Recurring problems sending email

kanjigirl · #1 03-27-2008, 07:49 AM

Once again, I'm getting the message 'connecting to server mail.redkitecreative.com failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections.'

This is happening with increasing regularity, about once every week to two weeks since late 2007, and usually lasts for a half hour to three hours.

Why does this happen - is it a load issue? What happens when a server is overloaded on a regular basis; is something done to decrease the load or increase the capacity?

kanjigirl · #2 03-27-2008, 10:13 AM

Well, since I got no reply from the ticket system, I talked to support via chat. After about 20 minutes of testing he told me to change my port to 26 - and that worked.

When this has happened in the past, no HG support person has ever told me to do this. My chat contact told me it fixes it 99% of the time. Why is HG support so inconsistent lately? Meaning that if I talk to three support people, I usually get three totally different answers. That's really troubling to me as a reseller.

GvilleRick · #3 03-27-2008, 10:16 AM

Often changing to port 26 helps because ISPs block port 25. That is not really an HG problem but you would need to check with your ISP to determine if they are doing so. I've also seen cases where changing the smtp server in your client from mail.yourdomain.com to just yourdomain.com (without mail. in front.)

Goddess Dix · #4 03-27-2008, 11:18 AM

for some isp's, you can also contact support and ask them specifically to unblock port 25. they sometimes block it by default to cut down on spam coming from their network.

it was probably not suggested before, however, because it's unusal for a blocked port 25 to create intermittent problems. either it is or it isn't blocked. it may be some anomoly in your isp configuration.

kanjigirl · #5 03-27-2008, 07:42 PM

Since it wasn't an HG-related problem and HG has no real influence over port blocking, I guess I was just lucky to finally talk to a tech who says that switching ports is always the first solution he suggests to any customer having problems with outgoing email.

It would be so easy to suggest that potential fix first, rather than running through a series of other solutions and getting different answers from each tech that gets involved with a single trouble ticket.

I'm just disappointed that I rarely get the same answer twice for any major support issue (not like this email problem) I've dealt with in the past few months. I follow their advice in the order I receive it and when it conflicts with the previous person's advice, I'm left with an unsolved issue and usually an unhappy client (or clients) to deal with until the correct solution is provided.

gtgeorge · #6 03-28-2008, 12:22 AM

Sorry, but the port 26 port fix may not be a fix in the end for you. You stated that you have problems with increased regularity for sending mail. If your ISP were blocking port 25 then it would be 'always' Not whenever they feel like it.

Goddess Dix · #7 03-28-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanjigirl

Since it wasn't an HG-related problem and HG has no real influence over port blocking, I guess I was just lucky to finally talk to a tech who says that switching ports is always the first solution he suggests to any customer having problems with outgoing email.

i wouldn't have suggested switching ports for an intermittent SMTP problem either, because port blocking isn't a "sometimes" thing. and with an intermittent issue, how can you be sure it was the port change instead of just a break in the problem?