Rejected e-mails

I'm trying to set up e-mail on debian (I'm not sure which version - before the login int says 2.1, after the login 2.0.36). I've succeeded, with the help of recent exchanges on the debian-user list and perusal of pop3 and smtp protocols, in either sending messages out or fetching them, but not b

SMTP transaction error

servers on the .fetchmailrc list: 4 messages for davidj at pop3.web.de (9315 octets). fetchmail: POP3> RETR 1 fetchmail: POP3< +OK Nachricht folgt/message follows reading message 1 of 4 (2238 octets) fetchmail: SMTP connect to localhost failed: Connection refused fetchmail: POP3> QUIT fetchmail