intermittent mail server client access problem

[emmons]

I reboot the mail server and the users are able to use netscape to get their messages for awhile. Later on it doesn't work when it doesn't ask for a password or get new messages, it just opens with the old messages displayed. If I reboot the mail server it works for awhile then who knows what happens and it won't later on that day.

Accessing via squirrelmail always works just fine. But the users want to use netscape client.

It worked fine for 5 months until we put a new firewall in and a dhcp server.

If qmail-smtpd supervise is not running and
qmail-send supervise is not running does that have any thing to do with this problem?

Where/how do I start to debug this weird problem. My public library staff is getting quite frustrated so I could use some help.

I have qmail-apache-squirrelmail-redhat-mysql-php

Thank you.

 

[emmons]

since access to the mail works through http but not by directly connecting via netscape my son thinks this is a problems with ipchains.

Whenever I reboot I type in

ipchains --flush
ifup eth0 ipaddress

where in a script can I put this so it will be automatic upon reboot.

why would ipchains fail sometimes if it is in fact failing sometimes.

 

[emmons]

After the reboot it works for awhile then something happens, who knows what, and netscape wont get any new messages off the server.

It would be nice to know where to start troubleshooting.

I thought maybe look at some settings while things are working fine and when things don't work fine and look for differences.

Any suggestions?

 

[emmons]

it suddenly started working again!?!?!?

does anyone know where a setting would be to allow a particular number of users on at one time?

I wonder if that could be it. It seems to work fine during early morning and in the evenings.

That implies there is a problem with the number of users at one time. At least that is what I think

So. How can I check that out?

all help is appreciated.