Question

#5.3.4 message size exceeds limit ' How do I know if this is a sender or receiver error?

Asked by: HCSHAW

Forgive me if this is an obvious question and answer, but for the life of me, I can't seem to find a straight answer.
A user (Power Domain) sends an email to the receiver domain (Mathes) and gets the following NDR
_________________________________________________________________________
The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

      chris@mathes.com on 3/10/2008 10:39 AM
            There was a SMTP communication problem with the recipient's email server.  Please contact your system administrator.

            <mail.power.com #5.5.0 smtp;552 #5.3.4 message size exceeds limit>
________________________________________________________________________

Is this error saying the SENDER (Power)  or the RECEIVER  (Mathes) has the problem with the message size?

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Asked On
2008-03-17 at 15:07:16ID23248646
Tags

Microsoft

,

Outlook

,

2003

,

Exchange 2003

Topics

Email Servers

,

Exchange Email Server

,

Email Clients

Participating Experts
4
Points
500
Comments
29

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Answers

 

by: reubstrPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:14:51ID: 21146665

The messege would not get out of the "Outbox" in outlook if it was the sender.

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:22:23ID: 21146745

"There was a SMTP communication problem with the recipient's email server.  Please contact your system administrator."

In addition to the above: the phrase quoted tells you it's a problem with the receiving end.
/RID

 

by: Richard_de_grootPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:29:11ID: 21146815

I think you have to give us more info but shooting from the hip I can "say" the following:

Look for the words "while talking to...." in the NDR. Maybe you can do the rest.

e.g.

"----- Transcript of session follows ----- ... while talking to XXXX.inflatingducks.com.:
>>> MAIL From:<richard@holiday.com> SIZE=6505699
<<< 552 5.3.4 Message size exceeds fixed maximum message size
554 5.0.0 Service unavailable"

It basically indicates that the mail server for the domain inflatingducks.com says it cannot receive email attachments that large. Simple as that. Whoever has that domain has the trouble.

 

by: nfmartinsPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:31:17ID: 21146835

Hi,
The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

      chris@mathes.com on 3/10/2008 10:39 AM
Ok so you couldn´t delivery message to this account
why? is your ansewer
<mail.power.com #5.5.0 smtp;552 #5.3.4 message size exceeds limit>

Basically you can send message to chris@mathes.com because the message size exceeds limit
NM

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:39:35ID: 21146924

Thanks for the qucik feedback, here is some clarifications and follow up questions:

Ricahrd De Groot:   The provided text is the entire NDR email.  There is not a referecnce to "while talking to:   Additonal info:, the limits on the receiving server are set to 15 meg and the email being sent is 8 meg.

nfmartins:   Just to clarify, your thought is that the POWER domain is reporting the limit error?

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:44:32ID: 21146964

One other questoin:  In the error message it refers to the POWER domain.   I always thought the domain returining the error (bouncing the message)  was shown in the message.  So shouldn't the message say MATHES domain?  Maybe I am off base here, but again, I am throwing this out to get calrification. and input from those of you who have chased this one before.
Thanks,

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:48:53ID: 21147011

If the sender domain can't send, the recipient domain wouldn't be mentioned at all; As the message is presented here, it comes from the recipient domain "there was a problem with the recipient's email server". If your local server has size limits, the error message would reflect that problem.
/RID

 

by: Richard_de_grootPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:54:18ID: 21147069

Just following this conversation and want to make a change, sorry:

Could it be thinkable that this message size has nothing to do with e-mail size but the recipient email server
does a reverse look up on the ip address to find if there is a threat of a spam server and sends out a fake message?

Is your reverse DNS alright? Could you check please on www.intodns.com.

Sorry if I'm taking this to the wrong way but it's maybe worth a shot :-)

Richard

 

by: Richard_de_grootPosted on 2008-03-17 at 15:58:00ID: 21147104

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:01:48ID: 21147140

I did check the reverse entry and it comes back clean  and matches the IP address.

Your reverse (PTR) record: .........You have reverse (PTR) records for all your IPs, that is a good thing.

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:06:47ID: 21147195

Richard de Groot
In reviewing the forum, one difference is that we do not use an ISP.  

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:10:45ID: 21147233

Of course you use an ISP, how else do you connect to the internet? Do you mean you do not use a hosting company for your mail or what?
/RID

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:13:08ID: 21147258

Sorry, you are correct.  It's getting late.  We do not use a hosting company.   So you are thinking the ISP is setting the limit of the email size running through their system?

