queued mail

[UkMister]

hi, we are having problems receiving external mail. I have spoken to our isp who says everything is fine. They think it is a problem with our exchange server and that it isn't delivering mail.
If this is the case there must be a bunch of emails sat somewhere on the server waiting to be delivered. Where do I look for this?

 

[mcnuttlaw]

I believe the area to look is in the System Manager area. In there is your SMTP protocol area showing the queue you are looking for.

 

[Marcs41]

The SMTP queues have NOTHING to do with RECEIVING mail!
mcnuttlaw, please post something correct or don't post, this misleads the members.

UKMIster, do a check on your server first with nslookup as described here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q153119

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]

 

[UkMister]

Hi Thanks

We had some external support people in last week and they found nothing wrong at all. They beleive that the mail is sat somewhere on one of the ISPs servers and not being forwarded to us at all. Several tests were done and our server seemed to deliver mail fine when something was placed in one of the pickup directories.

Unfortunately, our ISP still says that nothing is wrong at their end. Not sure where to go with this one

 

[Marcs41]

Call them again, and tell agree with them to set a trace on a message with an agreed subject, sender etc.
Send that email, and have them PROVE it gets delivered.
If needed, tell them you will have no choice the to change ISp if they do not co-operate.
You pay, the HAVE to help you and not hide behind bureaucracy.

 

[UkMister]

Just been speaking to the tekkie guys who were up on Friday. One of them is coming back again to re service pack the server. There was a strange error message when he tried to do it last week. So maybe it could be a corrupt service pack after all.

It's just that last Wednesday, our ISP switched us off (for reasons I won't go into here). We could browse and send mail but not receive. They switched us back on and we started to receive again - fine. Thursday morning, the same problem occurs. We can send and browse but not receive. But this time its not our ISPs fault. Now to me, this is TOO much of a coincidence, but they assure us that our server is accepting mail.

Anyway, will let you know the outcome should anyone else find it useful.

Cheers

Gary

 

[UkMister]

Well, things seem to have been sorted out somewhat. About 11:45 today, email 'mysteriously' started coming in for no apparent reason. No changes made to the server, and not reinstall of any service packs - Yet our ISP knows nothing about it.
Unfortunately, the backlog of emails from last week haven't arrived - we are presuming them missing believed dead. But who knows, maybe later on in the week they will turn up too.
Is this typical behaviour of ISPs? And is there anything we can do about it? Joking aside, these people have cost us a lot of money in additional technical support, when the problem lay with them all along!

 

[Marcs41]

If sure hope is is not typical, if it were I would switch instantly!
Have them prove it was not their fault and don't pay the support bills unless they do.
You may consider looking out for a better and cheaper one already.