outgoing email sloooow

I, too, have been having problems.

I use an email program called GyazMail.  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GyazMail>.

I run GyazMail under MacOS 10.14.6 (Mojave).  (My computer remains at MacOS 10.14.6 because there are certain 32-bit programs that I use and that I want to continue to use without having to run a virtual machine.)

For email, I previously used Eudora.  When the MacOS lost Rosetta functionality, I had to find a replacement for Eudora.  GyazMail appeared to be a decent substitute.

When I first began to use GyazMail, I configured the program to work with my existing Comcast POP account.  The program worked flawlessly.  I have continued to maintain the Comcast account as a POP account, in part because I want to maintain a local archive of email rather than having to rely upon an archive that is in the cloud and that is not under my control.

Over the past several months, especially since mid-August 2020, I have experienced increasing problems with both sending mail and receiving mail, despite the fact that I had made no changes to GyazMail since updating it to version 1.6.3 in November of 2019.

At first, the problems were that the handshaking involved in establishing communications with the Comcast mail servers would take a long time... typically a couple of minutes.  In recent days, it has gotten to the point that the handshaking never completes.  It usually terminates with an error message generated by GyazMail....

I wrote:

The command

 

***

 

telnet pop3.comcast.net 995

 

***

 

produces the following result:

 

====

 

Trying 96.117.3.148...

Connected to imap.ge.xfinity.com.

Escape character is '^]'.

Connection closed by foreign host.

 

====

 

So far, so good.

---

On further reflection, that might not be so good.  I am not sure what the "foreign host" is that (immediately) closed the connection.

@JJMcVeigh

@collirob 

@siggreg 

Thank you all for jumping into this thread the last few days. It is a big help.

There is some slow progress being made, in the sense that I am running some tests and providing the results to a Comcast employee in private messages. No aha yet. But at least there is proof of slowness. Latest tests use a small program called swaks: https://www.jetmore.org/john/code/swaks/ Perhaps some of you might want to try it and see your results. Be aware that it shows your password in plain text, so if you think of posting your results anywhere, be sure to blank out your password.

@JJMcVeigh  Yesterday I was able to telnet to

telnet smtp.comcast.net 587  

Your telnet was to mail and pop3 not smtp, as well as a different port. What happens if you try various combinations? Beyond that, I know very little about telnet. Are you able to ping the various addresses and ports?

:- Doug.

@TerriB 

@Again

Here are results that I have just obtained for various commands (specified) that I have just issued:

Command issued: telnet smpt.comcast.net 587

Response (Immediately) Triggered:

======

Trying 96.114.157.81...
Connected to smtp.g.comcast.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 resomta-po-13v.sys.comcast.net resomta-po-13v.sys.comcast.net ESMTP server ready

======

After some period of inactivity (at least 45 seconds), the following appears:

Connection closed by foreign host.

Command Issued: telnet smpt.comcast.net 465

Response (Immediately) Triggered:

======

Trying 96.114.157.81...
Connected to smtp.g.comcast.net.
Escape character is '^]'.

======

After some period of inactivity (at least 45 seconds), the following appears:

Connection closed by foreign host.

Telnet: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telnet>

Next, I used the Network Utility supplied (but hidden) in later versions of the MacOS (see <https://bytebitebit.com/2288/understanding-and-troubleshooting-with-network-utility-on-mac/>).  I get the following results when I Ping:

Ten Pings to smtp.comcast.net:

Ping has started…

PING smtp.g.comcast.net (96.114.157.81): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=0 ttl=43 time=57.042 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=1 ttl=43 time=56.397 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=2 ttl=43 time=56.386 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=3 ttl=43 time=55.620 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=4 ttl=43 time=54.855 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=5 ttl=43 time=56.385 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=6 ttl=43 time=55.763 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=7 ttl=43 time=56.836 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=8 ttl=43 time=59.000 ms
64 bytes from 96.114.157.81: icmp_seq=9 ttl=43 time=55.575 ms

--- smtp.g.comcast.net ping statistics ---

10 packets transmitted, 10 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 54.855/56.386/59.000/1.070 ms

Ten pings to pop3.comcast.net:

Ping has started…

Ping has started…

PING imap.ge.xfinity.com (96.118.208.102): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5
Request timeout for icmp_seq 6
Request timeout for icmp_seq 7
Request timeout for icmp_seq 8

--- imap.ge.xfinity.com ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100.0% packet loss

Ten Pings to mail.comcast.net:

Ping has started…

PING imap.ge.xfinity.com (96.117.3.101): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5
Request timeout for icmp_seq 6
Request timeout for icmp_seq 7
Request timeout for icmp_seq 8

--- imap.ge.xfinity.com ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100.0% packet loss

Ten pings to pop.comcast.net:

Ping has started…

PING imap.ge.xfinity.com (96.117.3.112): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5
Request timeout for icmp_seq 6
Request timeout for icmp_seq 7
Request timeout for icmp_seq 8

--- imap.ge.xfinity.com ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100.0% packet loss

@JJMcVeigh 

The pings seem to be telling us that you can reach smtp.g.comcast.net, but not the other addresses.

The telnet connections both succeeded. If while connected you type ctrl (that might be command on a mac) and then ], you will then have a telnet> prompt and could theoretically do something on the connection. If you then type help or ? or h, it will give you a list of commands you can enter. The point is, both connected for you.

:- Doug.

