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Problem sending mail on network

I have been unable to send mail intermittently since I networked my home PC's (1 WinXP Home, 1 Win95, and a laptop withWinXP pro). Linksys 4-port router WAN port connected to DSL modem, PC's connected to router LAN ports 4,3 and 2.

I am able to share files and printers as well as the DSL connection with the 3 computers. Incomming mail is reliable, but I have been intermittently unable to send outgoing mail, with neither netscape nor outlook express.
The error that pops up with outlook express is something like:

"An error occurred while sending mail. The mail server response:
out017.verizon.net Lost connection to [64.222.80.177] Please check message
and try again."

There is a little additional information with Netscape Mail:

"An unknown error has occurred, Subject: "No Subject", Account:'mail.verizon.net', Server: 'smtp.verizon.net', Protocal" SMTP, Server Response: '421 out016.verizon..net lost connection to [64.222.80.177]',Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 421, Error Number: 0x800CCC67"

This fails to send more times than not. Some small test messages worked, so I thought maybe it was a size thing, but sometimes even a small test message fails to be sent. I don't think I have been able to send anything of any size...

Could anyone tell me where to start to debug this problem???

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Les Moore

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Hollmer

One thing that I would suggest to you would be to run a ping from that machine to a server somewhere on the internet that never goes down. Then pipe that data to a text file and let it run for a few hours. I was receiving those errors quite a bit when I first started using DSL, as well. But after I ran this ping I was able to show my DSL provider that I had breaks in service (link flapping) that was intermittent and causing me to lose mail and other data.

Try using this syntax:

ping x.x.x.x -t >> c:\ping.txt

Of course x.x.x.x is the IP of your choice. The "-t" just keeps the ping open until you <ctrl>+C (break) the ping.

Let me know if this helps out.

-Rick

kronos1

ASKER

I had never had a problem prior to setting up the network... I will try the ping idea. Thanks

kronos1

ASKER

I ran the ping command to the the verizon mail server (is that a good choice?) and got the following results:
The error that pops up with outlook express is something like:

"Ping statistics for 206.46.170.10:
Packet: Sent = 10957, Received = 10952, Lost = 5 (0% loss)
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimun=69ms, Maximum=797ms, Average=77ms"

That seemed pretty good to me... any other suggestions? Are there any settings in the mail setup (I tried increasing the Server Timeout setting - no help). Maybe a router setting? The ip address in the error message (64-222-80-177) took me to the router setup page.

Les Moore

Did you check out the Linksys link in my last post?

Hollmer

Is this one of those little D-Link or Netgear DSL routers?

Hollmer

Oops - I see it now.

I have heard of problems like that in the past. Couldn't really tell you WHY this happens with these little "routers", but I would imagine that this is your problem.

Ultimately what I had to do was get rid of my little Linksys and just install 2k Advanced Server and NAT'd throught that. Everyone I know that has the linksys has problems...

-Rick

kronos1

ASKER

Sorry about not seeing this earlier. Once I updated the router configurateion (Enable MTU, set value to 1492) I sent a long email with a couple of attachements. Sent successfully! Many thanks to lrmoore for the link to the router support page. I had looked through the Linksys support pages and actually sent them an email (no response).