Wanadoo

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 10:08

Wanadoo for some reason restrict their customers to using their own SMTP servers, which would be fine, but for the last 2 weeks I've had around 80% of my email's being undelivered and the other 20% arriving 10+ hours late. I've search around and found lots of other users with the same problem. I called Wanadoo (on more than one ocassion) and get fobbed off with various excuses like "We don't support Outlook" (seriously, that's what he told me!) and "We don't support routers", they refuse point blank to look into the problem and wondered if there's anything I can do, I'm tied into a 12 month contract and have to send all of my work emails through this shower so it's causing me no end of problems ... could I get Trading Standards involved or something? Or is there some way of fooling my PC into thinking smtp.wanadoo.co.uk is actually a totally different address (e.g. somehow translate it to an IP address of a totally different server?)

Neil · 09-12-2004, 10:16

Hmmm.....

The reason they restrict you is to prevent spam I would guess (which is a good thing IMO)

The thing is (no offence here

), you are using a residential home BB connection for business use, so I'm not sure you really have a leg to stand on.

I would have a bit more respect for Wanadoo if they actually told you that, rather than off fob you a couple of lame BS excuses to prevent them helping you.

What about creating a new mailbox, & using that just for your business stuff, & change the 'reply to' address to your work address?

Not ideal I know, but probably better than nothing?

Strzelecki · 09-12-2004, 10:17

Double check your terms and condidtions first, see if there's anything in there about email. Then you might want to post on ADSLguide, other people are complaining there. Then I should think it is OFCOM to approach first. What about webmail (wanandoo) does the problems still occur with that?

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strzelecki

Double check your terms and condidtions first, see if there's anything in there about email. Then you might want to post on ADSLguide, other people are complaining there. Then I should think it is OFCOM to approach first. What about webmail (wanandoo) does the problems still occur with that?

Webmail works fine, but that would normally connect up to sendmail or something instead of the SMTP server.

**Paul** · 09-12-2004, 10:51

How are they actually preventing you using other smtp servers ?

Neil · 09-12-2004, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

How are they actually preventing you using other smtp servers ?

I was wondering that....

The thing is, the mail does get sent, it just arrives very late.

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

How are they actually preventing you using other smtp servers ?

If you change the SMTP server to anything other than a freeserve or wanadoo address (both resolve to the same machine) then it gives you an error message telling you to change it back.

As it stands, they're now refusing to admit there's a problem, they're refusing to give me a migration auth. code without charging me the full 12 month contract, they're refusing to give me the name of any of their directors (I was going to write a letter to one or all of them) and refuse to look at any links (e.g. http://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/showthread.php?t=16897).

**Paul** · 09-12-2004, 11:26

Sounds like they are intercepting port 25 traffic. You could set up you own smtp server somewhere and make it listen on a port other than 25, then send your mail via that.

Neil · 09-12-2004, 11:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

they're refusing to give me the name of any of their directors (I was going to write a letter to one or all of them) and refuse to look at any links (e.g. http://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/showthread.php?t=16897).

That's a bad link m8.

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

That's a bad link m8.

Works ok for me

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Sounds like they are intercepting port 25 traffic. You could set up you own smtp server somewhere and make it listen on a port other than 25, then send your mail via that.

Could I set up the SMTP server that comes with IIS locally on a different port?

**Paul** · 09-12-2004, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

Could I set up the SMTP server that comes with IIS locally on a different port?

Yes, it can run on any port.

Obviously it needs to be on a server situated outside of the wanadoo network, otherwise it's outgoing traffic will get blocked in the same way.

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Yes, it can run on any port.

Thanks, I'll give that a whirl with Postcast until they sort out the problem (if they sort it out).

Bifta · 09-12-2004, 12:04

I've set up an SMTP server but it's still not working, set it up on port 1234, changed the port settings and hostname in outlook for SMTP but the log file on the SMTP server shows:

Message from:< xxxx@xxxx.com > to:< xxxx@xxxx.com> Direct delivery fail! Please check that your outgoing mail server settings are correct. To do this go to http://www.freeserve.com/help/email/...sysettings.htm. Or contact technical support for assistance.

Just saw the last bit of your post ... is there anything else I can do?

**Paul** · 09-12-2004, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

Just saw the last bit of your post ... is there anything else I can do?

Yeah, sorry I edited it after reading your reply again and realising you ment on your pc.

You canot do anything from within the wanadoo network because they are obviously intercepting all port 25 traffic - you need a box somewhere outside of their network that you can run an smtp service on. Can you not run something on one of your i-web boxes ?