Telecom to launch Yahoo!Xtra Bubble - Free enhanced services to Xtra subscribers

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom to launch Yahoo!Xtra Bubble - Free enhanced services to Xtra subscribers

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37 posts

Geek

#82955 20-Aug-2007 12:14

Bung:
Spotted somewhere else that any forwarding that you previously had setup to also leave a copy on the xtra server has changed to just forward. Do Xtra have any email servers, is the Xtra Bubble thing an "option" or have Xtra migrated their email platform to Yahoo?

Thanks Bung; this was actually one of the better options on the Xtra Webmail service as I could see what was going on during the day, and then download everything when I got home. I'm going to have to stop this now, and I'm not keen on having Yahoo!Xtra sitting on my screen all day. Maybe I'll get used to it.

UPDATE: I've removed the forward settings, and changed it to POP access. Still no email coming through. Now I'm getting worried.

bmoses

37 posts

Geek

#82956 20-Aug-2007 12:17

Here are the POP3/SMTP settings:

Server Settings
Incoming Mail Server (POP3):	pop3.xtra.co.nz Use SSL, port: 995
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):	send.xtra.co.nz Use SSL, port: 465, use authentication
Account Name/Username:	{xtra username}
Email address:	{xtra username}@xtra.co.nz
Password:	Your Yahoo!Xtra Mail password

exportgoldman

1202 posts

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#82961 20-Aug-2007 12:35

Well, I tried to enroll, and I got pass the I accept licence page, and now it's hung on the first/last name page. The web site is very very slow.

Interestingly enough if you telnet to port 25 of send.xtra.co.nz (I thought it was only SSL - guess not) It answers with

220 smtp106.tnz.mail.aue.yahoo.com ESMTP

Which seems by the traceroute to be hosted in Sydney.

Looks like they have completely outsourced All of Xtra's Services bar the physical pipes and (associated low level services.)

So - Who's excited at not being able to send e-mail between Auckland Cities if the Southern Cross Cable goes down?

Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.

Hoosein

68 posts

Master Geek

#82963 20-Aug-2007 12:39

So does one have to set this up for each sub account as well??

Here are the POP3/SMTP settings:

Server Settings
Incoming Mail Server (POP3):	pop3.xtra.co.nz Use SSL, port: 995
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):	send.xtra.co.nz Use SSL, port: 465, use authentication
Account Name/Username:	{xtra username}
Email address:	{xtra username}@xtra.co.nz
Password:	Your Yahoo!Xtra Mail password

exportgoldman

1202 posts

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#82964 20-Aug-2007 12:40

The registration page timed out, reloaded it and put in my secret question/answer and DOB and get this

Please correct the errors highlighted below.
SOAP call did not return SOAP_OK
SOAP call did not return SOAP_OK

Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.

exportgoldman

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#82968 20-Aug-2007 12:51

If you look here http://xtra.co.nz/help/0,,15013,00.html

It says

...

Sending and receiving email
Over the weekend we upgraded our email platform to Yahoo!Xtra Bubble which replaces Xtra Webmail. A small number of customers may currently be unable to send email and our technical team is working to resolve this. Please check here later for an update.

...

Heavy Usage on Yahoo!Xtra Bubble Registration Process
Unfortunately we are currently experiencing intermittent high loads on the Yahoo!Xtra Bubble registration process which may cause pages to load slowly or timeout. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you, please try again later.

...

Increases in Spam
Unfortunately some customers may be experiencing an increase in the level of spam they have received since we have upgraded their mailbox. We have investigated this issue and made some changes so customers should only see increased levels of spam the first time they access their mailbox. For more information on how to protect yourself from spam click here.

...

Even their hardly updated status page has this to say...

Here's a summary of the current situation:

Some customers may be experiencing difficulty sending and receiving email and using webmail.
Technicians are investigating the issue and hope to have it resolved as soon as possible.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this issue.

What are we doing about it?

Our technical team is investigating and is working very hard to minimise any impact on our customers.

Please keep revisiting this (Xtra Help) Page for updates on the Current issue.

...

Looks like they didn't plan this migration very well, and now stuff is timing out, and those pesky corner cases they didn't expect are now happening (and with a company the size of Xtra, probably in the thousands...)

Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.

bmoses

37 posts

Geek

#82969 20-Aug-2007 12:51

I got the same SOAP messages yesterday; the server is just busy - you'll get through eventually. It's probably busy trying to delete everyones emails :)

Quic Broadband

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bmoses

37 posts

Geek

#82970 20-Aug-2007 12:54

Hoosein: So does one have to set this up for each sub account as well??

I don't know about sub-accounts, but all my aliases are sitting there, so they've been migrated. I notice that I was given the option of setting up different user access accounts which is nifty, but not something I needed as a personal user.

Wouldn't Xtra find this whole process easier if they set up a user support forum? Or better still point their users to Geekzone :D

nzbnw

2374 posts

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Spark NZ

#82971 20-Aug-2007 13:03

lugh: Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if it's still necessary to change your email setup (e.g. send.xtra.co.nz through SSL) if you don't sign up for Bubble? There seems to be an implicit assumption that people will want to sign up on Bubble but I'm curious about the impact on those who don't.

My thought for the day... If we have issues with email and such, will the Xtra helpdesk still be able to sort it or will we now be referred to Yahoo! support?

I have signed up for bubble, and I didnt change any of my email settings, still using smtp.xtra.co.nz and its woring fine.

