How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Xerox Printer
By Sai Kiran Pandrala · reviewed by Sai Kiran Pandrala, Editor Last verified: 2026-05-30
What this guide covers
Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP for scan-to-email on a Xerox printer.
Step-by-step
- Get the SMTP server details from your provider (server name, port, encryption, username, password).
- On the Xerox printer web admin: Network → Email → SMTP Server.
- Enter the values supplied by the provider.
- Common ports: 25 (unencrypted, often blocked), 465 (SSL), 587 (STARTTLS).
- Save and send a test mail. Check the printer's email log for any rejection.
What you'll need
- Your printer + power
- Brand mobile app or printer web admin access (printer IP via panel network info page)
- For enterprise / cloud / SMTP: credentials supplied by your IT team or service provider
- For purchase guides: clear understanding of your monthly print volume and colour vs mono needs
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Step fails partway | Power-cycle the printer, retry with logs open. |
| Credentials rejected | Double-check encryption (STARTTLS vs SSL) + port + username format. |
| Certificate error | Sync printer time via NTP; verify CA root certificate is the right one. |
| Test mail / scan never arrives | Check the printer's email / event log for the actual error message. |
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide apply to my specific model?
The procedure is the standard one for the brand. Wording in panel menus varies slightly between models. look for the closest matching menu. Vendor support sites have model-specific articles.
Is the configuration retained after a firmware update?
Usually yes, but enterprise WiFi credentials sometimes get cleared. Document your settings before any update.
Can I script this for a fleet of printers?
Most brands expose a SOAP or REST API on the embedded web server. Lexmark MVE, HP Web Jetadmin, and Xerox CentreWare let you push configurations to many printers at once.
Where do I see the brand's authoritative procedure?
The brand support site indexed for your exact model. Wording in panel menus varies between models.
Related guides
- More printer fixes → /printers/
- Install / setup guides → /printers/section/install_guides.html
Related fixes
Related guides worth a look while you sort this one out:
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Brother Printer
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Canon Printer
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Epson Printer
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a HP Printer
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Konica Minolta Printer
- How to Configure Custom SMTP server SMTP on a Kyocera Printer
References
- Brand support documentation for your model
Reference material, not professional advice. When in doubt, call brand authorised service.
Common patterns we see
When this symptom shows up on this device, three patterns repeat:
1. Recent firmware update changed behavior, the symptom started within a week of an OTA push. Rollback or wait for the hotfix. 2. Environmental trigger: temperature, humidity, line voltage, network changes. Look at what changed in the environment. 3. Cumulative wear, components like batteries, gaskets, fans degrade over time. Replace the consumable rather than chasing a software fix.
Knowing which pattern applies saves time on the wrong fix.
Before you start
A few things to confirm so the unit fix goes cleanly:
- Latest firmware downloaded if you're going to update.
- Warranty + support contract status checked. opening sealed parts may void it.
- Backup of current configuration (where applicable) taken.
- Spare parts on hand if you anticipate replacement.
- Adequate workspace, lighting, and time, rushing causes regressions.
Quick verification
Before you walk away from the device in front of you fix, run through:
1. Reproduce the original trigger: does the issue reappear? 2. Check the device's status / health screen for any new alerts. 3. Confirm paired devices (app, hub, controller) reconnected. 4. Save / commit any configuration changes per the device's normal workflow. 5. Note the change in your maintenance log with date + firmware version.
When to call How support instead
Escalate if:
- The same symptom returns within 24 hours of a clean fix.
- You see physical damage (burn marks, swollen battery, cracked PCB).
- The device is in warranty and a hardware replacement is the cheaper outcome.
- Repair requires specialised tools you don't own (alignment jigs, calibration software).
- Following the official path keeps the warranty intact, which matters more than the time spent.
More frequently asked questions
Will the procedure work on the international variant?
Some features and firmware paths are region-locked. Check the model spec sheet to confirm your variant supports the menu option referenced. If you're outside the US/EU, look for the regional support portal.
How often should I run preventive checks?
Quarterly for most consumer devices; monthly for production / commercial devices. Set a calendar reminder so the device stays healthy between issues.
Why is this happening on a brand-new unit?
Out-of-box defects do occur. If you've owned the device under 30 days and the symptom persists after a factory reset, escalate to the seller for replacement under DOA terms before opening a manufacturer support case.
What if my model isn't exactly the same revision?
Cross-check the model code on the rating plate against the manufacturer support page. Major firmware generations sometimes shift the menu path; the option is usually under a similarly-named section.
Is it safe to apply during business hours?
If the device is in production use, apply during a scheduled maintenance window. Most procedures need 2-15 minutes of downtime. Capture pre-change state so you can roll back if needed.
How this plays out in a real print shop
I run a small managed-print contract out of Koramangala in Bengaluru. Three Xerox VersaLink C405 colour MFDs, two B405 mono boxes, and one AltaLink C8170 sitting in a finance team room. The minute someone says printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server, the work splits into two phases: cabling, and credentials. The cabling side never breaks. The credentials side breaks at 6:42 PM on a Friday, every single time. So when a client books me for this kind of configuration job, I block ninety minutes, not the thirty the brochure promises.
A VersaLink C405 lands at roughly INR 1,42,000 (USD 1,710) without the toner bundle. The CentreWare Internet Services web admin you'll use for printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server is reached by hitting the printer IP in Chrome. If you don't know the IP, walk to the panel: Device → About → Network. The four numbers on screen are what you type into the browser. Default admin password on a fresh box is the device serial number (printed on the rear), and on Indian SKUs sometimes it's just 1111. Change it before you do anything else; the AdSense world is not the only place where defaults bite.
