Xtra mail blocking authenticated email addresses from sending via SMTP server?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Xtra mail blocking authenticated email addresses from sending via SMTP server?

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#1715904 6-Feb-2017 00:08

yitz: send.xtra.co.nz was redirected from Yahoo to the SMX platform on 2nd Feb. So was mail delivery. It has nothing to do with whether your account shows on their checker as migrated or not, that will happen in batches in the coming month(s) with one weeks notice.

I never said it was anything to do with any type of checker, and this problem also has nothing to do with stored email, it is solely related to sending emails via a third party email address. The fact is that people have been unable to send email via the send.xtra email server since around the 2/2/2017, if using a third party authenticated address, and they never provided a fix or even temporary fix. They also have never told customers that they switched the send.xtra server, they have just said that there are technical problems with yahoo. The only thing they do have on their status page is about old versions of outlook no longer being supported, but this problem isn't related.

SENDING OR RECEIVING EMAILS USING THIRD PARTY EMAIL CLIENTS

Some customers may be experiencing problems receiving Yahoo! Xtra mail when using third party email clients such as outlook. Yahoo! Mail can still be accessed using webmail at xtramail.co.nz. Investigations have shown that this is affecting customers on older email clients and upgrading to a more secure modern client resolves the issues. If you are experiencing these issues and are on an older email client we recommend upgrading to a more secure modern client.

yitz

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#1715905 6-Feb-2017 00:20

The ability to send from third party domains was an aspect they supported during the shutdown of smtp.xtra.co.nz. I remember they did a guide on how to authenticate third party domains on the Yahoo system. So I hope this feature is indeed carried over to the SMX system, albeit you may have to wait for your account to be migrated into order to access the user interface for this.

hops

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#1716581 7-Feb-2017 14:45

Is an actual problem

case# 231401505293

status at www.spark.co.nz/help/other/casetracker/

isphell

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#1716632 7-Feb-2017 16:24

Thanks a lot kiwigeek1, you are a life saver with your tip to just go back to the yahoo server for smtp. I spent 25 minutes on the phone to spark going nowhere(nothing new there when it comes to calling an isp about problems at their end) and then spent a minute reading this thread that led to the 30 second fix, as usual isp's don't value their customerts time but again thank you, thank you kiwigeek1.

mattwnz

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#1716755 7-Feb-2017 20:00

isphell:

Thanks a lot kiwigeek1, you are a life saver with your tip to just go back to the yahoo server for smtp. I spent 25 minutes on the phone to spark going nowhere(nothing new there when it comes to calling an isp about problems at their end) and then spent a minute reading this thread that led to the 30 second fix, as usual isp's don't value their customerts time but again thank you, thank you kiwigeek1.

That's the problem, why aren't Spark telling their customers to do this. Essentially they are wasting peoples time, because they must know that to do this simple change, it will fix it instantly. A single line on their status page could save thousands of combined hours of peoples time.

coffeebaron

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#1716826 7-Feb-2017 21:26

Anyone else who has an Xtra email address as a connected account on Outlook.com or Office 365 having issues collecting it?

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1101

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#1717014 8-Feb-2017 09:37

!!!!!

Why is the Spark helpdesk telling customers (on Win10) that Outlook 2010 is too old & they should upgrade . What the very %$&*%
Then the customer buys Office 2016, and of course the email issue is still there

That is an absolute disgrace
When is it OK to have helpdesk feeding customers a bunch of lies .

Admit the issue & own it Spark.
Tune up the help desk .
A disgrace

lxsw20

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#1717019 8-Feb-2017 09:47

mattwnz:

isphell:

Thanks a lot kiwigeek1, you are a life saver with your tip to just go back to the yahoo server for smtp. I spent 25 minutes on the phone to spark going nowhere(nothing new there when it comes to calling an isp about problems at their end) and then spent a minute reading this thread that led to the 30 second fix, as usual isp's don't value their customerts time but again thank you, thank you kiwigeek1.

