Problems accessing Gmail with PHP IMAP

[adrian.gab]

Hi Guys,

I am attempting to access my Gmail account using PHP on my bluehost account and I keep getting the following error:

Connection failed to gmail-imap.l.google.com,993: Connection timed out

The code I'm using is:


<?php

$server = "imap.gmail.com";
$user = "user@gmail.com";
$pass = "pass";
$conn = @imap_open("\{$server:993/imap/ssl}INBOX", $user, $pass)
or die("Connection to server failed: ". imap_last_error());

?>

I have tried a couple other flags in combination with /ssl e.g. /notls /novalidate-cert

Any one succesfully tried this?

I have checked that the phpinfo() has imap and ssl enabled.
I have also checked that the port number and host name is correct. I have also tried imap.googlemail.com too.

Thanks heaps,
Adrian

[Basil]

I believe you need a dedicated IP to make outbound connections on ports like that.

[adrian.gab]

ok, can any one confirm this?

i've also previously checked that imap is enabled in my gmail account and it works from my thunderbird app on my local pc.

[Basil]

Well here's a pretty simple test.

<?php
$fp = @fsockopen("imap.gmail.com", 993, $errno, $errstr, 5);
if($fp) echo "success";
else echo "failure: ".$errstr;
?>

Times out on my account. Succeeds on my computer. I can infer from this a few different conclusions, but the most likely is that the port is blocked.

[mohitphp5]

Basil Well here's a pretty simple test.

PHP Code:
<?php
$fp = @fsockopen("imap.gmail.com", 993, $errno, $errstr, 5);
if($fp) echo "success";
else echo "failure: ".$errstr;
?>

well first of all i know that i am posting after months of the last post but i just saw it while surfing net.
The Gmail server requires secure connection (SSL) ,thus one(the main one) line of code above needs to be changed to :

Instead of :

$fp = @fsockopen("imap.gmail.com", 993, $errno, $errstr, 5);

We should use :

$fp = @fsockopen("ssl://imap.gmail.com", 993, $errno, $errstr, 5);

Cheers!!!

[Eriksrocks]

Basil is correct. You need a dedicated IP at $30/year to make outbound connections.

[adrian.gab]

Basil is correct. You need a dedicated IP at $30/year to make outbound connections.

i had a very long winded online chat with a rude staff member from bluehost. after a long chat he finally divulged that even if you pay for a ip to make outbound connections you can't make outbound connections under port 1000. even though right at the start of the conversation i wanted to make an outbound IMAP connection to Gmail on port 993.

now what on earth is the point of that!?! all the important ports are under 1000, plus this means bluehost customers can't access their gmail via imap.

can another person from bluehost confirm this is true?

[areidmtm]

can another person from bluehost confirm this is true?

Since this is a user to user forum, you won't get any confirmation from bluehost here...


I can use PHPMailer or Swiftmailer to make connections to Gmail and sent email and I have a dedicated IP

[Eriksrocks]

I highly doubt they dissallow ports under 1000.

[charlesgan]

shared hosting does have a lot of restriction...
thats when we need to find vps/dedicated-server that allow firewall customization for port :P