Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

The last time I blogged was quite a while ago and had problems with very slow outgoing Emails using Thunderbird and with Outlook they went straight to my out box and never sent.

I did a Wormly SMTP server test and it comes up with So does this look like a config. fault at their end?

I think it's high time I kicked this shower of a firm into touch, because when you phone up... there's a maintenance issue it'll be fixed by 1pm... you phone later and it'll be fixed by 4pm so it went on and on.

I explained the above and they had me checking this and checking that in very poor English, I also explained that this had happened before they didn't want to know - why can't they listen?

They actually resolved the issue last time after I reporting them to CISAS which was many moons ago so it seems.

Are the SMTPs really that bad, could anyone throw any light - thanks?

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

OK, assuming you trying to connect ot a VM smtp server that error can be one of two things

1 You are trying to send email using a non VM IP addres.
2 You are using a VM IP address, but its not allowed to use SMTP whatever.

The second one sometimes happens if a new VM IP range has come into play, but has not been added to the SMTP allowed list.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Sorry should have elaborated. I was initially with Blueyonder and its a Blueyonder address that I use.

I use Thunderbird normally at least the emails do go after about five minutes but with Outlook Express it goes straight into the out box and never gets sent - it had worked the day before and had been fixed previously after a couple of visits from an engineer what seems like many moons ago.

I was told "Oh, it's your Firewall".. "No it's not", I said. So I lobbed in a hard drive that just had Windows installed and nothing else, no Firewall etc. -
Outlook Express was exactly the same and so was Firefox, I wonder how he felt?

Thunderbird and Outlook Express worked fine after he got on the phone to Knowsley I think it was - so why should it be a address problem, what had changed overnight and howcome it had been fixed?

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

I have been suffering, on and off for some time and was told there had been a major fault

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

ok.

I assume your outbound server is set to smtp.blueyonder.co.uk, is your IP address blueyonder too?

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

You assume correct Toto smtp.blueyonder.co.uk is what it's set as.

Cheers and thanks Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Try placing a tick in the smtp servers settings window box that says something like, "this server requires authentication".

See if that does it.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Sorry Toto makes no difference, thanks

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

so, your using smtp.bluyonder.co.uk, you have a blueyonder IP address, and your trying to send using a blueyonder email username, am I missing anything?

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Sorry I don't follow Toto!
I am signed up with Blueyonder, I have always used Blueyonder Email account for sending and receiving - the only problem is sending.

May I reiterate that this is the second time that this as happened and had been fixed once many moons ago.

The first obvious thing I did was to check my account settings, both in Thunderbird which works slow, very slow and Outlook Express that does not work at all, the Email goes straight to the Out box.... not the Sent box as it never gets sent, if I had installed any new software and suchlike I would have tried removing it, don't wanna look a fool do I?

I just realized the Wormly SMTP test must prove it's a Virgin problem because all I had to do was to enter my Email and SMTP addx - so it can't be any setting on my part can it?

I think this may have confused my bad, sorry if it was I should have put it differently.

Ah well, we'll wait until Monday and see what the CEO say's... pointless discussing these things with Customer support.


Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Try deleting your outlook account then set it back up again.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Nope not that, already tried it and besides the Wormly SMTP test won't even know what my settings are, proving it's Virgins side and not mine thats at fault....hope I'm right here.

Just trying to get some sense of this, I ensured my Email and SMTP addx was correct.

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

theres no date on this page (and their web pages seem to be real sluggish to display for me due to their design) so it's not clear how recent this info is, but read it , they are going to get everyone on a you@virginmedia.com eventually.

http://www.virginmedia.com/help/virginemail.php

in the meantime does webmail work for you at least?

http://www.virginmedia.com/help/emai.../error-550.php
"This error is telling you that the problem is with your mail server, not Outlook Express.

