Vodafone's ISP IMAP server imap.vodafone.co.nz not working?

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aw

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Topic # 57532 16-Feb-2010 19:02

Note: This is in reference to Vodafone's fixed line broadband e-mail (@vodafone.co.nz), not their mobile mail (@vodafone.net.nz)

I have a client who uses Vodafone fixed-line broadband who I put on to Vodafone's IMAP server a few months ago.

We did this because he wanted to receive his e-mail on multiple computers and to keep them in sync.

Up until recently it worked a treat, but two weeks ago it stopped working - Last week connections kept timing out.

And now it seems connections to imap.vodafone.co.nz:143 are being refused.

Anyone know what's happened here? Vodafone helpdesk simply say that we're using the wrong settings and that we should be using POP3. Some don't seem to know what IMAP is and they're unaware they ever had an IMAP server for their fixed-line ISP mail.

Was IMAP there but never supported?

LennonNZ

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Reply # 299562 16-Feb-2010 19:24

Umm.. I can connect to it (and I'm not even on vodafone's network).. Are you sure its not a "local" problem? (or maybe they have fixed it within the 1.5 hours you posted your message?)

telnet imap.vodafone.co.nz 143
Trying 203.109.135.58...
Connected to imap.vodafone.co.nz.
Escape character is '^]'.
* OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 UIDPLUS CHILDREN NAMESPACE THREAD=ORDEREDSUBJECT THREAD=REFERENCES SORT QUOTA IDLE ACL ACL2=UNION STARTTLS] Courier-IMAP ready. Copyright 1998-2004 Double Precision, Inc. See COPYING for distribution information

aw

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Reply # 299565 16-Feb-2010 19:32

Trying from my openSUSE box from my own Xnet connection, it's back to timing out.

On my client's Red Network connection at their home, when I was in there last week, it would also keep timing out - from all of their three different PCs.

And I'm sure when I tried it from here (my Xnet connection) last week it timed out too.

No other services seemed affected (web browsing and sending mail were OK, telnets to pop3 also ok) and they're currently getting around the issue by using webmail.

Anyone know if IMAP is officially supported? I can't seem to find mention of it on vodafone.co.nz.

EDIT: Oops I was trying on port 25 just now. Duh.
MSOE still having trouble when trying their account from my location so still trouble, will wireshark it and report back.

cranz

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Reply # 299569 16-Feb-2010 19:59

Any update aw?

I'm getting the same result as LennonNZ

aw

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Reply # 299579 16-Feb-2010 20:55

Sorry for the delay, had dinner.

Telnetting to imap.vodafone.co.nz and watching from Wireshark shows a SYN out, a SYN ACK back, an ACK out, and a FIN ACK back and that's it.

Telnetting in worked once but otherwise the same result - TCP port opened and then immediately closed.

Strange.

LennonNZ

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Reply # 299594 16-Feb-2010 21:15

Is this from your computer/connection only or does this happen on all vodafone connections? ie have you tested from a different computer or same computer/different provider? changed router? MTU Issue on your end? router? computer?

aw

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Reply # 299611 16-Feb-2010 21:39

This evening I was only testing from here up til just now. I'm having no other issues at this location.

I just remotely VNC'd to one of my client's PCs just now to try again and Windows Live Mail says "Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection..." immediately when trying to connect - there is no delay.

He says occasionally it does work and his mail does sync up - but this only happenes around 1 in every 10 or so times he tries, if that. This seems also consistent with the one time it worked when I was trying to telnet to it from my location as above.

Incidentally, connections to imap.vodafone.net.nz are fine from both locations.

Is anyone abler to try a whole bunch of repeated telnets to imap.vodafone.co.nz:143?

Cheers

(post edited 9:46pm)

aw

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Reply # 299618 16-Feb-2010 21:57

(bump) I've edited the above post with new info after connecting to and talking to the client. Anyone else know what could be going on or is anyone else able to do several tests to imap.vodafone.co.nz:143?

Ragnor

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Reply # 299637 16-Feb-2010 23:07

It's a sign...

Never use isp provided email servers/accounts as it ties you in and makes it harder to change provider with ease!

aw

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Reply # 300486 20-Feb-2010 09:43

I've given up trying to get Vodafone to acknowledge that they ever had an IMAP server for their fixed-line customers to begin with. Some CSRs were trying to convince us that it was never there (uh, we used it for nearly a year, are you trying to tell us we imagined this?), although the last one I spoke to was far more helpful but his own enquiries hit brick walls too as nobody around him knew of any IMAP server.

Vodafone did acknowledge a mail service failure about the time we lost IMAP earlier this month but believe it to be resolved.

In the meantime, I've now moved this client onto my own mail server at least temporarily to get around this issue which pulls his mail from VF by POP and puts it into an IMAP mailbox for his use.

My client is now reconsidering his choice of ISP...

richms

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Reply # 300583 20-Feb-2010 20:35

Hope your client is now smart enough to get a domain name. gmail will host it for mail if you like their implimentation of imap (I dont) otherwise there are many other providers that do imap

Richard rich.ms