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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2009 : 11:27:31
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Nigel, Back in the Fall, I reported problems with sending via the MLK SMTP setup. I got it working for a while (I don't know how), but it's now not working again. I've got four or five days when I'll be working consistently from home, so I can give you detailed feedback if you need it.
I've upgraded from V 6.15R to V6.26 and the problem persists. When I send this way, all that happens is that MLK shows that the attempts time-out at the 60 second limit I've given them. None of them seem to get out through the MLK system.
(I've done a limited attempt to mail through Outlook 2007. That seems to work, though I'm checking the impact of Norton's scanning package on this. I'll let you know if I seem to have any problems with Outlook 2007)
Best wishes
Louis Turner |
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JP @ PFS
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2009 : 12:42:13
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I am also having the same problem. I can't send through MLK and sending through outlook seems to work sometimes.
Jay Parkes 1-800-381-2301 x101 jp@portlandfinancialservices.com |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 02:25:55
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When you say MLK's SMTP, i assume you mean the Internal Mail server?
If every message is timing out, then MLK is being blocked from connecting to the destination servers. Unfortunately we are unable to tell from this end what it is on your system that is preventing MLK from accessing the Internet, but it is most likely one of the following:
- Firewall: Even if you are not running a specific firewall such as Zone Alarm, XP's firewall may be turned on - Router: Many routers have built-in firewalls - Anti-Virus Software: Some products such as Norton actually detect programs sending mail and intercept them - ISP: Some ISP's block port 25
Ensure that your router/firewall does not block port 25 or 53.
For further detail, please email me the log file for this sending task.
(Run MLK and click Ctrl+Shift+I. Choose the option to display your database folder and then browse to the folder "SendLogs" In that folder your log files are named "mail_sent_*.txt" with the date of the delivery included in the name. Find the files of the relevant date and send them to me).
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 03:45:47
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I realise this could be a problem with Symantec Norton 2006. I've tried turning off the scanning of outward emails. I've also turned off worm blocking. Emails through MLK's SMTP still won't work.
I've looked at port settings; under "email port settings" it flags SMPT port as 25. It won't allow me to delete that option (though I could add).
Otherwise, I am using XP as my underlying system, which has been kept up to date
The only underlying malfunction I can sense is that I get a signal about not being able to find a "tray icon". I don't know what this is, but I see one reference in Norton to these.
Unlike the previous time when I came to you with this problem, my computer has plenty of spare capacity (I cleared out a lot of less essential files). |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 07:27:15
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I've been in touch with my ISP who said they don't block any ports (and he did a specific check to see if there was anything funny he could see from his end. He couldn't see anything unusual). I specifically asked him about port 25.
I've tried some limited mailings through Outlook 2007, which have all gone through without any hassle, even with Norton fully operational (ie scanning outgoing emails, and looking for worms).
I haven't poked around in XP's settings. If I do, what am I looking for? |
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JP @ PFS
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 11:51:42
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I was able to get MLK to send after setting up my ports on my netgear router. However, how do I get it to send more than 1 email at a time? I have a rather large lists that will take over 100 hours to send. The emails in outlook are still sitting in the drafts folder and slowing down my receiving process.
quote: Originally posted by xequte
When you say MLK's SMTP, i assume you mean the Internal Mail server?
If every message is timing out, then MLK is being blocked from connecting to the destination servers. Unfortunately we are unable to tell from this end what it is on your system that is preventing MLK from accessing the Internet, but it is most likely one of the following:
- Firewall: Even if you are not running a specific firewall such as Zone Alarm, XP's firewall may be turned on - Router: Many routers have built-in firewalls - Anti-Virus Software: Some products such as Norton actually detect programs sending mail and intercept them - ISP: Some ISP's block port 25
Ensure that your router/firewall does not block port 25 or 53.
For further detail, please email me the log file for this sending task.
(Run MLK and click Ctrl+Shift+I. Choose the option to display your database folder and then browse to the folder "SendLogs" In that folder your log files are named "mail_sent_*.txt" with the date of the delivery included in the name. Find the files of the relevant date and send them to me).
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com
Jay Parkes 1-800-381-2301 x101 jp@portlandfinancialservices.com |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 14:16:57
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Hi Jay
If you are using the internal mail server option then it will send messages one by one (as do all mail servers)
When we send an e-mail with many recipients from our computer to our ISP's server we forget the work that the ISP's server is doing.
