Connection refused error for port 25

jgnasser · 08-25-2004, 02:38 AM

I have just installed RH Linux 7.3 and trying to get services working. I have a problem with the email. When I telnet the server port 25 (using its IP) I get a connection refused error. However, I can successfully connect to port 110. However, when I telnet localhost port 25 it works ok. What could be the problem? Seems port 25 is locked, how do I unlock it?

I also got a similar message when I try to access apache webserver on localhost using mozilla or from other hosts using IE.

Help appreciated.

Thoreau · 08-25-2004, 03:22 AM

On linux 0-1024 are relegated to system services only. Nothing like a separate http server should be there- webmin for example. If it's blocked for a mailserver service at 25, then the service isn't allowing connections due to misconfiguration or a firewall ruleset defaults is blocking it- and it is, unless you specified that when you installed. Redhat asks to allow those services on install as I recall, due to their firewall setup.

jgnasser · 08-25-2004, 05:17 AM

Yes I got apache to work by ensuring the httpd service is running. However the mail service is still not
accepting connections. So my question then is how to get the service running. Should there be a separate
service in xinetd.d?

Does the fact that using "telnet 192.168.0.5 25" and "telnet localhost 25" makes a difference (latter works) show
that its a problem with network configuration?

jgnasser · 08-25-2004, 07:09 AM

I found an answer to this. Sendmail was only listening on 127.0.0.1 so when I changed that in sendmail.cf, I was able to connect to port 25.