How to set up Microsoft as your email client

Modified on Fri, 31 Oct at 8:27 AM

Summary:
VANAS LMS allows administrators to configure Microsoft 365 mailboxes for sending notifications and communications. Enabling Authenticated SMTP on the mailbox allows the LMS to securely send emails using the specified account.

Applies To:
VANAS LMS – Administrators

Before You Begin

Ensure you have an admin account for your Microsoft 365 organization.
Identify the mailbox you want to use for sending emails.

Steps to Set Up Microsoft Email

Step 1 – Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Open a browser and go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Sign in with your organization admin account.

Step 2 – Open the Exchange Admin Center

In the left menu, click Show all if the full menu is not visible.
Click Exchange (under “Admin centers”) to open the Exchange admin experience.

Step 3 – Find the Mailbox

In the Exchange admin center, go to Recipients → Mailboxes.
Find and select the user/mailbox you want the LMS to send from (e.g., sender@yourdomain.com).

Step 4 – Enable SMTP for the Mailbox

With the mailbox selected, locate Mail, Mailbox features, or Email apps (UI labels may vary).
Click Manage email apps or Email apps.
Ensure Authenticated SMTP (sometimes listed as “SMTP AUTH”) is enabled.
Click Save or Close.

What this does: It allows the mailbox to authenticate to smtp.office365.com using a username and password for sending emails.

How to Test

In VANAS LMS, open the Email Settings page.
Enter the mailbox credentials (username and password) for SMTP.
Click Send Test Email to confirm that the mailbox can send emails successfully.

Troubleshooting

If the test email fails, ensure Authenticated SMTP is enabled for the mailbox.
Verify the SMTP host is smtp.office365.com and the correct port (587 or 25) is used with TLS encryption.
Confirm the username matches the mailbox email address and the password is correct.
Check for any security or conditional access policies in Microsoft 365 that may block SMTP connections.