[brokentone]

NXDOMAIN wouldn't be server down, that's no DNS record. Still won't work, but different (much bigger) issue.

[tekacs]

I'm pretty sure the 'bigger' issue here is that it's smtp.gmail.com - smtp.google.com is, I believe, always down on account of not existing. :P

[deno]

Works fine for me:

    > dig +short @8.8.8.8 smtp.gmail.com
    gmail-smtp-msa.l.google.com.
    74.125.136.108
    74.125.136.109

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jonathan.deboynepollard/FGA/nsl...

[pyre]

Or: smtp.googlemail.com