An SMTP Server is like a postman, that is, he goes and delivers your messages one house at a time. When you drop a whole bundle of letters in a postbox at once, it might seem that they are all delivered simultaneously but the postman still has to go and deliver each message individually. Likewise when an SMTP Server receives a message with 1000 recipients, it still needs to send the message to every recipient listed one-by-one
If, instead, you want to use MLK's SMTP Server then MLK is acting as the postman and doing the individual delivery to every recipient from your computer.
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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JP @ PFS
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 16:11:13
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So, is it safe to say that this is the case with all SMTP servers? If so, this is probably the reason why I received error messages when trying to BCC many recipients at the same time (which is a MLK option).
quote: Originally posted by xequte
Hi Jay
If you are using the internal mail server option then it will send messages one by one (as do all mail servers)
When we send an e-mail with many recipients from our computer to our ISP's server we forget the work that the ISP's server is doing.
An SMTP Server is like a postman, that is, he goes and delivers your messages one house at a time. When you drop a whole bundle of letters in a postbox at once, it might seem that they are all delivered simultaneously but the postman still has to go and deliver each message individually. Likewise when an SMTP Server receives a message with 1000 recipients, it still needs to send the message to every recipient listed one-by-one
If, instead, you want to use MLK's SMTP Server then MLK is acting as the postman and doing the individual delivery to every recipient from your computer.
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com
Jay Parkes 1-800-381-2301 x101 jp@portlandfinancialservices.com |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2009 : 02:10:11
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Hi Jay
That should not cause you an error.
MLK will automatically warn and correct you if you have selected a BCC sending option when using the Internal Mail Server. It is OK to use the BCC option with any other sending option (i.e. except the internal mail server) because then the destination mail server will handle the task of breaking your BCC list into many individual messages (i.e. it happens behind the scenes without you having to know about it).
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 05:53:09
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Nigel
I don't have a router. I've got an ADSL broadband connection.
There's just an Intel modem between me and the phone/broadband system.
My Boradband supplier say they don't block anything.
I've reinstalled Norton Internet Security 2006 (which was interfering slightly with Outlook 2007). I've experimented with their firewall prtection set to its lowest levels. Still no effect.
I've checkedwhat they say about Port 25. No indication it's blocking this. It indicates that this should be the preferred port for SMTP business.
I've checked Internet Explorer and can't see anything suspicious in their firewall section and, anyway, Norton has over-ridden that.
Everything else with Outlook and connection to the outside world seems to be working fine. I've cleaned my PC up so it's not having the capacity problems it was having four or five months back when this problem blew up.
About to do my first genuine mass email through Outlook 2007. Hope that works OK (tests suggest it will be).
From a puzzled
Louis
quote: Originally posted by xequte
Hi Louis
Have you checked your firewall and router?
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 12:16:21
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(In continuation)
Nigel,
I just cannot understand what is going on. The two problems I have (getting stuff out through the MLK SMPT route and getting mailings out with Outlook 2007) are basically the same as in the autumn/fall, when I dropped you a note headed "Two Problems".
Re the SMPT problem: If this was due to Norton Internet Security, then others would be having similar problems. I've reinstalled Norton and have always kept it up to date. I've always accepted their default settings, and have only tinkered with them to see if doing things like turning off email scanning would help. I've been on to them today, got new patches to make it work better with Outlook, and I still can't get anything out through your SMPT setup. It's nothing to do with how many messages I try to send. Whether I try sending 1 or 200, they still just all time out.
I'm now also having the problem that MLK sends emails safely to Outlook 2007 (out of the box, so we are not dealing with any Beta product), and they go into the outbox and then send themselves out. I get one or two 451 error messages saying "too many messages", and then as far as I can check, they don't end up with recipients. I don't get "out of office" replies, or any other "system administrator replies" which would indicate they have got to the other end.
If this was a common problem caused by Norton interfering with Outlook, I am sure that others would be having the same problem.
This makes me wonder if there is something in my XP Professional (once again, kept up to date) or my basic machine which has 2Gigs of RAM, but sometimes shows signs of having difficulty in handling massive tasks. (MLK slows down when sending to Outlook: the first emails go out very much faster than the ones at the end of the queue).
I need very specific questions off you to pin this down.
