[Pkg-exim4-users] SMTP command timeout

[Marc Haber]

Hi,

sorry for taking so long to notice your e-mail.

On Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 10:41:43AM +1000, lqtest@krwdigital.com wrote:
> I seem to be having a problem receiving mail from some servers, hotmail, 
> outblaze (ie the mail.com stable of site, dbzmail, etc) and a few others. 
> Sending to anywhere I've tested works fine (that is to say I've experienced 
> no failures yet), receiving from some servers works fine (tested gmail + 2 
> isps + work email) Here is the debug output from exim... 
> 
> --- 
> 
> 11160 Connection request from 205.158.62.120 port 54751
> 11160 search_tidyup called
> 11160 1 SMTP accept process running
> 11160 Listening...
> 11175 host in rfc1413_hosts? yes (matched "*")
> 11175 doing ident callback
> 11175 ident connection to 205.158.62.120 failed: Connection timed out
> 11175 sender_fullhost = [205.158.62.120]
> 11175 sender_rcvhost = [205.158.62.120]
> 11175 Process 11175 is handling incoming connection from [205.158.62.120]
> 11175 host in host_lookup? yes (matched "*")
> 11175 looking up host name for 205.158.62.120
> 11175 DNS lookup of 120.62.158.205.in-addr.arpa (PTR) succeeded
> 11175 IP address lookup yielded fallback.us4.outblaze.com
> 11175 gethostbyname2(af=inet6) returned 4 (NO_DATA)
> 11175 gethostbyname2 looked up these IP addresses:
> 11175   name=fallback.us4.outblaze.com address=205.158.62.120
> 11175 checking addresses for fallback.us4.outblaze.com
> 11175   205.158.62.120 OK
> 11175 sender_fullhost = fallback.us4.outblaze.com [205.158.62.120]
> 11175 sender_rcvhost = fallback.us4.outblaze.com ([205.158.62.120])
> 11175 set_process_info: 11175 handling incoming connection from 
> fallback.us4.outblaze.com [205.158.62.120]
> 11175 host in host_reject_connection? no (option unset)
> 11175 host in sender_unqualified_hosts? no (option unset)
> 11175 host in recipient_unqualified_hosts? no (option unset)
> 11175 host in helo_verify_hosts? no (option unset)
> 11175 host in helo_try_verify_hosts? no (option unset)
> 11175 host in helo_accept_junk_hosts? no (option unset)
> 11175 SMTP>> 220 mail.krwdigital.com ESMTP Exim 4.44 Wed, 30 Mar 2005 
> 22:13:24 +1000
> 11175 Process 11175 is ready for new message
> 11175 smtp_setup_msg entered 
> 
> --- 
> 
> At this point it waits for the remote host until eventually (after 5 minute 
> default timeout) 

That badly looks like a network problem, or a mail server problem on
the other side. Frankly, I do not have a solution for that - the
remote site doesn't even send a HELO/EHLO.

Do you have the possibility to tcpdump the connection and possibly
related ICMP control packets?

> setup notes:
> Debian 3.1 (testing)
> Exim 4.44 (exim4-daemon-heavy 4.44-2)
> ADSL router port forwards port 25 to host on internal network 

Can you surf to www.ebay.com without problems? Ebay has a broken
packet filter in place as well, and if ebay doesn't work, you need to
pin your mtu and mss down.

Greetings
Marc

-- 
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Marc Haber         | "I don't trust Computers. They | Mailadresse im Header
Mannheim, Germany  |  lose things."    Winona Ryder | Fon: *49 621 72739834
Nordisch by Nature |  How to make an American Quilt | Fax: *49 621 72739835