SMTP credentials started to Timeout

Questions
1

My SMTP credentials/node has been working for a month. I suddently started giving me this error:

{
  "errorMessage": "The connection timed out, consider setting the 'Retry on Fail' option in the node settings",
  "errorDetails": {},
  "n8nDetails": {
    "time": "18/03/2025, 15:48:24",
    "n8nVersion": "1.82.3 (Self Hosted)",
    "binaryDataMode": "default",
    "cause": {
      "message": "The connection timed out, consider setting the 'Retry on Fail' option in the node settings",
      "timestamp": 1742305704265,
      "name": "NodeApiError",
      "context": {},
      "cause": {
        "code": "ETIMEDOUT",
        "command": "CONN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Caddy to reverse proxy

I believe i cannot reach the SMTP server for a reason.

I haven’t made any major changes to my ufw, or ports recently.

How can i diagnose this?

Also, when I save my credentials, I get “testing” endlessly.(top right)

image
image999×725 15.7 KB

Information on your n8n setup

  • **n8n version:1.82.3 (Self Hosted)
  • Database (default: SQLite):
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n on digital ocean via Docker
  • **Operating system:Ubuntu 22.4

Edit: I tried disabling ufw and trying. No go.

Running: “nc -zv smtp.mydomain.com 465” from n8n container and from host gives no results.

3

I cannot reach the smtp server from the container or the host.

My firewall is not blocking (even tried with ufw disabled)

Could this be that Digital ocean suddenly decided to block 465?

4

Ideally, you should try contacting the server to ask the reason about timeouts.

5

Hello Rabih,

Thank you for responding back to us.

We apologise once again for any inconvenience and we have an update too from the relevant team.
We are extremely sorry to inform you that after reviewing your account details we are unable to lift the SMTP restriction from your account.
For additional context, as of March 6, 2025, DigitalOcean continued the commitment to keep the internet a safe and secure place by blocking the use of SMTP ports 465 and 587, in addition to the previously blocked port 25, on all Droplets to mitigate spam and abuse originating from our platform. This decision is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain the security of our network and the greater internet.
In terms of work around we encourage our customers to explore alternative solutions such as SendGrid, Mailgun, MailChimp, etc. which offer reliable, managed email delivery services with built-in security features to stay secure. Please find more details about SendGrid’s integration with DigitalOcean here: SendGrid Marketplace 1-Click App
If you are already using SendGrid, Mailgun, MailChimp, or any other third-party provider over a blocked SMTP port, we recommend switching to their REST API method to restore functionality.
Hosted SMTP providers offer email deliverability, reputation management, and API-based scalability ensuring a more reliable solution for your communication needs. Additionally, many providers have established relationships with real-time blacklist aggregators (RBLs) like Spamhaus to maintain a clean email reputation. The links below have more useful guidance to get you started:

Getting started Sending Email
We apologise once again for the inconvenience this may cause and hope one of the recommended alternatives helps with current and future deployments.
Please let us know if you have any follow-up questions. We are always here to help!
Warm Regards,

Durrab
Associate Customer Advocate
DigitalOcean Support

6

For future readers. Digital ocean has blocked SMTP ports 24, 465 and 587 on their Droplets. And thus if you are self hosting N8N on Droplet you can not send email via N8N.

More info here - Why is SMTP blocked? | DigitalOcean Documentation