That's the problem, why aren't Spark telling their customers to do this. Essentially they are wasting peoples time, because they must know that to do this simple change, it will fix it instantly. A single line on their status page could save thousands of combined hours of peoples time.

Because as someone else has already pointed out in this thread. That isn't a permanent solution, it will break again pretty soon.

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#1717100 8-Feb-2017 10:35

1101:

!!!!!

Why is the Spark helpdesk telling customers (on Win10) that Outlook 2010 is too old & they should upgrade . What the very %$&*%
Then the customer buys Office 2016, and of course the email issue is still there

That is an absolute disgrace
When is it OK to have helpdesk feeding customers a bunch of lies .

Admit the issue & own it Spark.
Tune up the help desk .
A disgrace

Initall reports created some confusion here, some agents apear to have not updated themselves on the latest updates.

Outlook 2010 on Windows XP will not work

Outlook 2010 on Windows 7+ will work.

This is because Microsoft outlook depends on the windows encryption stack.

Supported
1024 and 2048 bit AES ciphers
TLS1.0 and higher protocols

Not Supported
SSL2 and SSL3 are not supported due to vulnerabilities.
The RC4 cipher is also not supported due to vulnerabilities.
RC4 is the strongest cipher supported natively in Windows XP – therefore any mail client that uses the native Windows security suite (such as the Outlook products) will likely not be able to connect. Clients that use their own security suite still may if they support higher encryption standards (e.g., Thunderbird).

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

mattwnz

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#1717187 8-Feb-2017 13:21

lxsw20:

Because as someone else has already pointed out in this thread. That isn't a permanent solution, it will break again pretty soon.

But it is at least a temporary solution, and will get peoples email working again. We don't that it will break soon either, as it depends when Yahoo switch off access. eg How long Spark will continue to pay for the service. Potentially if they don't have their own inhouse solution, they may need to continue with Yahoo until the local solution is worked out. But it doesn't sound like they thought of this problem, which isn't a good sign.

Oblivian

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#1717225 8-Feb-2017 14:55

mattwnz:

But it is at least a temporary solution, and will get peoples email working again. We don't that it will break soon either, as it depends when Yahoo switch off access. eg How long Spark will continue to pay for the service. Potentially if they don't have their own inhouse solution, they may need to continue with Yahoo until the local solution is worked out. But it doesn't sound like they thought of this problem, which isn't a good sign.

You know the only inhouse part of the WIP is the domain forwarding? It's going to a 3rd party NZ supplier SMX and that starts rather.. soon. (you are meant to get a week notice)

However there appears to be a few points of failure at present causing various issues not limited to:

Requirement to authorise account migration between platforms

(presumed) Forwarding in place on the accounts between yahoo! base and SMX server addressing/boxes (various combinations work just fine)

MX Records forwarding to SMX/Spark intermittent

SMX? (imap.xtra.co.nz MX 210.55.143.36) does not like windows authentication methods so require greater than XP/2010 - but can still work with yahoo! imap

Smtp.xtra.co.nz offline (for some time now but people can still find references)

IMAP incoming settings conflicting

- https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-data/webservices/checking-your-xtra-email-or-domain-email-settings/

- https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-email/getstarted/how-to-set-up-xtra-email-for-the-first-time/

Not all staff up with the above when scripted.

Essentially, until its 100% on SMX and off yahoo, it be broke! Advanced/confident users can continue to use yahoo servers (I have been for years) or theres lots of fluffing to fix in the intrim required and will be after the migration too. And wait for the yahoo services current syncing to fall over :D

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mattwnz

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#1717234 8-Feb-2017 15:19

I think at he moment, it is just poor communications from spark. They led us to believe that it would be a straight forward easy switch. They could easily put up a page with details on it of what people could do to fix certain problems, which are caused by these changes. It does somewhat remind me of the Xtra Bubble when they first move to Yahoo, and it feels like a calm before the storm.

hio77

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#1717245 8-Feb-2017 15:41

Oblivian:

mattwnz:

But it is at least a temporary solution, and will get peoples email working again. We don't that it will break soon either, as it depends when Yahoo switch off access. eg How long Spark will continue to pay for the service. Potentially if they don't have their own inhouse solution, they may need to continue with Yahoo until the local solution is worked out. But it doesn't sound like they thought of this problem, which isn't a good sign.

