Server Timeout on Mail app.

Question

Level 1

43 points

Server Timeout on Mail app.

I am repeatedly having problems with the server timeout on Mail. When I upgraded to Tiger I decided to give Mail a try instead of Entourage. I can receive mail using Entourage (it seems to have a very long timeout) but not using Mail because the programme times out after a relatively short period. My email service provider says I have to increase this time but I can't find any way of doing it. Any thoughts anyone?

Posted on Sep 20, 2005 9:59 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 20, 2005 10:46 AM in response to Edward

Edward,

Welcome to the Discussions.

What type of account are you using -- POP, IMAP, or .mac?

Please explain the type of Authentication you are using on the Incoming Mail server, and you source of advice for this.

How are you connected to the internet. I don't think Mail would timeout in normal situations.

More info, please.

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Answer 2

Edward Author

Level 1

43 points

Sep 20, 2005 11:03 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to this discussion stuff. Here's some more information:
1. POP account using a company called webmania.com
2. Authentication: none
3. Connecting to the internet using ADSL via ethernet port and a netgear router. Internet access is fine.

The reason I thought Mail was timing out is that this is what the error message describes. It gives this message after about 1 minute of trying. Entourage tried for about 4 minutes before finally getting through to the mail server. Mail's error message says 'connection to the server on port timed out' but I'm actually connecting on port 25 - perhaps this means port 0 on the server whereas port 25 refers to my port... I don't know!

Does that help?

(your help is very much appreciated!)

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Answer 3

Sep 20, 2005 11:11 AM in response to Edward

Edward,

Let's clarify some things -- a POP server is an incoming mail server, would connect on Port 110, and would no doubt require Authentication. If you are talking about the Outgoing server, then the policy of your ISP about blocking the use of third party SMTP (what is used for outgoing mail) on port 25, would be important.

Who is your ISP? It may be that they are blocking the use of any SMTP other than the one they provide. When blocking is in place, the typical message is exactly what you describe.

More info, please.

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Answer 4

Edward Author

Level 1

43 points

Sep 20, 2005 11:25 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Ok. Yes, I see my errors!

The problem is with receiving mail and not sending. In terms of sending mail I can use either my email provider or my ISP. I happen to use my ISP's SMTP server. I think this is unimportant for this though...

In terms of ports and authentication, you're quite right and I was very wrong and rather confused! I actuallly use port 110 without SSL. The authentication is via a password.

Does that help?

Edward

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Answer 5

Sep 20, 2005 11:39 AM in response to Edward

Edward,

Thanks for the clarification. Does webmania host a domain for you? Are you entering the name of the POP3 server as POP3.yourdomain.com, or is it some standard name?

Perhaps most importantly, are you entering your entire email address as the Username entry in Mail Preferences, and not merely the portion in front of the "@"? From what I can read on their support site, what they refer to as Account Name, is in Mail, the Username entry. In Mail, the Account name can be anything you want, and is only seen your Mac.

Keep me posted,

Ernie

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Answer 6

Edward Author

Level 1

43 points

Sep 20, 2005 11:58 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

I probably should clarify one thing: normally, I have very few problems with this. I can normally get my email fine. I normally have no time-out issues or whatever it is.

In terms of the web-mania stuff, they do indeed host my email (and website). My pop3 address is, like you say, pop3.mydomain.co.uk

And, my username is my entire email address etc. I'm certain all this is correct. Nothing has changed from this point of view since migrating to Mail and, like I say, most of the time, Mail works fine. It has only recently become a problem. The unfortunate thing is that web-mania say that everything their end is fine (I'm not certain I believe them) and that I should just increase the timeout time...

Thoughts?

Edward

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Answer 7

Sep 20, 2005 12:23 PM in response to Edward

Edward,

With all that you report, my first thought is that it is on their end of things. It is a rare provider, such as this, that will be entirely forthcoming.

One thing to try, before moving on the suggestion below, is to delete the file named MessageUidsAlreadyDownloaded and the MessageUidsAlreadyDownloaded2 files from this account's folder. This POP account folder will be found, with the Finder, at Home/Library/Mail/your POP account folder. Do this AFTER quitting Mail, and then relaunch Mail, and test. If these files were somehow corrupt, they might cause this timing out.

If no help, then one test to conduct, to help eliminate some things, would be to create a new User account on your Mac, and set up your accounts in Mail, in that User account. See if there is any difference.

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Answer 8

Edward Author

Level 1

43 points

Sep 20, 2005 12:30 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

Thanks Ernie, that's a great help. I'll give it a try.

One thing you'll be pleased to hear though (well, sort of) is that, Mail did manage to retrieve my emails from the last 4 days. Great! But, surprise surprise, when it then tried 15minutes later, it failed again... Hmmmm.

I'm 99% certain it's web-mania and we are, I have to admit, thinking of ditching them for another provider...

Thanks for all your help; 9388 postings is a very large number! How do you get time to do any work?

Edward

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Answer 9

Sep 20, 2005 12:50 PM in response to Edward

Edward,

Retired! It is part of how I acquire needed knowledge. I am, you might say, a grandfather geek. I probably have just as many email communications to help others, as posts.

Ernie

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