MWP 4.0 Still Broken - Connection Intentionally Closed

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

I was hoping 4.0 would address the TOP issues (if that is the problem) but alas, it appears not. Today I have another email stuck on the server that causes MWP to choke - thus preventing the download of the other email sitting there. This is not good!

See thread titled "Cconnection intentionally closed by server" (the "Cc" typo in the original thread) - and a couple other threads - for background.

Today's message has:

?????????? ? ????????? ?? ?. ?...

as the subject - similar to before.

Once again, this IS a MWP problem because I can access the server and download the email just fine using my email client - it is only MWP that chokes.

My ISP has no intention at this time to enable the TOP POP options as suggested before when the vast majority of their customers are not having problems - and I can't really blame them.

Please address this issue ASAP.

rusticdog · Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:39 pm Post subject:

OK sure, can you email me a debug file to mw-beta @ firetrust.com (without the spaces)

To create this
MailWasher Pro >> Help >> About >> tick " Enable Extended Error Logging" >> restart MailWasher Pro.

Use Mailwasher Pro till you generate the error >> restart MailWasher Pro again >> click on Help >> About >> click blue link to data files >> there will be a file here called MailwasherPro_debug.txt.

If you can send us this it would be appreciated, also once sent through disable Extended Error Logging under Help >> About.

Cheers
rd

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

Well RD, it just so happens I got another the same time I got notice of your reply - this email has ???????????? ??????? as the subject (at least that is how it is displayed when I access my account through webmail).

Fortunately, I am able to log into my account through webmail and move the bad email to a temp folder, retrieve the rest of my mail, move it back to the inbox, turn on logging as requested, get the error, then move it back for safe keeping (BTW - I have 3 "captured" now should you wish me to forward them).

Thanks for taking a look - hope it helps.

Bill

rusticdog · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:34 am Post subject:

OK this looks like a bug in your ISPs POP server, the server just dropped the connection, there's nothing we can do about that.

You could confirm it by telneting into your POP server and trying to get the message with TOP 1 598. A search on the site for telnet under MailWasher forums will detail more instructions.

The reason the other programs work is they aren't using TOP, it will be using RETR.
TOP is where the bug will be located in the POP server because it's
easy for a significant bug like that to get overlooked there as mail
clients don't use it.

MailWasher uses TOP for many reasons, some servers automatically delete the email when RETR is used, others mark it as read, with RETR you have to download the entire email before getting to look at the next one - even if you're on a modem and the email has a 5meg attachment.

So changing MW to work like other email clients in order to accomodate a bug like this in someone elses software will just make things worse.

rogerw · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:40 am Post subject:

bill_bright,

I note in the log the following setting:

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

Now I am really not a happy camper - you say this is a bug at the ISP - can you give me some specifics that I can provide to Cox to demonstrate exactly what it is or what to look for - so that they can take responsibility?

Before, I was told that TOP was an "Option" in POP - is that not the case?

I get the feeling I'm demanding the local Ford dealer to carry parts for my Toyota when I'm the only Toyota owner in town! Doesn't seem right.

BTW - I have tried the sequential checking option both ways - same result.

rogerw · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:59 am Post subject:

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

Fantastic - Thanks - I'll let you know what Cox (my ISP) says.

-Bill

rogerw · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject:

Sometimes the source of the abrupt disconnections are virus scanners, which typically insinuate themselves in the POP3 connection so that they can scan data as it is passing over the link.

Just to be sure that this isn't the problem, disable your virus scanner's email scanner when using MW to see if connection problems go away.

Since MW doesn't download entire messages or render them in any way that Outlook might, all the mechanisms that viruses use to get themselves on your system are defeated. There's no potential for infection if you turn email scanning off and only use MW (not your normal email client.)

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

No - it's not the Norton AV, sequential checking, ZoneAlarm or any other app running.

horseman · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 12:56 pm Post subject:

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

Horseman - Actually, I don't expect much from my ISP - when I first brought this to their attention, they said it was the originating ISPs problem - that is they wanted the originating ISP clear the stuck email on the destination ISP's mail server!! (I am sure their email admin is not aware they're tech support is saying that).

But, with the added RFC info, I thought I would try again - but, truthfully, I don't expect much.

Who knows, they may surprise us.

horseman · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:45 pm Post subject:

bill_bright · Lieutenant Joined: Jan 16, 2004 Posts: 177 Location: USA

AV software running on the mail servers? That's an interesting thought. Their web site says they will implement one in April but does not elaborate as to the vender - they currently have purchase agreements with McAfee so I suspect it will be with them. Hurry up and wait.

denn_988 · Corporal Joined: Mar 12, 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Gone

Horseman,

MWP will download the entire message from a POP server regardless of the SPAM THROTTLE setting, when the message size reported to MWP by the POP server in response to the LIST command is 4000 octets or less.

That is why the TOP 16 9999 was used for the message download in the example you provided.

As for the failure of the ISP to properly terminate the message download in response to the TOP command you will need to verify what is happening.

The next time you see this type of error occur, you will want to do the following BEFORE you delete the message that causes the problem.

TELNET into your POP server and try downloading the message using various values for number of lines using the TOP command.

Try the following for values:

TOP n 0
TOP n 99
TOP n 999
TOP n 9999

If the POP server fails to terminate the message download properly (a DOT [.] on a line by itself - CRLF DOT CRLF) you have a problem. If the POP server also disconnects you....you have an even bigger problem.

You will probably find that you have no problem when you use RETR n. This is what most mail clients use, unless they are set up to only download a partial message. Outlook can be set up to only download the header only, and should be using TOP n 0 when it does this.

If you need some help using TELNET to do this test, just let me know and I will walk you through it. I am hoping that you won't need to be spoon fed on this as I have posted instructions for this many, many times on this forum and am getting a bit tired of doing it....unless of coarse, I need to. Wink


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