Need help from savvy hosts.

[DigitalSorceress]

Hello,

I've had persistent email problems with both VDI hosts that I've tried this year. The email servers frequently lose my email (It doesn't bounce. It's just gone.) or it refuses to let me download my email due to time outs or -16999 errors. ("Server returned an unexpected response." message which the Outlook Express FAQ says this is a server issue which must be cured by the host.) Support always reports that they have fixed it, but if they have, it's never fixed for long.

I'm on a Mac using Outlook Express, and I use ZoneEdit to point my domain and my email to my site using the A and MX records rather than using URL and Mail forwarding. My host is fully aware of this, but I get the impression that tech support doesn't know how this is supposed to be set up on their end. I was told that I'm the only account they have which manages a domain like this. Is this really that unusual? I'm I doing something wrong?

I'm hoping for advice from anyone with experience setting up accounts which allow outside control via A and MX records or anyone who has had experience with email problems like this.

If no one can offer any advice along those lines, I'd appreciate recommendations for other hosts (Not VDI) which offer reliable, fast hosting, excellent tech support 20-30 GB bandwidth, 300-500 MB disk space, 20+ subdomains, on a UNIX server with all the usual goodies like CGI, SSL, SSi, etc. for under $25. per month.

Thanks so much for any help you can offer.

DigitalSorceress

[Haze]

Email me please :)

[Giancarlo]

VDI is adding several new connections soon... I think April 24. A whole new Line...

[DigitalSorceress]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
VDI is adding several new connections soon... I think April 24. A whole new Line...

Thanks, Giancarlo.

That's something to look forward to. I doubt the new line will solve all of my email troubles, but it may solve some of the downtime and slow-down problems. I really hate to switch hosts if I don't have to. My host really tries to provide fast tech support. It just isn't always effective.

I hope it will help with the time outs I get while trying to download my email. I never did get it to download at all yesterday. It was 4:00 p.m. today before I could get my email. Yesterday, it was too slow to even read online with NeoMail. It was pretty ironic that I needed to get an email after registering before I could post my plea for help regarding my nearly dead email. Luckily, I managed to view the registration email, but it took about 5 minutes to display it.

DigitalSorceress

[Chicken]

DigitalSorceress, someone else I talked to mentioned something about the *poof* emails as well, so I'm not sure it is something that you are doing wrong. Seems email is a problem for some reason. :(

[DigitalSorceress]

Originally posted by Chicken
DigitalSorceress, someone else I talked to mentioned something about the *poof* emails as well, so I'm not sure it is something that you are doing wrong. Seems email is a problem for some reason. :(

Thanks, Chicken. That's reassuring. I'm getting so tired of apologizing and checking with people to see if they've answered me or not. I keep worrying that it may be my own fault for wanting to manage the A and MX records.

Do you think the disappearing email is more widespread than VDI?

I began having all these problems when I switched to the two VDI hosts I've had this year. I think that VDI email is different than the email set up I had with my previous host because it requires that I log in within 30 minutes of sending email. So I've been left wondering whether the problem is their different set up, an incompatibility with Mac Outlook Express, or the way I'm using an MX record.

Many times when I can't get the email to download with my Mac, I can get it through Windows Outlook Express. Then, after downloading with my PC and forwarding the important message back to myself, it seems to break the jam on the Mac for a while. Other times I can break the jam by deleting some spam in NeoMail, but that's risky since I've had all my messages disappear a couple of times instead of just the ones I've moved to the trash.

DigitalSorceress

[GordonH]

Hello
There is a problem with the Exim mail server that most VDI hosts use.

If an e-mail comes in with any characters at the top of the headers (it mainly seems to be some spam e-mails that have this random combination) it causes the download of the messages to "stick".
I have had to clear out a few customers mailboxes over the past few days, and we also got it on one of our own accounts.

Gordon

[DigitalSorceress]

Originally posted by GordonH
Hello
There is a problem with the Exim mail server that most VDI hosts use.

If an e-mail comes in with any characters at the top of the headers (it mainly seems to be some spam e-mails that have this random combination) it causes the download of the messages to "stick".
I have had to clear out a few customers mailboxes over the past few days, and we also got it on one of our own accounts.

Gordon


Thanks so much, Gordon. I'm relieved to know that this is most likely a problem with the VDI email server my host is using. I hate to wish this misery on anyone else, but it's good to know that I am not alone in having this trouble. I see why moving the spam to the trash in NeoMail works to break the jam now. Although, I suspect that some listserv digests are also responsible for jams. I wonder if maybe disappearing email occurs in the process of clearing larger jams just as I have witnessed when moving spam to the trash in my NeoMail account?

DigitalSorceress