While connected via Telnet to pop3.comcast.net 995, I tried a control-].  The response was:

====

telnet>

====

I then tried issuing a help command.  The response was:

====

Commands may be abbreviated. Commands are:

close close current connection
logout forcibly logout remote user and close the connection
display display operating parameters
mode try to enter line or character mode ('mode ?' for more)
telnet connect to a site
open connect to a site
quit exit telnet
send transmit special characters ('send ?' for more)
set set operating parameters ('set ?' for more)
unset unset operating parameters ('unset ?' for more)
status print status information
toggle toggle operating parameters ('toggle ?' for more)
slc change state of special charaters ('slc ?' for more)
auth turn on (off) authentication ('auth ?' for more)
z suspend telnet
! invoke a subshell
environ change environment variables ('environ ?' for more)
? print help information
telnet>

=====

I then issued a status command.  The response was:

====

Connected to imap.ge.xfinity.com.
Operating in obsolete linemode
Local character echo
Escape character is '^]'.
Connection closed by foreign host.

====

This time, the "Connection closed by foreign host" line appeared immediately after the "Escape character is '^]'."

So, there is definitely communication taking place.

I agree that I am able to reach smtp.g.comcast.net by Pinging it.

I just tried using telnet to connect to pop3.comcast.net [via Port] 995.  Telnet immediately indicated that a connection had been made to imap.ge.xfinity.com.  The "foreign host" closed the connection after ~ 60 seconds.  (I may have misstated the situation when I previously wrote that the "foreign host" had immediately closed the connection after an earlier attempt to connect to pop3.comcast.net [via Port] 995 using telnet.)

Interestingly, it appears that, this time, the connection to pop3.comcast.net [via Port] 995.wwas made via IPv6... "Trying 2001:558:fc11:9:f816:3eff:fec6:dccf..."

In earlier attempts, the IP address looked like an IPv4 address, e.g., 96.117.3.148.

An update on my problem trying to establish communications with the Comcast POP mail server...

Further to my last message...

Receiving mail from mail.comcast.net continues without incident.  However, I ran into a problem when I tried to send my first email message since regaining the ability to receive mail.

After writing a message and pressing the Send button, the progress window of GyazMail displayed the following:

=======

Comcast - JJM] Sending messages....

Connecting to the server "smtp.comcast.net"...

=======

After one minute, the above message disappeared from the Progress window, and an error message appeared in a different pop-up window:

=======

Comcast - JJM] Error ocurred while sending the message "Re: Joan".

Communication Error: EOF

=======

I then checked the settings within GyazMail associated with Sending mail via the Comcast account.  As set, for Authentication, GyazMail was using SMTP Authentication.  Under Advanced settings, GyazMail was configured to "Require secure connection (SSL):" using STARTTLS and to use Port 465.

Based on my experience earlier today with the Receiving Mail settings, I changed the option associated with "Require secure connection (SSL):" from STARTTLS to "Alternate Port".  I left unchanged the specification to usePort 465.

I then tried to send the message that had previously not gone out.  GyazMail immediately started and instantaneously completed handshaking with smtp.comcast.net, and the message then reached the Comcast smtp server.

So, both in the case of Receiving Mail and in the case of sending mail, specifying Alternate Port rather than STARTTLS has restored connectivity with the Comcast Receiving Mail and Sending mail servers (mail.comcast.net and smtp.comcast.net, respectively).

I am beginning to wonder whether the problem that I and others have experienced is due to an expired STARTTLS certificate.

It appears that the success that I previously reported was short-lived.  It just took ~ 30 seconds tfor the handshaking to complete when I tried to send a test message to myself.  A check for received mail (via mail.comcast.net) has now been running for at least eight minutes, and the handshaking has not yet completed!

😞

@JJMcVeigh--

That's disappointing.

When you switch from STARTTLS to "Alternate Port" do you not disable security? That is not something I am willing to do for myself. You raise the question about whether the certificate is expired: what happens if you check that box to "Verify the certificate?"

I am using SSL/TLS. Do you have that as a choice? I do not have a choice of "alternate port." I have available starttls and none. From what I read here, ssl/tls is better: https://blog.mailtrap.io/starttls-ssl-tls/

I don't see a date on that article; maybe it is outdated.

If you want to try swaks, the format for a test is this on a linux machine: doug@fire:~$ swaks -stl -t recipient@wherever.com -f yourusername@comcast.net -p 587 -tlso -au yourusername -s smtp.comcast.net

The -t means to and the -f means from and -p probably means the port to use.

When you run, it asks for your password and captures it in plain text, so do not post your results anywhere without blanking that and any other sensitive info!

It sends its own test message to the address.

I don't know what I am doing on any of this, but passing along things that might be of help to someone. It sounds like you have some computer knowledge to be testing the various things you are doing. I feel like there is some slow progress from our tromping around in this garden patch.

:- Doug.

@JJMcVeigh 

I had one at 22.185 secs, another at 28.594, on previous days.

:- Doug.

I had one at 22.185 secs, another at 28.594, on previous days.

Those are significant delays.

I am once again experiencing connectivity delays when GyazMail attempts to engage in handshaking with both the incoming and outgoing Comcast mail servers.  GyazMail has been attempting to connect to the incoming mail server for at least a couple of minutes now.

This is getting ridiculous!

Things just go from bad to worse with this company.  Starting yesterday on two different versions of Thunderbird and two different computers, I am now getting a prompt that the password was not accepted by Comcast and I should retry or insert a new password.  If I hit retry 2 times it goes through.  However, as usual, this ONLY occurs with Comcast - NEVER Gmail on either computer.  It boggles the mind.