Easy Blog used to send mail, after upgrade the mail won't send

I try to send a comment thru the form and it tells me:
Warning
JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 897

When a new user signs up they get no email, and I see this error:
Notice

SMTP connect failed

When a new blog is added it shows that emails in the email pool - but none ever actually are received.

A mediation approval email is in the pool and it never went out either.

I will supply FTP user/pas as well as Joomla User/pass

Please log in and correct this issue.

Ron
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