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:15:28ID: 21147271

No, I think the recipient end server is setting the limit. Some have a low limit, others are more generous. You may have to check with a competent person in the other end, actually.
/RID

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-17 at 16:27:56ID: 21147318

I am the receving end, and the limts have been checked.  
--domain/Global settings/Message Delivery/DEFAULTS--->  snd/rcv set to 15,360
--Active Directory/Domain/Users/CHris/Exchange General/Delivery Restrictions-->Use Default Limit
 Is there somewhere else I need to look?  

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 22:09:16ID: 21148496

What is the default limit, then and what is the size of the failing messages?
/RID

 

by: ridPosted on 2008-03-17 at 22:10:06ID: 21148498

Sorry, scratch the first part of that question.....
/RID

 

by: reubstrPosted on 2008-03-18 at 06:08:06ID: 21150539

Is the mailbox exceeding its size limit? The total mailbox size may be larger than you have allowed. It may be hitting a don't send receive threshold in ESM...

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-18 at 12:26:24ID: 21154811

Checking properties for DOMAIN / Servers/ First Storage group / Malboxes  .  
       Storage Limits there are no values set.  

Checking Active Directory / Chris / Exchange General / Sotrage Limits
      It is checked to use Mailbox store limits.

There appears to be  no limits on mailbox size .  Is there somewhere else I need to check?
Thanks for the dialouge.

 

by: nfmartinsPosted on 2008-03-18 at 13:24:03ID: 21155395

Hi, there are many ways to see what is the limit of the mailbox.
But this one is very simple and easy to do

Telnet yoursmtpserver 25
After you connect type ehlo, then it will appear something like this
220 mail01.microsoft.com Microsoft ESMTP MAIL Service ready at Tue, 18 Mar 2008
13:21:15 -0700
ehlo
250-mail01.microsoft.com Hello [195.23.114.50]
250-SIZE 10485760
250-PIPELINING
250-DSN
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-STARTTLS
250-AUTH
250-8BITMIME
250-BINARYMIME
250 CHUNKING

In the second line 250-SIZE 10485760 it will appear the limit set to that domain.

Hope this will help you

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-19 at 06:07:13ID: 21161034

Thanks mfmartins,
I tried the command and received a response that only showed 220 with a string of "*" .    I ran the command telnet mydomain 25
Any thoughts?

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-19 at 12:51:08ID: 21165210

The telnet was mailserver.mydomain.com 25 reference out mail server domain name.

 

by: nfmartinsPosted on 2008-03-20 at 08:12:46ID: 21172315

Hi
Try to this command in your exchange Server

telnet localhost 25

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-20 at 11:15:14ID: 21174086

It did not report the size...Could this mean there is no size limit?  I am signed on as domain admin when doing this.
Thanks,
Harry

ehlo
250-pns-exchange.mathes.com Hello [127.0.0.1]
250-TURN
250-SIZE
250-ETRN
250-PIPELINING
250-DSN
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-8bitmime
250-BINARYMIME
250-CHUNKING
250-VRFY
250-X-EXPS GSSAPI NTLM LOGIN
250-X-EXPS=LOGIN
250-AUTH GSSAPI NTLM LOGIN
250-AUTH=LOGIN
250-X-LINK2STATE
250-XEXCH50
250 OK
 

 

by: nfmartinsPosted on 2008-03-24 at 05:23:58ID: 21193066

yes, that means that your server doesn´t have any limit defined.

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-03-27 at 06:50:46ID: 21221287

In rapping this up, it appears that the sender domain (power)  is reporting the receiving domain  (Mathes) had a size limit error.    The only thing bugging me is that the receiving domain (mathes -the one I manage) has ample size limits and there are no limitations on the mailbox size.    So I ask the question, why did the sender domian report a size limit error from the receiving domain?
There may be one more piece to this and I throw it out there for discussion.  The receipient mail is cached on his PC with the exchange server.  I have found that the server may not have limits, but the cached file cannot exceed 1.9 gig.  His cache size is 1.6 gig.  This would accomodate an 8 meg email.  So I don't think this has any bearing on the topic but is mentioned in case someone knows something about cache size/ verses incoming email size.

 

by: nfmartinsPosted on 2008-04-01 at 09:24:37ID: 21255512

Because the receiving domain has a limit and the emails server from that domain is alerting you that you can not send message with that size because he has a limit

If you don´t have any more doubts please, close this question

Tks
NM

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-04-01 at 10:34:06ID: 21256212

I will close the question since the message seems to indicate the receiving domain (the one I manage) is reporting a size limit.  But again, I have checked my limits and cannot find anywhere where a limit is set that would cause this size limit message to be returned to the sender.  Thanks to all for the assistance.

 

by: HCSHAWPosted on 2008-04-01 at 10:48:48ID: 31440557

Thanks to all for your assistance in researching this....

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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