Weird sporadic email issue

[MultiMatt]

I can typically send & receive POP3 emails using Messaging without issue, but every once in a while, I'll try to reply to (or create a new) email and immediately get an error message telling me it's an invalid recipient!

http://pocketpclouisville.com/images/email/1.jpgA message I want to reply to.

http://pocketpclouisville.com/images/email/2.jpgPreparing to reply...

http://pocketpclouisville.com/images/email/3.jpgUpon sending, I get an instant error msg...

http://pocketpclouisville.com/images/email/4.jpgDetails

Any ideas as to what causes that? Hoping someone else has seen a similar experience. No settings have been altered, and like I said, typically it works just fine...!

Matt

[Cybrid]

This may be a set of off the wall questions but this is through your cell phone connection right? Are they also providing the email service? Have you noticed whether it happens more at certain locations or in roaming areas?

[MultiMatt]

This may be a set of off the wall questions but this is through your cell phone connection right?Yes, through Verizon's EVDO connection.

Are they also providing the email service?No. My email accounts are set up on the servers for my websites.

Have you noticed whether it happens more at certain locations or in roaming areas?Happens anywhere around town. Full signal, etc...

Does this sound like a VZW issue or an issue at the server for my websites? Seems like the error message returns so fast, it never leaves VZW...

Matt

[Cybrid]

It maybe, most likely, that verizon is blocking external mail servers. As part of a supposed spam reduction policy...Most ISP's routinely block access to mail servers not their own.
Usually this would mean not being able to send mail at all but I think that since you are adminstrating your site with your own email server, you might be circumventing them most of the time.


Sending mail from an ISP who blocks port 25
ISPs with opt-out agreements
The following ISPs provide opt-out agreements for customers which allow you to send mail using Interkey's email servers:

Service provider Opt-out URL
SBC/Yahoo DSL http://help.sbcglobal.net/servabuse.php

If you are having difficulty connecting to send mail, you may need to send outgoing email through your Internet Service Provider's mail server. Most Internet Service Providers will allow you to send mail with any address set as the From address, but some, like Verizon, may require you to enter your Verizon email address and use your Interkey address as a Reply-To. For your convenience, we have listed the email servers of many popular ISPs below:

List of outgoing mail servers
Service provider Mail server address
Comcast smtp.comcast.net
Cox Communications (East Coast) smtp.east.cox.net
Cox Communications (Central) smtp.central.cox.net
Cox Communications (West Coast) smtp.west.cox.net
Optimum Online mail.optonline.net
Verizon† outgoing.verizon.net

If your ISP is not listed in the above table, please contact them to determine how to send outgoing messages through your web host.

Interkey.net is currently moving towards a solution which will not require you to contact your Internet Service Provider.† This ISP requires you to send mail using the e-mail address and password they have assigned you.

Source (http://www.interkey.net/kb/article/25)

Try authenticated mail through port 587 (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1838667,00.asp)

[timezone]

While the blocking of external smtp addresses other than the provider is a good one I'm not so sure that is the answer. If it was then all emails should have been blocked until the problem was corrected. I also had the problem with blocking and fixed it along time ago and if I remember correctly the error message was not invalid recipient. Although I don't know what I did yesterday so who knows. :) I also suggest checking the header messages and confirming the email address is properly formed. Even though you maybe choosing the person through the email program and not writing in the address it is still possible that a spurious character is being inserted into the email address making rendering it bad.

[MultiMatt]

I spoke with Verizon at great length, and this is the solution they offered:

I am using my Vtext account info as the Outgoing Server. So far it appears to be working okay.

For anyone else on Verizon, if you end up having the same issues as I did above, give this a try.
You need to have a Vtext account set up, so set one up if you don't have one already.
Once you have the account set up, you use SMTP.VZWMAIL.NET as the Outgoing Server.
Then, you need to check the box for Requiring Authentication, and use different settings for the Outgoing options. The password will be your 10-digit phone number @ vzwmail.net and the password will be the same one you used to set up your Vtext account.

Like I said, it appears to be working thus far - I'll report back if my user experience changes.

Matt