It usually happens if you’ve just joined us and you used to access a different email account through your Outlook Express, or if you currently access a few different email accounts through Outlook Express...."


in your case, try typing a simple telnet smtp.blueyonder.co.uk 25 in a cmd shell and see what response you get.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Right,

I have part of this problem sussed. That Wormly test won't work on the mail servers precisely because they don't allow relaying.

Those tests only go to prove the servers are up and running, it is down to the configuration of the mail server you have entered as to whether the test will work.

In both cases I have tried smtp.ntlworld.com & smtp.blueyonder.co.uk, and in both attempts it has said that relaying has failed which it is supposed to as a spam avoidance measure. You aren't able to specify that the server allows smtp authentication because that is not what the simple test does. SMTP Authentication only works on the blueyonder platform, as per this line:

So for the moment can you provide the actual error message you are getting from your email program, and not the above test, we may then be able to get to the bottom of things.

Oh and for the record, I am not suggesting for one minute there isn't a problem on VM's side, there could well be.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Not sure if this is connected but I use a similar setup to pentode and am getting increasing numbers of SMTP errors. First place I look is the status page and usually find a ticket on there like this one for yesterday.

http://status-cable.virginmedia.com/...ticket=1045042


Seems to be happening on a more frequent basis, probably why they're farming the mail over to Google.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Yes, the google migration is seen as a much needed shot in the arm for the blueyonder email system.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Thanks for the replies to date.
When I use Outlook Express there isn't any error messages it goes straight to the Out box and no error messages, open Out box and message clicking send nothing happens, so when you close outlook you are left with Outlook 'Sending Mail Pane' and I simply click cancel to rid.

However using Thunderbird I can send Emails but even the simplist of text like ABCDEFG can take a considerable time to go but they are sent.

If I install Windows on a spare hard drive and set up my Email account I get exactly the same effect so that rules Firewall and Anti virus out! I get exactly the same effect when I install Thunderbird - they do go eventually but it's a long wait whereas they don't go with Outlook Express.

Thanks to Popper... heres what I get when using command prompt and typing telnet smtp.blueyonder.co.uk 25

220 asmtp-out6.blueyonder.co.uk ESMTP Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:08:40 +0100
421 asmtp-out6.blueyonder.co.uk SMTP command timeout - closing connection

Connection to host lost

Does this throw any light, thanks.

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Does suggest a possible fault on the BY platform if the emails are takig a while to send.

This is my connection to the BY mail platform using telnet:

As you see I didn't get a time out, but that doesn't mean anything.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Gimme the inside of a radio transmitter any day, the time out I guess was because we all got sick of waiting for a response from server sounds like, as you say the no response doesn't mean anything its just the hang up call.... definitely not a job for Customer Services with their scripted prompts and poor English, around in circles we go no more and it's about time VM got their act together.

Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

You could try the Virgin Media newsgroup support, its staffed by some decent second line support people.

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

I don't like using Newsgroups I'm afraid, I'll have a word with the upper realms at VM tomorrow with folks that have a little more 'clout'.

A little off topic here.
When the phone was off for almost two days those stupid people at customer services suggested I should have dialed the 150 number after complaining that I lost around £9 on my mobile phone trying - the darn network was down! I said repeatedly I tried a neighbours phone. I just can't stand those Customer service folks at VM... how stupid can they get?

Ah, well can only let you know how I get on, weekend again huh!

Thanks to all, Dave

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

Apparently according to the engineer I spoke to this it's a server problem, but sadly he can not say when it will be fixed.... I wonder why?

As already mentioned about VM signing their Email customers over to GMail sometime next year I guess their attitude would be "Why the heck should we"!

See The Register for further details.

I certainly won't be using any web based emails guess I'll have to look elsewhere for a Email provider... and we all know whats behind it!

The question is now, do I keep on at them bringing CISA the Internet watchdog into the equation, grin and bear it or wave goodbye lock stock and barrel?

Davy

Re: Oh no not aqain - SMTP problems!
 

The Google platform also allows secure pop and smtp as well for VM, you won't be restricted to a web based service.