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WHMCS vs. Google Apps


yannibmbr

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Hello all,

Okay, so I've read some discussions about Google Apps and WHMCS where it concerns the ability to pipe emails and import them into the WHMCS support ticketing system. It actually worked for like an hour and then stopped again.

 

It is my belief that this does not work. If it works for you, then please post here and enlighten me. I need it. =)

 

As far as I know here's what you need to do:

- Create a google app acct for your domain

- Verify your domain

- Adjust your mx records on your webserver to redirect your email service to google.

- Enable Imap-SSL/Pop3-SSL with your webserver installation (it's either an Apache or PHP config, I believe it's PHP)

- In WHMCS, in support depts, Create a department and configure the email account assigned to it like so:

hostname: pop.gmail.com

port: 995

user: youremail@yourdomain.com

pwd: yourpassw0rd

- In the account you set up in WHMCS in support dept, make sure to go into google settings to enable both IMAP and POP.

- Set up your cron job:

*/5 * * * * php -q /home/username/public_html/whmcs/pipe/pop.php

 

If you do the above, this whole thing should work... But it doesn't.

 

My cron job produces this error:

<b>POP Import Log</b><br>Date: 18/07/2008 15:30:02<hr>Host: pop.gmail.com<br>Email: helpdesk@concentricconcepts.com<br>An Error Occured: Can't connect to gmail-pop.l.google.com,995: Connection refused<hr>Host: pop.gmail.com<br>Email: clientcare@concentricconcepts.com<br>An Error Occured: Can't connect to gmail-pop.l.google.com,995: Connection refused<hr>Host: pop.gmail.com<br>Email: alex@multiplemiraclemoms.org<br>An Error Occured: Can't connect to gmail-pop.l.google.com,995: Connection refused<hr>

 

Google, of course, is of no help. Here is their response:

--------------------------

Thanks for your message.

 

At this time we do not support this cron job functionality that you are

describing. We recommend searching our Discussion group to see if anyone

else has done something similar. Please navigate to

'http://groups.google.com/group/apps-discuss?ctx=entedusg.' for the

discussion group.

 

Sincerely,

 

Cindy

The Google Apps Team

--------------------------

Thanks Cindy, but I think you're full of it.

 

WHMCS support, while responsive, has been able to offer little concerete help on this lately. They seem to think that either Google is blocking access or I'm making too many attempts with my cron job. Unfortunately both thoughts are unfounded and have no backing facts to support them. The google discussion group doesn't help any on this either.

 

My webhosting company, Hostgator insists that they have no firewall rules or ports that would prevent this sort of activity on their end.

 

I expect that I'm going to have people asking me why I want to use google apps. Well it's a good suite of programs and, honestly, I don't want to fudge with spam assassin. So it's a case of being somewhat lazy.

 

So I'm interested to hear about experiences or stories if this works or not.

Discuss

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They seem to think that either Google is blocking access or I'm making too many attempts with my cron job. Unfortunately both thoughts are unfounded and have no backing facts to support them

 

An Error Occured: Can't connect to gmail-pop.l.google.com,995: Connection refused

 

You *are* being blocked by google, a not-too-uncommon occurrence when you connect too frequently. I'd suggest you ask for your money back ;)

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Cute. =)

Yes. Obviously, I am being blocked and given that my login information is correct the only assumption (not a fact that has been documented, mind you) is that there is a limit to the number of times one can connect via Cron to google apps' mail servers. If such a limit does exist, I can find no documentation on it. But based on other trouble shooting I've done, Google still throws fits if you run your cron against it even only twice an hour...

 

On that note, I'm marching right up to google and demand that full refund. And when I'm done, Othello, I've got some wonderful beach front property in Montana I'd like to discuss with you. .) <---In honor of my friend who lost an eye to glaucoma.

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So I'm interested to hear about experiences or stories if this works or not.

 

While we don't use WHMCS for ticketing (currently using Kayako), we've got all our emails going through Google Apps and connect to each of 12 IMAP mailboxes every 5 minutes via cron, and have never had an issue with the connection being refused.

 

With is the case with both the free edition and the partner edition.

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Obviously, I am being blocked and given that my login information is correct the only assumption (not a fact that has been documented, mind you) is that there is a limit to the number of times one can connect via Cron to google apps' mail servers. If such a limit does exist, I can find no documentation on it. But based on other trouble shooting I've done, Google still throws fits if you run your cron against it even only twice an hour...

I've known them block IP addresses connecting more frequently than 144 times/day ...

Dont forget if this is a "shared" box, others might also be hitting gmail which will have an impact.

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Thanks guys, for the feedback.

 

@ Adam: Based on Othello's post, do you have a dedicated server set up, or are you running off of a shared hosting plan? I'm not sure that using Kayako over WHMCS is the answer, given my error about a connection refusal.

 

Thanks again.

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I finally did get the issue resolved.

 

As I mentioned, I had checked with my host to ensure there were no firewall rules targeting google's email servers. I was told, more than once, that this was not an issue as no rules were set up against google's mail servers.

 

On a whim, I had done more searching on issues relating to my error messages above. I found a discussion group where a user was trying to figure out why his pop3 client config wasn't working. They were getting the same message I was.

 

The solution was this: From the server handling your mail/website etc. etc. run this command: telnet gmail-pop.l.google.com 995

If there is a problem, telnet should exit with an error and should indicate where you are getting blocked. I had hostgator do this for me. They said: "Oh, yeah, our firewall was blocking that. I fixed it." No one's perfect, but come on now...

 

In short, Google will allow you to pipe your emails. If you have exhausted the things I listed above, try telneting from your server to gmail as another troubleshooting measure. Could save you lots of time and smacking of face against the wall.

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