View Full Version : Sent Emails 'disappear'
Win XP SP2/O Express
Mrs B's email a/c is ending emails fine, no bounces/error messages, but they are not arriving at destination. They are not in any spam/junk boxes. If I change the return email address to any other they are received. Neither her host IP nor domain is listed on any of the spam lists I have checked. Domain host is proving pretty much useless.:mad:
Anyone any ideas?
stickyb
3rd May 2008, 12:57
Just to be a bit picky, how do you know that the machine is sending emails fine if nothing arrives?
Is the return email address correct, and is it one allowed by your smtp server (i presume you are using an smtp server?)
If you use ISP A to access the internet, but send through ISP B's smtp server, things can go wrong. Like wise using A to access and send, but with a return addres that belongs to ISP B
1) "no bounces/error messages", and "If I change the return email address to any other they are received." - I reckon that means the system is working?
2) Return addresses are correct and WERE working normally 3 days ago
3) I've tried more than one smtp server. The domain host does not offer a (free) smtp server but the ones I have been using have been working fine - up to 3 days ago.
I understand the system looks up the return address to validate it? Could it be a DNS disfunction at her domain host or would I expect a rejection message from the server?
kenhughes
3rd May 2008, 15:09
You don't actually need a return address - usually, that's for when you want replies to go to a different address than the 'From" address and is much-favoured by spammers.
It sounds like your SMTP host has done an "upgrade" in the last three days. Try without a separate Return address and see what happens.
Ken
I was incorrect in describing it as a 'return' address - it is 'email address' on the 'general' panel in OE and OE will not allow setup without it. It is what shows as the 'from' in an email and where a 'reply' email goes. The SMTP server is not at fault as far as I can see since it matters not which one I use and other accounts send through them ok. I still suspect a DNS problem at the domain host but they have not answered that query.
kenhughes
3rd May 2008, 22:11
Are you sending out mass mailings (even relatively small ones)? Perhaps Mrs B's account has been blacklisted by your SMTP host?
Are you using any mail filters? Perhaps an errant filter is preventing you from sending out mail.
Have you tried disabling your antivirus software? It is known that some interfer with the function of Outlook Express.
Does Mrs B's email address have a non-alphanumeric character in it (an apostrophe for example - @ and . are OK)?
Thanks for your help, Ken - the answer to all is no.
Still no effective response from the host, Supanames, on the '24/7' support. Well - it is a bank holiday w/end.:rolleyes:
I had a similar problem last year and it was due to the outfit that hosts my domain changing one or more of their filters. A call to them and all was resolved.
Bon chance BOAC
Merci Msr - I await a response......I have tried sending via 2 different SMTP servers: neither successful, so I am puzzled as to what involvement 'filters' could have.
Could a kind soul ?correct? my understanding of Popmail?
I understand that the recipient's server does a reverse DNS lookup of the 'sending' address to check it is valid? In the past I thought that any failure of this lookup (due, say, to a corrupted DNS database) would result in an error message on 'send'? I get none. What else could be stopping delivery?
kenhughes
5th May 2008, 04:34
It all depends on how the recipient's mail server is set up. There's a whole range of filters that can be set - including a reverse lookup. They can also be set to silently discard any emails which fail the lookup, or they can be set to send a message to the sender.
When I was admin of a mail server a couple of years back, I had it set to silently discard emails which failed the reverse lookup - mainly because sending a message back to the sender, whose address didn't seem to exist, mostly resulted in another email to me telling me that my 'bounce' email was undeliverable because the address didn't exist - which I already knew from the reverse lookup.
Can Mrs B send emails using Supanames's webmail facility (http://webmail.supanames.com/index.pl)? If yes, double-check your settings in Outlook Express, especially port numbers (SMTP is usually 25 and POP is port 110, but if encrypted connections are used, the POP port will probably be 995, but the SMTP port could be anything), the authentication checkbox and id/password details (if needed).
One final thing - AOL isn't involved anywhere in this problem, is it? AOL is a major headache where mail from third-party hosts are concerned. They blacklist a whole domain if a spammer has set up an account anywhere on that domain and their (AOL's) precious customers have been put through the inconvenience of having to click "Delete".
Check your PMs - I've sent my works email address. We have no filters on there at all. If Mrs B's emails are getting out, I will receive it. I will be at work tomorrow (Monday) as I'm now in the land of the free and don't have Bank Holidays anymore. :)
Thanks to Ken, and all and for an update there appears to have been a 'change' somewhere (despite the holiday!) and the address appears to be working again. As per Ken's para 2, I suspect there had been a DNS whoopsie at the host and hopefully we are sorted.
Captain Gadget
6th May 2008, 14:53
Looks like BOAC's original glitch is solved now, but to pick up on the mention of AOL a little earlier (because it may help someone else!) ...
'AOL' and 'third-party email' are not phrases that fit comfortably into the same sentence. I dumped AOL a couple of years ago (after being with them since the days of 56K dialup!) after I suddenly found myself completely unable to send. It took an indecently large number of support calls before I found a techie who was prepared to admit that AOL had started blocking Port 25 as an anti-spam measure. The vast majority of their support guys seemed not to even know about the policy.
Unfortunately my domain provider's SMTP server could only accept outgoing email on Port 25 and so AOL and I had to part company. I migrated to fast.co.uk who have been brilliant.
Gadget :ok: