Exim - SMTP timeout after initial connection

[ddcarnage]

Hello,

I have this weird problem that I can't fix and my server management guys can't fix and its driving me crazy...

I have two servers, it used to do this only on the first one (centos 5) but now it does it on my second (fedora 5) so I can't move my client's account no where else to run away from the problem


Whenever they try to email a box @eclipsestores.com, exim fails with the following error

2007-08-25 07:45:09 1IOtzt-0005Fh-E1 SMTP timeout while connected to
MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210] after initial connection: 
Connection timed out

2007-08-25 07:45:09 1IOtzt-0005Fh-E1 == test@eclipsestores.com R=lookuphost
T=remote_smtp defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected
to MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210] after initial connection

When I telnet to the mail server, I get

[root@server2 ~]# telnet 142.163.54.210 25
Trying 142.163.54.210...
Connected to mail.eclipsestores.com (142.163.54.210).
Escape character is '^]'.

and it hangs there indefenatly... As soon as I type any character, in this case "f" and hit enter, I get :

f
220 mail.eclipsestores.com Microsoft ESMTP MAIL 
Service, Version: 6.0.3790.211 ready at  Sat, 25 
Aug 2007 09:16:49 -0230

500 5.3.3 Unrecognized command

and at that point I could go about a normal transaction. So it hangs and doesn't send the greeting until I give it some bogus character. This is very likely why exim timeouts since it doesn't receive the greeting and waits there.

This is, my client and I can send email to eclipsestores.com boxes when using our respective isp's smtp server.


Does anyone have any idea as what might be causing this?? Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Frank

[madaboutlinux]

Hello,

2007-08-25 07:45:09 1IOtzt-0005Fh-E1 SMTP timeout while connected to
MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210] after initial connection: 
Connection timed out

2007-08-25 07:45:09 1IOtzt-0005Fh-E1 == test@eclipsestores.com R=lookuphost
T=remote_smtp defer (110): Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected
to MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210] after initial connection

Is the above error you receive is for all the accounts on the server and whether you receive it while sending email using both webmail/email client? What have you tried uptil now to get the issue resolved?

When I telnet to the mail server, I get

[root@server2 ~]# telnet 142.163.54.210 25
Trying 142.163.54.210...
Connected to mail.eclipsestores.com (142.163.54.210).
Escape character is '^]'.

and it hangs there indefenatly... As soon as I type any character, in this case "f" and hit enter, I get :

f
220 mail.eclipsestores.com Microsoft ESMTP MAIL 
Service, Version: 6.0.3790.211 ready at  Sat, 25 
Aug 2007 09:16:49 -0230

500 5.3.3 Unrecognized command

and at that point I could go about a normal transaction.
Thanks,

Frank

When you telnet to IP on port 25 and receive as

[root@server2 ~]# telnet 142.163.54.210 25
Trying 142.163.54.210...
Connected to mail.eclipsestores.com (142.163.54.210).
Escape character is '^]'.

it means you are connected to the mail server and it is waiting for the appropriate commands to login to your account. It is not in a hang state.

[ddcarnage]

Hello and thanks for answering.

I get the error whether using webmail or client software. I have reinstalled exim completly and removed rbl, which didn't help.

When you telnet to IP on port 25 and receive as

root@server2 ~]# telnet 142.163.54.210 25
Trying 142.163.54.210...
Connected to mail.eclipsestores.com (142.163.54.210).
Escape character is '^]'.

it means you are connected to the mail server and it is waiting for the appropriate commands to login to your account. It is not in a hang state.

Actually I'm pretty sure that the SMTP protocol states that the receiver has to send a 220 to the sender first. For exemple, when trying to deliver one of the messages in the queue, I get :

Message 1IP3IF-0005dd-R9 is not frozen
delivering 1IP3IF-0005dd-R9
Connecting to MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210]:25 ... connected
LOG: MAIN
  SMTP timeout while connected to MAIL.eclipsestores.com [142.163.54.210] 
after initial connection: Connection timed out
LOG: MAIN
  == test@eclipsestores.com R=lookuphost T=remote_smtp defer (110): 
Connection timed out: SMTP timeout while connected to MAIL.eclipsestores.com
[142.163.54.210] after initial connection

So the connection establishes, like in telnet but then it times out. In telnet we see that the receiver doesn't say anything until we send a random character and then it sends out its 220.

Thing is it doesn't seem to be doing it to all servers...