What steps can be taken to troubleshoot SMTP server authentication errors when sending emails via PHP in a forum setting?

SMTP server authentication errors when sending emails via PHP in a forum setting can be troubleshooted by ensuring that the correct SMTP server credentials are being used in the PHP code. This includes the SMTP server address, port number, username, and password. Additionally, checking for any typos or errors in the code related to SMTP authentication can help resolve the issue.

// Example PHP code snippet to fix SMTP server authentication errors in a forum setting

// Define SMTP server settings
$smtpServer = 'smtp.example.com';
$smtpPort = 587;
$smtpUsername = 'your_smtp_username';
$smtpPassword = 'your_smtp_password';

// Create a PHPMailer object
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\Exception;
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

$mail = new PHPMailer(true);

// Set SMTP server settings
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = $smtpServer;
$mail->Port = $smtpPort;
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = $smtpUsername;
$mail->Password = $smtpPassword;

// Additional code to send email
// $mail->setFrom('from@example.com', 'Your Name');
// $mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
// $mail->Subject = 'Subject of the email';
// $mail->Body = 'Body of the email';

// Send the email
// if($mail->send()) {
//     echo 'Email sent successfully';
// } else {
//     echo 'Error sending email: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
// }