can re-enable. But do you really want to check this setting, or your HS log daily? First method has been working for me for a long time, after using the second for a while.

Wonder if that could be handled through scripting........

OK received and understood. Will try to get it working again today.


Dank je voor je hulp.