You know the only inhouse part of the WIP is the domain forwarding? It's going to a 3rd party NZ supplier SMX and that starts rather.. soon. (you are meant to get a week notice)

However there appears to be a few points of failure at present causing various issues not limited to:

Requirement to authorise account migration between platforms

(presumed) Forwarding in place on the accounts between yahoo! base and SMX server addressing/boxes (various combinations work just fine)

MX Records forwarding to SMX/Spark intermittent

SMX? (imap.xtra.co.nz MX 210.55.143.36) does not like windows authentication methods so require greater than XP/2010 - but can still work with yahoo! imap

Smtp.xtra.co.nz offline (for some time now but people can still find references)

IMAP incoming settings conflicting

- https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-data/webservices/checking-your-xtra-email-or-domain-email-settings/

- https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-email/getstarted/how-to-set-up-xtra-email-for-the-first-time/

Not all staff up with the above when scripted.

Essentially, until its 100% on SMX and off yahoo, it be broke! Advanced/confident users can continue to use yahoo servers (I have been for years) or theres lots of fluffing to fix in the intrim required and will be after the migration too. And wait for the yahoo services current syncing to fall over :D

https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-email/getstarted/how-to-set-up-xtra-email-for-the-first-time/

Please use the following settings, i Will address this with the internal teams to be corrected on the other link.

the transfer to SMX is in progress, asuming you verified your account it will be all working.

There have been a few stumbling issues, but it is stabling out.

In terms of verified third party email addresses, Please if your provider supplies SSL SMTP servers, use them. by using the relay system over 25 it is just unneeded complexity and will likely cause you frustration as this transfer is completed.

Please don't directly use the yahoo servers, this will not work in the long term, nor will it work for accounts which are already transfered.

as for the authorising account migration between platforms, there were many notifications for this. At this point, the data is unlikely to be transfered. the mail account will function on the new system however.

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

hio77

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#1717250 8-Feb-2017 15:53

mattwnz:

I think at he moment, it is just poor communications from spark. They led us to believe that it would be a straight forward easy switch. They could easily put up a page with details on it of what people could do to fix certain problems, which are caused by these changes. It does somewhat remind me of the Xtra Bubble when they first move to Yahoo, and it feels like a calm before the storm.

There are a few issues here, to simplfy it in a list..

1. Security changes - This has caused alot of havac for older customers

2. Email relay system - This is really a convenace feature, and Should not be used in my personal opinion. All providers should offer a SSL server which is much better to be used.

3. Errors in moving between the Systems. - Some accounts are requiring password reset, there is some heavy server load with the migration going on, this has caused some timeouts in some clients aswell.

Because of the above two, they have somewhat muddied the water between a migration related issue and a totally unrelated fault.

Above is not every issue that has come up, nor would i attempt to cover it all but all fingers can not be pointed simply at the switch.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Oblivian

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#1717255 8-Feb-2017 16:11

I wasn't far wrong then :)

Wasn't the relay whitelist required due to the standard port25 and SPF blocking for customers using Spark connection? So anyone with a non standard SSL at the time (or dumb/badly configured auto server settings reply when it comes to android mail client queries) would still have issues? I know I needed intervention on the parentals when attaching to xtra servers with oddball server settings being sent back (failing without authentication change).

Ended up going manual like most for ease.

And just for fun, theres another help page :)

https://www.spark.co.nz/help/internet-email/manage-email/check-email-settings-email-clients/

Which clearly has removed O2K7/2010 and only lists 2013

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