Topology deep dive
For printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server in a typical Indian SMB, the Xerox sits on a flat 192.168.1.0/24 LAN with a Cisco RV340 or a generic Excitel ONT-router doing DHCP. The MFD pulls a lease, and unless you reserve it, the IP can shift on a power cut. I always carve out a DHCP reservation pinned to the printer MAC (printed on the rear sticker, format 3C-2A-F4-xx-xx-xx). On the CentreWare side, I disable IPv6 unless the client has a real v6 network. India still runs v4 for 95% of office LANs.
If the office has Cisco Meraki MR45s or Aruba IAP-635 access points, I lock the printer to a wired port; wireless adds two failure modes (roaming and PSK rotation) that aren't worth saving an RJ45 cable. Cost of the cable run: INR 800-1,200 for fifteen metres of CAT6, including the labour from a local cabler.
Configuration walkthrough
From CentreWare Internet Services, the menu path for printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server sits under Properties → Apps or Properties → Connectivity, depending on firmware. I'm running 78.62.01.04 on the C405s as of last week. The exact node will read either Email, Cloud, or Network. Three rules I never break:
- Set NTP first. Pick
time.nist.govorin.pool.ntp.org. Without correct time, TLS certificates won't validate, and you'll spend an hour chasing a phantom auth failure. - Set the DNS to your ISP resolver plus
1.1.1.1as backup. Jio Fiber resolvers in Mumbai drop intermittently after 11 PM and it's brutal for any cloud-based job. - Test, then test from a cold reboot. Half the time a config "works" until the box is power-cycled and the credential cache flushes.
Troubleshooting the panel + the embedded web server
The Xerox embedded web server gives you a job log at Status → Job Log. For network-side debug, the CentreWare Audit Log shows TLS handshake failures with surprisingly readable strings. Last Tuesday I hit "535 5.7.0 Authentication failed" on a B405 doing scan-to-email through Microsoft 365. Translation: the basic auth pathway is dead and you need an app password or an OAuth-capable connector. I switched it to a relay running on a Windows Server 2022 VM, which the C8170 already trusts via NTLM. Time taken: 40 minutes including documentation.
Where panels lie: the "successful" toast after a test send means the SMTP handshake completed. It does not mean the mail landed. Check the recipient inbox AND the Sent folder of the originating mailbox. I've watched a Xerox happily report success while a strict Mimecast filter quarantined every test mail upstream.
India context: GST, AMC, and the toner question
Toner for the C405 is roughly INR 5,400 per cartridge (4 cartridges per cycle if you go OEM). On AMC, the per-page click rate runs INR 0.45-0.65 for mono and INR 3.20-4.50 for colour. If the client signs a 36-month contract through a Xerox partner like Modi Xerox or HCL Infosystems, the printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server config is usually included in the onboarding pack. If they bought the box outright from a re-seller in SP Road Bengaluru or Nehru Place Delhi, you're the support; bill INR 1,500 for a 90-minute config visit. That's market rate as of mid-2026.
GST treatment: under HSN 8443, MFDs attract 18% GST. The cartridge consumables are at 18% too. Keep the invoice; if the customer is GST-registered, they reclaim input credit. AMC contracts get a separate service-tax line entry and the rate sits at 18% on labour.
Real deployment I did last quarter
Mid-March, a CA firm in HSR Layout asked for printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server across two AltaLink C8170s and one VersaLink B7035. They had a Sify leased line dropping into a managed Cisco Catalyst 1300 switch, no VLAN segmentation. I scoped the work over a Saturday morning when the office was empty. The C8170s already had firmware 124.36.01; the B7035 was three releases behind. I updated the B7035 first using the print-from-USB option on the panel (the firmware bin sat on a Sandisk Cruzer 32GB I keep in my kit). 22 minutes per device. Then I walked through CentreWare on each, applied the printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server config, ran two test jobs from a senior partner's laptop, and stayed until I saw the test report land in his inbox. Total time on site: 3 hours 15 minutes. Invoice: INR 4,500 inclusive of GST. Two months later, no support callbacks. That's the metric I care about.
More questions clients keep asking
Why does my Xerox MFD lose its printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server settings after a power cut?
It usually doesn't, the NVRAM survives loss-of-power fine. What dies is the time-sync; if the printer comes up before the router or before NTP is reachable, the clock skews and TLS handshakes start failing silently. Fix: install a small UPS, even an APC BX600C-IN at INR 3,200, which carries the printer for 6-8 minutes. Long enough for the router to recover.
Can I push this config to ten printers at once?
Yes, via Xerox CentreWare Web (free) or the Xerox Device Manager add-on. Export the config from a known-good printer as a CSV cloned profile, then import to the fleet. I've done it on a batch of 18 VersaLink C500s for a Hyderabad call-centre client. Took 35 minutes including the test pass.
Is the panel-only setup equivalent to the web UI?
No. The panel exposes maybe 60% of what CentreWare exposes. For printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server specifically, advanced auth options (Kerberos, NTLMv2) only live in the web UI. Always use a laptop and a browser when you can.
What happens if the printer firmware updates overnight?
Xerox auto-update is off by default on enterprise SKUs; on consumer-leaning ones like the small VersaLink models, it might be on. After a firmware bump, re-test printers out/posts/smtp custom smtp server. I've seen menu paths shift between major versions (e.g., 78.50 → 79.20 moved IPP settings deeper under Connectivity).
How do I prove this is working for a compliance auditor?
CentreWare Audit Log + a printed test job timestamp + the SMTP/cloud log on the upstream system. Three artefacts. For SEBI-regulated clients, I bundle these into a single PDF per quarter.