Louis |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 12:30:22
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(Further continuation) Whatever's happening with Outlook, it is possible to get messages successfully sent to myself from MLK both through the OLE and MAPI route. Tomorrow, I'll experiment with small batches to see if size of mailings is what is causing problems. |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2009 : 02:22:11
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Hi Louis
You seemed to have covered most the angles with regard to your local server, so i'm not really sure where the problem resides. If it's a well-known ISP you might want to do an Internet search to see if other users have had problems sending with a local mail server (with that ISP).
Generally Outlook is the easiest one to get working, at any rate. Regarding the 451 (too many messages error) the cause is likely to be one of the following:
- Your ISP limits the number of messages you can send per connection/session/hour/day and you have exceeded the limit. If this is the problem find out what their limit is and use the batch/scheduled function in MLK to stay under it
- Your ISP limits the number of recipients per message (this is unlikely to cause a 451, but it is best to check). Ensure that the BCC recipient count under View>Options is not too high (try a value under 100)
- A destination mail server is complaining that you are sending too many message to its domain at once. If this is the case, use batch/scheduled sending function or the staggering option
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 10:42:42
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I think I've sorted the problem of Outlook. It seems to be a memory/capacity problem, probably to do with Norton. Sending in small batches, every couple of minutes got most of my emails through. (This obviously slows me down).
The SMPT problem remains. Whatever I do, all I get is timeouts. that holds for one email or 250, when I can get them out through Outlook.
I'm using default Norton settings and have reinstalled.
My Broadband provider is British Telecom which dominates the market over here and generally seems to have a decent reputation. If they were blocking Port 25 (that's the one I'm looking for?) they would presumably be causing havoc with a number of other people.
If it's an XP problem, where should I be looking? I've trawled through the Control Panel and can't find anything referring to Ports.
I assume this won't be an IE problem because the MLK SMPT routine wouldn't touch IE (Correct?)
My computer is 3 years old. There's nothing physical that could be blocking this SMPT option so thoroughly?
XP seems to be the one constant through all this. I desperately don't want to reinstall that. |
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Louis Turner
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 11:03:15
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Well, knock me down with a feather (as my mother used to say). I seem to have cracked the SMPT problem.
I was idly following through the instructions you had given another poster on Outlook 2007 (about unchecking Extended MAPI?).
In that same menu, under "Advanced/Sending" there's a check box about checking if there's an active internet connection if one is sending by SMPT. I checked the box, and a couple of small test runs have gone through without any hassle.
So, after all that, it seems to have been an issue to do with MLK settings!!!
We live and learn!
Louis
PS I'll report back after my next mass email - probably early next week. |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 15:51:02
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Hmmm, I'm not sure why that setting should make a difference if you have a permanent connection (such as DSL).
At any rate, the setting is enabled by default, so someone must have turned it off
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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Gijs van den Brink
Netherlands
1 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2009 : 08:56:29
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Louis, I have the same problem with sending with MLK internal SMTP , but where do I find the box to uncheck extended Mapi? I found the box, but I get no difference. I still cannot send more than 3 or 4 mails in a massmail.
Gijs van den Brink
quote: Originally posted by Louis Turner
Well, knock me down with a feather (as my mother used to say). I seem to have cracked the SMPT problem.
I was idly following through the instructions you had given another poster on Outlook 2007 (about unchecking Extended MAPI?).
In that same menu, under "Advanced/Sending" there's a check box about checking if there's an active internet connection if one is sending by SMPT. I checked the box, and a couple of small test runs have gone through without any hassle.
So, after all that, it seems to have been an issue to do with MLK settings!!!
We live and learn!
Louis
PS I'll report back after my next mass email - probably early next week.
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2009 : 22:03:12
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Hi Gijs
He wasn't saying to change the Extended MAPI option, but rather to enable the setting to ensure you have "Check for an internet connection before sending"
What specific error do you get after three or four emails?
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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athanchew
Singapore
1 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2009 : 22:38:46
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Hi Nigel,
I got this problem
Socket error: #10060 connection time out
I couldn't connect with my server email. Please reply.
Athanchew athanchew@athanchew.com |
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xequte
7504 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 15:58:14
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Hi Attenchew
So you are using the normal SMTP option or SMTP server in MLK?
If normal SMTP, then check that you have specified your SMTP server correctly. If it is then make sure you don't have an anti-virus or firewall program (such as ZoneAlarm) that is blocking MLK.
If you are using the SMTP server, then please review my message above for what you need to check.
Nigel Xequte Software nigel@xequte.com |
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