Any problems with SMTP?

[Lance]

My message has sent now too

[Ardua]

Google is your Friend. It would seem from various threads that Apple Mail has a problem when messages are not sent immediately. It just parks them in the Outbox and there they stay!  I confess that after 2 years with IDNet I am beginning to wonder whether I am paying for a premium service that I am no longer getting: this is not the first e-mail problem that IDNet has had and, in  addition, I am now getting erratic pings and variable speeds ranging from 600Kbps up to 6300Kbps. Up until 2 months ago, my speed never dropped below 4500 Kbps. What's up?

[Rik]

If you're not on WBC, there have been a series of problems with the centrals becoming unbalanced following 'blips', the cause of which has never been explained. As a result, one or more pipes have become overloaded while others have little traffic. In theory, BT's software should do the balancing, in practice, it hasn't been and there has been a need for IDNet to force re-connections to move traffic to the uncongested pipes. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that IDNet expected to have more capacity by now, but BT is late delivering that too.

The mail problems really stem from the fact that it's a basic mail service included with accounts. It's not designed to handle bulk mailings and customers are not meant to use it for that purpose. Occasionally, as today, someone doesn't play by the rules and swamps the server. IDNet block the access of anyone doing that, and clear the server manually. They are looking at why the automated system didn't detect and block the mailing.

If you are on WBC, the speed issues have been down to BT playing with their network after they found they'd configured it completely wrongly.

[Ardua]

No Rik, I am just a simple home user on the 8M service. My point is that something has changed with the level of service that IDNet is providing. I just hope that with WBC and a telephone service, IDNet hasn't taken too much on.

[Rik]

Well, you'll have been affected by the central issues then. The phone service is essentially a billing exercise, there's little involvement for IDNet beyond setting the tariff and collecting call data from BTw then billing it out. WBC is an essential step into the future, eventually BT will stop providing the current Max services, and IDNet will have to use WBC. As an early adopter, there's been some pain (as there has for the other five ISPs using it) but it puts IDNet ahead of the field in experience as the mass launches occur. The new IPStream Connect service, 13 months overdue, should allow them later this month to move customers at non-WBC exchanges onto the new hostlink. That has two benefits. They can light up the hostlink in 1Mb/s chunks as needed and, if necessary, for short periods, so adding extra capacity for sporting events becomes feasible. At the same time, the hostlink has resiliency built in, unlike Max, and is actually delivered over a link and a spare, if the link fails, traffic switches to the spare. There are no pipes, so imbalances shouldn't happen anymore.

[quandam]

Go for gmail. Never had a problem in over 4 years

[Rik]

Until those who have been reading your mail come round. 

[quandam]

They haven't shown their heads in over 4 years Rik. A superb spam filter and runs just like clockwork, a joy to use. As I say, no problems whatsoever in over 4 years whilst running around eleven different addresses

[Rik]

I can soon change that.