Any problems with SMTP?

[Lance]

Is anyone else having problems sending emails or is it just o2 playing up (I'm sending from my phone)?

[Ardua]

Our posts crossed. I am having similar problems on my MacBook Pro.

[Dangerjunkie]

Same thing happening here on our work BT connection.

Right... Who borked the mail server? Confess!

[Lance]

I'm sure they'll be aware, but I'll give supper a ring and update here in a minute.

[Rik]

Order some for me, Lance.

[Ardua]

I have just spoken to IdNet. They were not aware of this issue.

[Simon]

I'll have a large pepperoni pizza, Lance! 

[Dangerjunkie]

Just out of interest, are all the people having trouble on port 587 or is it port 25 peeps too?

[Lance]

Thanks saves me calling!

You see rik, it's easy to get food onto any thread!

[Rik]

Just out of interest, are all the people having trouble on port 587 or is it port 25 peeps too?

25 too.

[Rik]

Thanks saves me calling!

You see rik, it's easy to get food onto any thread!

Tim's checking it now...

[Lance]

Slightly worrying they didn't already know. It's been out since at least 16:55.

[Rik]

I know, you'd think they would have alarms going off all over the place, wouldn't you. There was some spam earlier, Tim said, whether that's related I don't know.

[Rik]

The spam is the problem, someone has used the service in an unauthorised way, and has blocked, but not taken down, the server. Some people are able to connect to it, so no obvious pattern at the moment. IDNet are working to clear the spam from the server and restore services asap. Meantime, they have updated the network status page. Once things are resolved, there will be an investigation into how this got past the systems which are designed to prevent this kind of mass mailing on the 'free' service.

[BrianM]

Thanks Rik    Just checked my mail.  Same problem with here, receiving but can't send.   

[Glenn]

My email has just been sent after around 35 minutes.

[Rik]

Mine too...

[Gary]

Slow here but it connects, cheers for the info Rik, 

[Rik]

It looks like they are beginning to get on top of the problem. 

[zappaDPJ]

Thanks for the update Rik, my mails are starting to send again 

[BrianM]

Ok now, Back to normal, sending mail strait away that is.     Thanks  all

[Ardua]

No Joy here - I have 3 e-mails sitting in my Outbox waiting to go

[Rik]

The send is immediate, but it's still being delayed in transit as far as I can see...

[Rik]

No Joy here - I have 3 e-mails sitting in my Outbox waiting to go

Have you tried closing and re-starting Outlook?

[Gary]

Sending on for IDNets domainmail but delay in receiving on idnet.com oh well its almost dinner time 

[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.