For anyone getting the "unable to connect to server" error message ...

By default, SBC DSL does not allow sending mail through smtp servers
other than their own because they block port 25.

A search of these groups and the web did not produce much reference to
port 25 blocking as being the possible problem.

I messed around with settings, different servers, different clueless
support lines, and different email clients for hours.  SBC phone
support did not once mention that port 25 blocking could be the
problem; I finally discovered that on my own, **buried in their very
own online docs**!

With that knowledge, instead of filling out the silly "request to
unblock" form they want you to use and waiting for god knows how long,
I went straight to their online support chat thingie and asked to
remove the block.  After some resistance and trying to get me to try
all the things I've already tried millions of times, I finally got the
guy to "just remove the f** block, dude!"  Boom, sending mail through
my non-sbc mail server now works normally.  I also had to power off/on
my DSL modem for it to take effect.

I hope this post comes up in some poor schmuck's search and saves them
the agony and wasted precious time I experienced.

Computers Suck
Steve, programmer / sys admin