![[Home]](/wiki.gif)
Outlook Timeout Receiving Pop3 EmailOutlook Timeout Receiving Pop3 EmailOutlook seems to stall when trying to read my email. This often happens when I have a large number of emails backed up in my email account.
My /var/log/maillog shows the following:
Feb 22 09:40:08 dedicated ipop3d[6961]: pop3 service init from 234.25.46.123
Feb 22 09:40:10 dedicated ipop3d[6961]: Login user=bob@cl.net
host=c-234-25-46-123.cl.net [234.25.46.123] nmsgs=2055/2055
Feb 22 09:41:39 dedicated ipop3d[6961]: Command stream end of file while
reading line user=bob@cl.net
host=host=c-234-25-46-123.cl.net [234.25.46.123]
If log into POP3 directly by telnet to port 110, and use the proper USER and PASS commands, the prompt returns immediately. At that point either RETR 1 or LIST return results immediately. There is not problem on the POP3 end. It seems the Outlook just doesn't go any farther than logging in. Whether the outlook timeout is set to 1 minute, or 5 minutes, this timeout still occurs. Outlook shows the error:
Task 'bob@cl.net - Receiving' reported error (0x8004210A): 'The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
It appears from studying network dumps that certain messages either hangup Outlook, or hang up any anti-spam or anti-virus email scanners. The system administrator for the mail server can run a command like this on the mail server to check the traffic between the Outlook client machine and the server. Assuming the IP address of the client is 234.25.46.123, you can use the following command to watch the traffic:
/usr/sbin/tcpdump -s 0 -q -X -e port 110 and host 234.25.46.123
You'll probably see the last command that outlook sends is a RETR command for a certain message, and then nothing more happens. Later, Outlook eventually times out, and you'll see some packets that shut down the connection. Scroll back in the log, and the last command you'll see sent by the client is a RETR command. Note the number of the message.
You can see that the problem is on the client machine by manually going to the POP3 port of the mail server and giving the commands by hand that test out the POP3 message transfer.
You can manually delete the offending email message. If it was message number 494, you can use this command:
dele 494
Then enter the quit command, and try Outlook again. This time, the outlook download will probably succeed. If it hangs up again, check the tcpdump again for the next message that couldn't be retrieved.
|
Interested in Network Termination 2?