Thanks for the answer. Well the mail server is not the windows machine where the perl script runs. I wrote the following code:

   use MIME::Lite;
   my $msg = new MIME::Lite
         To   => 'anyone@somewhere.com',
         From => 'someone_else@where.com',
         Subject => 'Text Subject',
         Type => 'TEXT',
         Data => 'body of the text';
    MIME::Lite->send('smtp', "some_valid_smtp_server_name", Timeout=>6
+0 Debug=>1);
    $msg->send;
}
[download]

where some_valid_smtp_server_name is a mail server. Such code it works in linux machine, but apparently does not work in windows xp. I also tried to use a thunderbird client (using the same configuration) in the windows and it works, so the mail port I think it is open. and the problem seems to be the perl script. The error is always in the line $msg->send; saying it fails the connection with the server. Some help please!!