Cannot change sending email address from host@change.me

[worldheadquarters]

Description of bug

On a new install of DNN 9.4.1
The SMTP Server settings test sends an email with the return address as host@change.me instead of the email address configured for the super user account.

Steps to reproduce

List the steps to reproduce the behavior:
On the personna bar:
Enter the appropriate email address for the superuser in the profile.

1. Go to 'servers : server settings : SMTP server'
2. Enter the appropriate information for your mail server
3. Click on 'Test SMTP Settings.'

Current result

All emails sent have host@change.me as the sender

Expected result

Return address should be that of the duperuser (or perhaps another designitated actual address).

may be helpful for resolution.

Affected version

[X] 9.4.1 only one tested

Affected browser

Not a browser issue

[valadas]

Hmm, just gave it a try, so 2 things:

1. The host email is the one in the UI to set the host settings, there could be multiple host users so the one used for the test email is the one in the email UI and not the actual email of any of the host users.
2. If you enter the settings and test right away, it uses the previously configured email, if you save and re-test then it picks it up. Keeping this issue as an improvement to use the one in the field instead of the previously saved one...

[worldheadquarters]

It is actually somewhat confusing, as I was not sure what the sending or destination addresses are supposed to be. I assume the sending address would be the one in the UI and the recipient address would be the address in the user profile of the user initiating the test. (which seems to work, but the "from" field in the message source is still host@change.me, even after saving, clearing the cache, logging out and re-trying it.

MIME-Version: 1.0
Sender: "World Headquarters" admin@worldheadquarters.xyz
From: host@change.me
To: jimb@empulse.net
Reply-To: host@change.me
Date: 18 Oct 2019 22:14:11 -0700

The little popup info box always says that the sender is host@change.me and i cannot find any place to change that.

[sleupold]

registration emails are sent from the admin account specified in Site Settings. if you left default values within the DNN install wizard, the first account will get assigned this email address in his user account.

[worldheadquarters]

I changed the email address in all the appropriate places. In the message source of emails that were sent, as illustrated above, the email actually gets sent, but in the the message source"From" and "reply to" do not change. I do not see anywhere in "site settings" to specify an admin account for the site (Was this setting accidentally left out of the UI?). Anyway, on this site (which I am using only for testing and theme development) there is only one account - Host.

[thabaum]

. I do not see anywhere in "site settings" to specify an admin account for the site

I looked forever too and found it here:

SETTINGS > SECURITY > LOGIN SETTINGS > BASIC LOGIN SETTINGS

Primary Administrator dictates the email used. However it is hard to test as I need to create emails and portals over and over to figure these things out and test if emails are actually getting sent... it has been one of my top priorities over the past 5+ years finding out how to convince that the verification email issue and this send from address issue is causing major headwinds and slowing down production sites being produced.

this is related to my previous issues. I have been giving thought and under Host AND PORTAL settings you should be able supply an email for sending for each type of account OR under registration settings is where it would make sense if not actually under SITE SETTINGS which might make more sense. I think maybe an "EMAIL SETTINGS" or "NOTIFICATION SETTINGS" tab maybe should be added under "SITE SETTINGS" that allows you to set email addresses to use for sending out the different types of notifications DNN provides.

I think an email account to be used should not be set to an admin account for registrations... then you have to make a separate admin account which I feel is a security risk as you use this only to set the email to be used for registrations as you may have another account that you like to use for communication as a moderator or administrator of the website instead of the one used for example noreply@domain.com or accounts@domain.com when the admin uses admin@domain.com or user@someotherdomain.com.

Anyone trying to get into a DNN CE account would just bruteforce the email over time being used if Email as Username is used and just register for the website, see who the reply address is and start attacking that account for full admin access.

It has been a DNN CE issue since the beginning of time in my book and I must not be communicating it well enough although I keep trying. I can probably find at least 10 posts of mine or more related to SMTP and email accounts on the old support site and github... I wonder how EVOQ handles this as I bet customers complained about it there as well but it got fixed.

None the less SMTP notifications email used is currently confusing and should be independent from accounts on the website. A contact administrator link for maybe a website bug or error maybe use the Administrator account however not for account registrations or general website notifications. Users could think you are personally talking to them sometimes when you are not. I would rather them use a support system or contact form for communication to website administrators or moderators.

Thank you for adding it to 9.4.2 milestone!

[thabaum]

Keeping this issue as an improvement to use the one in the field instead of the previously saved one...

@valadas
can you do this for PORTAL settings as well as HOST settings? Portal settings is missing this field.

[sleupold]

when you are specifying the "primary administrator" in site settings, the email address in his user account is used as sender.

[worldheadquarters]

Thanks to thabaum, I did find the setting in SECURITY. In this installation, there is only one user, "superuser", but the "from" and "reply to" are still "host@change.me" although the email address associated with the superuser account is different.

[thabaum]

I feel the pain and I believe I have found the issue. I am trying to find out how to exactly get the email logic and set the parameters correctly. While I am doing that I am also seeing where the hostEmail settings are set and setting these up to be used. But I believe @valadas is working on something as well not sure getting used to putting things together here but I believe i have a few changes that can help in mind.

This issue really dates back to 2006 DNN version 4

https://www.dnnsoftware.com/forums/threadid/86505/scope/posts/change-portal-administrator-email-address

[thabaum]

Going forward if the PR is accepted you should be able to create a portal admin account that uses it's account for sending the mail. Then create a second admin account to test sending emails so that you can edit the email address for that account to whatever you like for testing purposes. The email will get sent to the current user with the test smtp request.

I would like to add an option to "Use Username for Sender Address". And then maybe a way for controlling the email used for communications in one location if more are to be used to separate the types of notifications. IE one from account verification might be different from the one you wish to use for a forum or for a newsletter.

It would be cool to be able to label and put an email address into the database and then a feature in modules could be to select which site email address to use for sending each type of notification.

A little much for now so much to chew on... Security Administrator email to the SMTP area we could at least put a help note letting administrators know to set the administrator email used for the portal under Security for the end user.

[valadas]

Merged