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FAQ - Office365 Email Configuration

Configure Nodinite email Alarm Plugins for Office365/Microsoft 365 SMTP delivery. This guide provides step-by-step configuration requirements and troubleshooting for common Office365 email issues.

Office365 SMTP Requirements

To send emails through Office365/Microsoft 365 SMTP servers, ensure the following requirements are met:

Account Requirements

  • Email sending permissions - Account must have rights to send emails
  • SMTP Authentication enabled - Account must have SMTP AUTH enabled in Office365 portal (see below)
  • Multi-factor authentication disabled - MFA must be disabled for the SMTP service account
  • Password expiration policy - Password should never expire, OR establish a routine to update it before expiration

Network Requirements

  • Outbound TCP Port 587 - Must be allowed through firewalls
  • DNS Port 53 (TCP and UDP) - Must be open for hostname resolution
  • SSL/TLS encryption - Must be enabled in Nodinite Email Plugin configuration

Nodinite Configuration

  • Use SSL checkbox - Must be checked in the Email Alarm Plugin settings
  • SMTP Server - smtp.office365.com
  • Port - 587
  • Username - Full email address (e.g., noreply@yourdomain.com)
  • Password - Account password

Enable SMTP Authentication in Office365

SMTP Authentication must be enabled for the service account in the Office365 admin portal:

Step 1: Access Exchange Admin Center

  1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
  2. Navigate to Admin centers → Exchange
  3. Go to Recipients → Mailboxes
  4. Select the mailbox used for sending emails

Step 2: Enable SMTP AUTH

  1. Click on the mailbox to open details
  2. Select the Mail flow settings tab
  3. Under Email apps, click Manage email apps settings
  4. Check the box for Authenticated SMTP
  5. Click Save

SMTP Authentication allowed
Example showing SMTP Authentication checkbox enabled in Office365 mailbox settings.

Important

SMTP Authentication is disabled by default in Office365. You must explicitly enable it for each mailbox that will send emails through Nodinite.

Configure Nodinite Email Alarm Plugin

Email with Options Configuration

  1. Navigate to Administration → Settings → Alarm Plugins
  2. Click Add to create a new Email Alarm Plugin or select an existing one
  3. Configure the following settings:
Setting Value
SMTP Server smtp.office365.com
Port 587
Use SSL/TLS ✅ Checked (required)
Username Full email address (e.g., noreply@yourdomain.com)
Password Account password
  1. Click Save
  2. Click Test to verify email delivery

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: "Authentication failed"

Cause: SMTP Authentication not enabled or incorrect credentials.

Solution:

  1. Verify SMTP AUTH is enabled in Office365 (see Enable SMTP Authentication above)
  2. Confirm username is the full email address, not just the username
  3. Verify password is correct
  4. Check if MFA is disabled for the account

Issue: "Connection timeout"

Cause: Firewall blocking outbound TCP port 587.

Solution:

# Test connectivity to Office365 SMTP
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName smtp.office365.com -Port 587

If TcpTestSucceeded is False:

  • Allow outbound TCP 587 in Windows Firewall
  • Check corporate firewall rules
  • Verify no proxy blocking SMTP traffic

Issue: "SSL/TLS handshake failed"

Cause: SSL checkbox not enabled or TLS version mismatch.

Solution:

  1. Ensure Use SSL checkbox is checked in Email Alarm Plugin
  2. Verify Windows Server supports TLS 1.2 (Office365 requires TLS 1.2+)
  3. Enable TLS 1.2 if needed:
# Enable TLS 1.2 in Windows
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319' -Name 'SchUseStrongCrypto' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319' -Name 'SchUseStrongCrypto' -Value 1 -Type DWord

Restart required after enabling TLS 1.2.

Issue: "Mailbox not found"

Cause: Email address does not exist or username incorrect.

Solution:

  • Verify the email address exists in Office365
  • Confirm username in Nodinite is the full email address
  • Check for typos in email address

Issue: Password expired

Cause: Service account password has expired.

Solution:

  1. Reset password in Office365 admin portal

  2. Update password in Nodinite Email Alarm Plugin

  3. Configure password to never expire:

    • In Office365 admin center → Users → Active users
    • Select the service account
    • Click Reset password
    • Uncheck Require this user to change their password when they first sign in
    • Check Password never expires

Tip

Use a dedicated service account for Nodinite email notifications with a strong password that never expires. Avoid using personal user accounts.

DNS Resolution Issues

If you encounter DNS resolution errors:

  • Verify DNS servers - Ensure Nodinite server can resolve smtp.office365.com
  • Test DNS resolution:
# Test DNS resolution
nslookup smtp.office365.com

# Test with specific DNS server (e.g., Google DNS)
nslookup smtp.office365.com 8.8.8.8

See FAQ - DNS Resolution Errors for detailed DNS troubleshooting.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Office365 accounts with MFA enabled cannot use SMTP authentication directly. You have two options:

  1. Create a dedicated service account for Nodinite email notifications
  2. Disable MFA for this account only
  3. Use conditional access policies to restrict access (e.g., allow only from Nodinite server IP)
  4. Set password to never expire

Option 2: Use App Password (Alternative)

If MFA must remain enabled:

  1. Generate an app password in Office365
  2. Use the app password instead of the account password in Nodinite
  3. Note: App passwords are deprecated in some Office365 plans

Warning

Microsoft is phasing out app passwords. The recommended approach is to use a dedicated service account with MFA disabled and conditional access policies for security.

Official Microsoft Documentation

For additional configuration guidance, refer to Microsoft's official documentation:

How to set up a multifunction device or application to send email using Microsoft 365 or Office 365

Configuration Checklist

Before testing, verify:

  • ✅ Service account exists in Office365 with email sending permissions
  • ✅ SMTP Authentication enabled in Office365 mailbox settings
  • ✅ Multi-factor authentication disabled for service account
  • ✅ Password never expires (or routine established for updates)
  • ✅ Outbound TCP port 587 allowed in firewall
  • ✅ DNS port 53 (UDP and TCP) open
  • ✅ Nodinite Email Plugin configured with smtp.office365.com:587
  • ✅ Use SSL checkbox checked
  • ✅ Username is full email address
  • ✅ Password is correct

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