Xtra will provide the support for your services as they currently do.

nzbnw

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#82974 20-Aug-2007 13:24

bmoses: Wouldn't Xtra find this whole process easier if they set up a user support forum? Or better still point their users to Geekzone :D

Now, this is something they wouldn't do...

GJB21

55 posts

Master Geek

#82983 20-Aug-2007 15:10

Hmmm,
another morning wasted on Xtra
- no incoming mail since Saturday
- confusing sign-up (when you're trying to get on with business you don't want a bunch of esoteric options to study so I clicked the defaults - obviously a big mistake)
- finally got some access but its very slow and the previous "forward and keep a copy" is apparently gone (if anyone can figure out how to keep this function please let me know)
- have had to reset mobile access as well and not sure that's working properly yet

Like so many others above - why couldn't this have been a user-driven migration rather than being foisted on us? I see some users are invoking small-claims court proceedings against Telecom - probably little chance of success given the "Ts&Cs" they require before doing anything but happy to support anything that causes them some pain.

bmoses

37 posts

Geek

#82993 20-Aug-2007 16:13

Just for the sake of continuity, my mailbox is back online. I'll check email downloads to Outlook when I get home.

BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#82997 20-Aug-2007 16:39

You are lucky bmoses....

I have never written anything negative about any company before in my life – because I am a very laid back, relaxed and happy person.

However, my experience in the last 48 hours with Telecom is the most infuriating for me by any service provider in my entire life. So I started writing this message at 3:00 PM on Monday the 20 th ...

3:00PM OK - I stopped working at 12:20 to sort my mail out ... It has been 150 minutes wasted so far but still got no mail... I am on the phone to a CSR - trying really hard to keep my cool and be calm.... I been a loyal Xtra customer for um 10 years - probably? But right now, I associate the new ‘Yahoo! Xtra’ brand so low, I dont even want to see that brand again. But I got no choice - the Telecom rep just told me to go to that web site again. The brand conjures up image of rude CSR people over the weekend who waste my time telling me wrong things like “Sir, You dont have to do anything, if you access your mail from Outlook. Only the Web mail users are affected ..” ... or self registration site that I wasted the last 2 hour on and I still can not ‘register’ – when all I want is check my emails...
Come on Telecom. It ‘S been down since Sat!! You are very close to loosing a very large customer here.
3:30PM: Now what?The registration site at https://au.reg.yahoo.com/registration is down....
4:00PM: OK now it is back up again – but I got a soap error when I typed my secret question and answer (it forced me to do it)SOAP call did not return SOAP_OK
4:15 PM: OK it crashed through the registration process – I restarted it again – again it crashed after the secret question – but this time atleast it is not asking me to re-register...
4:25PM: OK. Now it is telling me I need to install the ‘current versions of Yahoo!Xtra Bubble software’ Oh no. I got this Vista machine locked down – I dont want to install anything. But I got no choice: If I click on ‘Dont install’ it is displaying a ‘page can not be displayed’ message! What do I do>? I just want to use the pop server and smtp server like before from Outlook 2007. Please Telecom. Leave me alone and give me my mail back !!!  I always paied my bill on time and I ....
4:33PM: At last. It is finished (seemingly). Time to answer my emails.... OK. Why is Outlook 2007 still prompting me for a password? Oh crap. Here we go again – time to ring up Telecom Xtra help desk and sit in their queue again.
Tim
[P.S. I got lots of freinds at Telecom - and I love you all. This is nothing personal. Sorry for the negative post. ]

[Edit]
5:00PM: OK. I have tried both SMTP addresses - both the old ones in the help pages pointing me to smtp.xo.nz.... and the new one the registration process (and a previous post above) is suggested ..send.xtra.co.nz. But it makes sod all difference - neiher of them are working....

5:00PM: May be it is my firewall - have they changed the port? It says port 465.... Nah! May be it is my connection settings in Outlook 2007 May be they stopped SMTP relaying on my other five mail profiles . - lets look at the details of the errors....Um something about encryption types?

5:44PM:
I have changed the ports as per below:

Incoming Mail Server (POP3):	Use SSL, port: 995
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):	Use SSL, port: 465, use authentication

And it seems to work now. It still does not give me back a ruined weekend and a lost monday afternoon.

I just checked the Web mail version on the net - it looks really elegant. Lets hope the change is a positive one - and make the pain me and others suffered worth while.

ictgeeknz

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#83002 20-Aug-2007 17:42

As an IT professional, I setup two Xtra mail accounts no problems.
I also got the 'SOAP' errors on sign-up, but just ignored them.

I do concede that Joe Average is probably confused and frustrated with the migration process.

IMHO:
Yahoo!Xtra Pro Mail 'beta' is probably best turned off at this time.
Click 'Switch Back' when you're logged into webmail.

Oblivian

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#83003 20-Aug-2007 17:44

What Ive found so far.

To get webmail, migrate to Yahoo based. To stop spam, you then have to change the configuration once signed up AGAIN to enable the spam filter.

Its 'ON' By default, but another section it was set to 'allow all mail'

Its now dropped back from 40/day to about 4 (30 in my bulk trapped though)

As for pop use, theres also a setting for 'pop + webmail access' that can be turned on. And I'm still using pop.xtra and smtp.xtra. The only difference is you have to change SMTP settings and turn OFF authentication, and remove your credentials.

You will see here the default setting.. note the 'ON'

Seems normal right? WRONG

Top right - options - Pop access and forwarding... oh looksee. Another option to change. Default = I want to receive all messages.

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