PHPMailer - SMTP ERROR: Password command failed when send mail from my server

Question

I have used phpmailer() concept to send mail to users from my shared server using php script, but I'm not able to send even though everything is right in my script according to phpmailer code.

My code like this:

  $message = " This is testing message from my server";

  $mail = new PHPMailer(); // create a new object
  $mail->IsSMTP(); // enable SMTP
  $mail->Host = "smtp.gmail.com";
  $mail->SMTPDebug = 1; // debugging: 1 = errors and messages, 2 = messages only
  $mail->SMTPAuth = true; // authentication enabled
  $mail->SMTPSecure = 'ssl'; // secure transfer enabled REQUIRED for GMail
  $mail->Port = 465; // or 587
  $mail->IsHTML(true);
  $mail->Username = "[email protected]"; // My gmail username
  $mail->Password = "************"; // My Gmail Password
  $mail->SetFrom("[email protected]");
  $mail->Subject = "Test Mail from my Server";
  $mail->Body = $message;
  $mail->AddAddress($email);
   if($mail->Send())
      {
    print json_encode("SUCCESS");
}
else
{
    echo "Mailer Error: " . $mail->ErrorInfo;

}

Note: I have used " GMail " as my SMTP server and SMTPSecure is " ssl " and port is "465" and username & passwords are my GMail username & password

I used VPS shared server and I kept my php script on that server.

I think there is no problem in my php script and I don't know why it doesn't work.

I got the ERROR like this.

  2014-02-21 12:30:11   CLIENT -> SERVER: EHLO jkcorporates.com
  2014-02-21 12:30:11   CLIENT -> SERVER: AUTH LOGIN
  2014-02-21 12:30:11   CLIENT -> SERVER: bW9vcnRoaS5tcmsxMEBnbWFpbC5jb20=
  2014-02-21 12:30:11   CLIENT -> SERVER: OTk0MTI0MTE0MA==
  2014-02-21 12:30:11   SMTP ERROR: Password command failed: 534-5.7.14 
  534-5.7.14 i-_eumA> Please log in via your web browser and then try again.
  534 5.7.14 54 k76sm17979938yho.18 - gsmtp
  2014-02-21 12:30:11   CLIENT -> SERVER: QUIT
  " The ERROR is  "  SMTP connect() failed.

Please give some solution for that.
Thanks in Advance.

Remember: I use Shared Server Name 'VPS.mydomain.com' and I want to use GMail as my SMTP server to send mail to users.

Answer 1

A bit late, but perhaps someone will find it useful.

Links that fix the problem (you must be logged into google account):

https://security.google.com/settings/security/activity?hl=en&pli=1

https://www.google.com/settings/u/1/security/lesssecureapps

https://accounts.google.com/b/0/DisplayUnlockCaptcha

Some explanation of what happens:

This problem can be caused by either 'less secure' applications trying to use the email account (this is according to google help, not sure how they judge what is secure and what is not) OR if you are trying to login several time in a row OR if you change countries (for example use VPN, move code to different server or actually try to login from different part of the world).

To resolve I had to: (first time)

• login to my account via web
• view recent attempts to use the account and accept suspicious access: THIS LINK
• disable the feature of blocking suspicious apps/technologies: THIS LINK

This worked the first time, but few hours later, probably because I was doing a lot of testing the problem reappeared and was not fixable using the above method. In addition I had to clear the captcha (the funny picture, which asks you to rewrite a word or a sentence when logging into any account nowadays too many times) :

• after login to my account I went HERE
• Clicked continue

Hope this helps.