Exim4 SMTP command timeout (some servers)

KurtAKARebuild · 03-30-2005, 09:00 AM

Hi yall,

I seem to be having a problem receiving mail from some servers, hotmail, outblaze (ie the mail.com stable of site and dbzmail) and a few others. Sending to anywhere I've tested works fine, receiving from most places works fine (gmail + 2 isps) Here is the debug output from exim

Code:

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 HELO/EHLO until eventually (after 5 minute default timeout)

Code:

11175 LOG: lost_incoming_connection MAIN
11175   SMTP command timeout on connection from fallback.us4.outblaze.com [205.158.62.120]
11175 SMTP>> 421 mail.krwdigital.com: SMTP command timeout - closing connection
11175 search_tidyup called
11175 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Exim pid=11175 terminating with rc=1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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

Hope someone can help...

Thanks

Kurt
(if you feel like it, send me a message lqtest(at)krwdigital(dot)com - see how it goes/how bad the problem actually is)

Technoslave · 03-30-2005, 02:06 PM

I can't recall clearly enough, but check your rfc1413_query_timeout value...I had a problem similar to that, but it was only from one particular Solaris box with a hand build of sendmail...this may or may not help.

KurtAKARebuild · 03-30-2005, 02:54 PM

Thanks Technoslave,

I already have this value set to 15 seconds (revised down from the default 30s). The logs (posted) show that the rfc1413 lookup times out well before exim announces itself as ready.

Strangely however, 2 messages got through from outblaze in the 5 hours since I originally posted (though still others fail) I'm going to revise the default timeout value up from 5 to 15 mins. See how that goes.

I'm still taking suggestions.

Kurt

KurtAKARebuild · 03-31-2005, 06:41 AM

Ok ramping up the time out values didn't help. I read that this might be cause MTU discovery packets not getting to the mail server via the router, I'll try read up about it - anyone got any advice

(I -really- need to get this problem sorted and I will be _very_ appreciative of any help)

Technoslave · 03-31-2005, 10:24 AM

I set my timeout value to 5s I think. At one point I went ahead and set the value to 0s. And my rfc1413_hosts = *

Dont' know about the MTU though.

I take it you already went to the exim website and looked through the extensive FAQs?

KurtAKARebuild · 03-31-2005, 07:51 PM

I've looked through the faqs, the question that relates to my problem (SMTP Command Timeout) tells me that its not my problem - but since hotmail, outblaze etc work for everyone else, i suspect that it is my problem.

Technoslave · 04-01-2005, 08:38 AM

I may just be beating on the wrong horse, but the problem I had was with a buddy using a Solaris box and sendmail on there and I had what I vaguely recall to be the same problem. Have you tried setting your rfc to 0s, restarting exim and seeing if you get the same problem?

KurtAKARebuild · 04-20-2005, 08:13 AM

Technoslave - as it turns out you were beating exactly the right horse.

i know its been a long time between posts but for some strange reason, which is unclear to me now, i didn't want to set the rfc1413 to zero. After receiving similar advice from someone else I thought I'd try it.

I am ever grateful for you help

Kurt