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intermittent mail timeouts

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

intermittent mail timeouts

Had problems with intermittent server not found/timeouts with my externally hosted mail since joining PN
I leave outlook open when using my PC and have it set to do a mail collection about every 5 minutes, these intermittently fall with the error that the server cannot be found (have used the mail hosting provider for over 4 years and have found their cluster to be very reliable) so do you think it could be related?
A tracert shows the requests would go via PN's LINX peering and into oneandone's network (the servers are in Germany), I wondered whether it had anything to do with the request being pushed to the back of the queue as regards traffic management but jamesh has said this is unlikely.
I don't run P2P so cant be that taking up the bandwidth.
Any ideas from PN staff?
12 REPLIES 12
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Could someone have a look at this for me please?
If you need more info, please let me know what you require (a wireshark, tracert or anything else)
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Tracert to my pop host

Tracing route to pop.1and1.co.uk [212.227.15.166]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2    30 ms    26 ms    25 ms  lo0-plusnet.ptn-ag2.plus.net [195.166.128.53]
  3    43 ms    36 ms    22 ms  ge0-0-0-204.ptn-gw02.plus.net [84.92.3.93]
  4    24 ms    27 ms    28 ms  te2-2.pte-gw2.plus.net [212.159.1.106]
  5    30 ms    25 ms    26 ms  linx.bb-c.the.lon.gb.oneandone.net [195.66.224.9
8]
  6    44 ms    37 ms    41 ms  te-1-3.bb-c.bap.rhr.de.oneandone.net [212.227.12
0.49]
  7    41 ms    53 ms    39 ms  ae-1.gw-dists-a.bs.ka.oneandone.net [212.227.116
.208]
  8    39 ms    39 ms    46 ms  pop.1and1.co.uk [212.227.15.166]
Trace complete.
Looks ok, server issue at their end perhaps?
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

If you're timing out to 1and1's POP servers it's very, very unlikely to be caused by us.
Email is treated as Gold traffic, so it won't be traffic management related.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Thanks James, it does somethimes say it cant connect, I'll raise an issue with tem.
As I said to Bob I might look at pointing my domain at Plusnet and asking for the entries to be made on your nameservers when my mail package comes up for renewal as I use 1 and 1 because they are cheap and provide an SSL secured webmail interface (which am pleased to see PN do too) as I don't want my mail being snooped on by my employer (I got nowt to hide but its the principle if you know what I mean) but I'll be leaving my domain reg where it is as 12 quid a year is a little steep when I only pay 3 (my one and only PN gripe  :))
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

That's fair enough.
Wouldn't hurt to try using Telnet when you're getting timeouts to see if you can reproduce the issues.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Hi
Having real issues with this again tonight, have now raised with 1and1 (but think I'll get their stock response of no there's no issue) and will try and telnet in but not sure whether I can on their system.
Error returned is that outlook cannot connect.

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Just has response from 1and1 and they advised to telnet in, did that ok
They also say to switch off mailscanning component of AV (am using Avast) as apparently this blocks their ports
I'll give this a whirl and see what happens (mailbox has AV activated on it and they use carrierscan I think)
seriously thinking about transferring mail to PN if Mr Pullen could answer my query about assigning mailboxes to domain aliases.
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
Thanks: 4,950
Fixes: 315
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Quote from: techguy
Seriously thinking about transferring mail to PN if Mr Pullen could answer my query about assigning mailboxes to domain aliases.

Have hopefully answered that in the other thread techguy.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

@techguy
I also use 1and1 for mail - I've got 20 mailboxes set up with them for various family members and use both their pop3 and imap servers. The four mailboxes I've got in use here haven't seen the problems you're reporting (two use pop.1and1.co.uk and two use imap.1and1.co.uk).  The mailboxes are polled every 5 minutes for new mail. (Can't say much about the other 16 without phoning round but, knowing my family, had there been a problem I'd have heard by now!)
I know it doesn't help you much but it would appear that the servers I'm connected to are OK.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

@Bob, thanks, added one other query to that thread but yes much clearer.
@paul, I use pop.1and1.co.uk, I have disabled the outlook/exchange and internet mail scanning agents on Avast! to see if that makes any difference on the basis of advice from 1and1.
I'll make a definite decision when the package comes up for renewal next year.

dvorak
Moderator
Moderator
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Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

SWMBO's laptop is set to use pop.1and1.co.uk and also has Avast on and we haven't seen any of the issues you are seeing.
Thankfully, as the grief I'm getting about our network printer is bad enough.  Smiley
Customer / Moderator
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If it fixed it click 'This fixed my problem'
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: intermittent mail timeouts

Since switching off the outlook and mail scanners performance has been better and I've not seen the problem.

I do have everything set to high so it could be that Avast was being too thorough.