TDS has decided that blocking Port 25 will cut down on spam. Unfortunately, this impacts the ability to send mail using a .mac account and Apple's servers. Read more for a temporary solution.

When TDS started blocking port 25, I had to change my mail server for my .mac account. Since I have a TDS mail account also, I knew the mail server SMTP address, so I just used that one. If TDS's mail servers are down, I will not be able to send mail via .mac from my Mail application, which negates some of the redundancy safety in having an additional mail account. I can still receive mail, since I didn't change my incoming server for my @mac.com address.

I'm working on a solution that still allows me to use Apple's SMTP address, using a different port. More later if I find out.

Hint: On the road, change the server back to Apple's SMTP server (it's just a drop-down menu).