Yahoo SMTP mail server problems over past 2 weeks.

jnevik

How many people are experiencing yahoo SMTP email server connection problems?

I use the business service smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com and have been having connection problems for 2 weeks. Spoke with Yahoo support and they gave a reason 'DNS caching problems' at my service provider as the issue. However today when it stopped working again, I did a traceroute from the service provider and from our rackspace host and both systems could NOT connect to the yahoo SMTP servers. Traceroutes below.

[~]$ traceroute smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
traceroute to any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com (68.142.200.11), 30 hops max, 38 byte packets
3 vlan901.edge3.dfw1.rackspace.com (72.3.128.19) 2.580 ms 2.562 ms 2.544 ms
4 bbr1.dfw1.rackspace.net (72.3.128.249) 3.344 ms 3.055 ms 2.764 ms
5 exchange-cust2.da1.equinix.net (206.223.118.2) 2.906 ms 2.958 ms 2.774 ms
6 ae2-p101.msr1.mud.yahoo.com (216.115.104.107) 198.397 ms ae2-p111.msr2.mud.yahoo.com (216.115.104.111) 4.034 ms ae1-p101.msr1.mud.yahoo.com (216.115.104.99) 3.669 ms
7 ten-9-1.bas1.mud.yahoo.com (68.142.193.29) 3.861 ms ten-9-1.bas2.mud.yahoo.com (68.142.193.31) 4.311 ms ten-8-1.bas1.mud.yahoo.com (68.142.193.25) 4.461 ms
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[~]$


C:\Program Files\Support Tools>tracert smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com

Tracing route to any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com [206.190.48.12]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 143 ms 160 ms 189 ms smtp1-f.biz.mail.vip.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.48.1
2]

Trace complete.

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popowich

Hello,

I do not use that SMTP server for my email, but hopefully I can help you find an answer or at least w workaround for your problem. It is not uncommon for a traceroute to not work at all hops of the trace. If you do a dig or an nslookup what do you get as an answer for that hostname? Here are my results:

;; ANSWER SECTION:
smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com. 300 IN CNAME smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com.
smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com. 300 IN CNAME any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com.
any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com. 300 IN A 206.190.48.12


There are a lot of CNAME's in there. To temporarially rule out the DNS what happens if you use the IP address 206.190.48.12 as your outgoing smtp mail server setting in your email program? As of right now that appears to be a valid and working mail server for the name that you are trying to use.

Trying 206.190.48.12...
Connected to smtp1-f.biz.mail.vip.re2.yahoo.com (206.190.48.12).
Escape character is '^]'.
220 smtp102.biz.mail.re2.yahoo.com ESMTP


Did Yahoo Support say that the DNS answer you were getting was old an not valid?

Another common problem is anti-virus software on your computer scanning and blocking outgoing emails. It may also be scanning and working correctly but your mail program is timing out before the virus scan has finished. Did you make any changes or download a new anti-virus program around two weeks ago? If you are using free software, my preference is Avast! If you are never able to send email you should also check the firewall settings and blocked programs list if you have a firewall on your computer.

I hope that helps, and to Email Questions! -Raymond

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jnevik

Thanks popowich for your reply. I think it's yahoo that is having issues with their DNS servers or networking.

As today the traceroute works and therefore sending email works:

C:\Program Files\Support Tools>nslookup smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
Server: dns.rnc.net.cable.rogers.com
Address: 64.71.255.198

DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com
Address: 206.190.48.12
Aliases: smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com, smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com


C:\Program Files\Support Tools>tracert smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com

Tracing route to any-smtp.bizmail.mail.fy4.b.yahoo.com [206.190.48.12]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms [192.168.1.1]
2 66 ms 21 ms 9 ms 10.222.0.1
3 21 ms 15 ms 16 ms 66.185.89.173
4 42 ms 12 ms 11 ms 69.63.248.81
5 28 ms 50 ms 26 ms 69.63.248.141
6 27 ms 48 ms 23 ms 24.153.3.150
7 31 ms 35 ms 46 ms as-0.pat1.dce.yahoo.com [216.115.101.144]
8 64 ms 71 ms 36 ms ae1-p140.msr1.re1.yahoo.com [216.115.108.17]
9 85 ms 38 ms 30 ms t-2-1.bas1.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.33.89]
10 44 ms 38 ms 41 ms smtp1-f.biz.mail.vip.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.48.1
2]

Trace complete.

C:\Program Files\Support Tools>

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