telnet timing out from aws ec2 to sendgrid

Solution 1:

By default, AWS blocks outbound traffic on port 25, and you have to file a request to get the restriction removed.

I usually just use a different SMTP port instead of trying to get port 25 opened. SendGrid's documentation states:

SendGrid accepts unencrypted and TLS connections on ports 25, 587, & 2525. You can also connect via SSL on port 465. Many hosting providers and ISPs block port 25 as a default practice. If your Telent session continually times out or will not connect using port 25, it is likely that your ISP or hosting provider is blocking the port. You can contact your host/ISP to find out which ports are open for outgoing SMTP relay. We recommend using port 587 to avoid any rate limiting that your server host may apply.

I suggest just switching to use port 587