how to send email with php?

Hi:

I set up WAMP(which is php+apache+mysql....etc) & ArGoSoft mail server in my
desktop...When a test a form, I got an error: Warning: mail() [function.mail]: SMTP server response: 551 User not local. We don't relay...

Inside the mail function, I set mail("bla@gmail.com", .., .., ..). Does it mean gmail doesn't accept the mail sent from my web server?

Then I tried:

ini_set("SMTP","mail.google.com");
ini_set("smtp_port","587");
ini_set("username","bla");
ini_set("password","bla");
mail("bla@gmail.com"......); 


set SMTP = mail.google.com in php.ini, then it says it cannot connect to the mail server.

PHP:

 

I think what I did with the gmail server is not correct. Since I have set up my own mail server. I should not use the gmail one... Then I back to the 551 not local user problem...

 

Isnt google's smtp server => smtp.gmail.com ?

 

* right....
* Then I got SMTP server response: 530 5.7.0 Must issue a STARTTLS command .....

 

But in this case, I use smtp of gmail not my installed stmp server......?

 

I am a bit confused here:

* I can use free smtp server + WAMP to run for form submission or stmp.gmail.com (a remote) + WAMP for form submission?

* How many ports do I need to open? I open port 587 for the local smtp & stmp.gmail.com. I open a port for WAMP, it uses port 81. When I mean open a port, I forward them in router & open it in windows firewall. Do I need to open it in the free zoneAlarm...since I am not sure how to do so or only premium products can do so?

* Eventually, I try free smtp server + WAMP & ports 587, 81... It times out, when I assess it via anonymouse.org

 

After you choose your SMTP server, I suggest you use phpMailer. It's really a good class for php, it will handle for you almost everything about Mails.