[Evolution] Evolution - MAIL FROM response error: Unknown

[sledge rtccom net]

I am having a problem sending mail from evolution through my local SMTP
server that doesn't make sense. Receiving and reading mail works fine. I
just can't send. When I hit the 'Send' button from the compose window I
get an information window that pops up that says:

Error while performing operation:
MAIL FROM response error: Unknown

A tcpdump of port 25 shows the following communication with the smtp
server (exchange in this case. (This happens no matter what smpt server I
use.)

Command: EHLO eran.rtccom.com\talderan
Response: 501 5.5.4 Invalid Address
Command: MAIL FROM:<thammer rtccom com>
Response: 503 5.5.2 Send hello first
Command: QUIT
Response: 221 2.0.0 alderan.dmcrtel.local Service closing transmission
channel

It is like the EHLO string is getting 'cut off' or something. I am not
sure what it should be but my internal server name is alderan.rtccom.com.

This suddenly occurred out of nowhere. The only thing I did differently
was try to run GnomeMeeting this morning. After I tried to initialize
GnomeMeeting, another strange thing occurred: Xscreensaver would only
accept two characters in the password field to unlock my screen. Well, I
rebooted to make sure that GnomeMeeting didn't screw up my environment
somehow and Evolution still does this. Oh, after I rebooted, Xscreensaver
is working normally again.

I am not sure where to even start looking to resolve this issue. I am
running Evolution 1.4.5 with Connector 1.4.5 on Redhat Linux 9.

any ideas on this would be most appreciated! Thanks!

--
Todd Hammer <thammer rtccom com>