Problems sending email with TalkTalk

I've been using TalkTalk for quite a while now for broadband and I
didn't used to have any problems sending emails from my Mac. Recently,
I've been having problems where my emails get stuck in the outbox and I
keep getting an error saying that it couldn't connect to null smtp
server.

I think it's a TalkTalk problem as a few days later the emails will
miraculously send with no changes at my end at all. Then several weeks
later the problem will return. Also, while I have this problem I cannot
send emails via gmail. Gmail reports a problem in the messenger side
saying that it has a technical problem. I think the problems are
connected but I don't know why. I'm thinking it may be some sort of
problem.

I can't get anything useful out of TalkTalk. I'm connected via an old
wired router from about 5 years ago which I just use to plug into an
Apple airport express unit. Anybody got any ideas what might be causing
this?

TIA

Shaun

I connected to TalkTalk last Friday, all ok, until the following day Outlook Express stalled whilst sendin/receiving e mail. I could read my e mail via Webmail though.
Finally, on Monday I shut down the laptop (it had been in hibernation mode) and up jumped some message on powering up that did i want to to receive some Google newsgroup message via broadband (as opposed to LAN). I cancelled it and e mail blockage disappeared. All my account setting for e mail were set to LAN so what was all that about....? Anyway, it all works fine now.
There's been a lot of stick re TalkTalk recently, but the only problem i had was that they took over the line without mailing me any info ref password, user name. And no software. Friday evening it took about 5 mins to call them get my details (but they said cd rom would take 7/10 days to arrive!) So, fiddled around with the router settings, and it connected fine.

"scamper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> I've been using TalkTalk for quite a while now for broadband and I
> didn't used to have any problems sending emails from my Mac. Recently,
> I've been having problems where my emails get stuck in the outbox and I
> keep getting an error saying that it couldn't connect to null smtp
> server.
>
> I think it's a TalkTalk problem as a few days later the emails will
> miraculously send with no changes at my end at all. Then several weeks
> later the problem will return. Also, while I have this problem I cannot
> send emails via gmail. Gmail reports a problem in the messenger side
> saying that it has a technical problem. I think the problems are
> connected but I don't know why. I'm thinking it may be some sort of
> problem.
>
> I can't get anything useful out of TalkTalk. I'm connected via an old
> wired router from about 5 years ago which I just use to plug into an
> Apple airport express unit. Anybody got any ideas what might be causing
> this?
>
> TIA
>
> Shaun
>

On 10 Oct 2006 "scamper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Recently, I've been having problems where my emails get stuck in the
>outbox and I keep getting an error saying that it couldn't connect to
>null smtp server. I think it's a TalkTalk problem as a few days later
>the emails will miraculously send with no changes at my end at all.

Well that seems like a 'glitch' in not being able to connect to their SMTP
server, but without knowing what mail client you use, and the name of the
server, it would be awkward to be 100% sure what is happening.

>Then several weeks later the problem will return. Also, while I have
>this problem I cannot send emails via gmail. Gmail reports a problem
>in the messenger side saying that it has a technical problem.

Do you mean you're accessing Gmail via your browser, and having problems
sending, or are you using <some port other than 25> for an SMTP connection
to try sending? Also, wrt 'messenger side' do you mean the information
panel on the left which normally gets used for 'chat'? I've seen that
'now and then' indicating that it is unable to establish a link, but
as I don't use it very much, have not spent time checking quite how
reliable (or otherwise) it is, sorry.

"scamper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> I've been using TalkTalk for quite a while now for broadband and I
> didn't used to have any problems sending emails from my Mac. Recently,
> I've been having problems where my emails get stuck in the outbox and I
> keep getting an error saying that it couldn't connect to null smtp
> server.
>
> I think it's a TalkTalk problem as a few days later the emails will
> miraculously send with no changes at my end at all. Then several weeks
> later the problem will return. Also, while I have this problem I cannot
> send emails via gmail. Gmail reports a problem in the messenger side
> saying that it has a technical problem. I think the problems are
> connected but I don't know why. I'm thinking it may be some sort of
> problem.
>
> I can't get anything useful out of TalkTalk. I'm connected via an old
> wired router from about 5 years ago which I just use to plug into an
> Apple airport express unit. Anybody got any ideas what might be causing
> this?
>
>

I seem to remember having a similar problem which turned out to be caused by
my own anti virus program scanning the emails on arrival though a dummy
local server. If your av program scans incoming emails try turning that
facility off.
--
Keith Willcocks
(If you can't laugh at life, it ain't worth living!)

I don't know what the problem was but I've just bought the
"preconfigured" TalkTalk wireless router from the Carphone Warehouse,
installed it and it seems to have cured my problems. My old router and
airport express have been removed.

I did mean the chat information panel in Gmail. Even that's working
now.

Not sure what was causing the problem but I'm sure glad it's now
working.


> On 10 Oct 2006 "scamper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >Recently, I've been having problems where my emails get stuck in the
> >outbox and I keep getting an error saying that it couldn't connect to
> >null smtp server. I think it's a TalkTalk problem as a few days later
> >the emails will miraculously send with no changes at my end at all.
>
> Well that seems like a 'glitch' in not being able to connect to their SMTP
> server, but without knowing what mail client you use, and the name of the
> server, it would be awkward to be 100% sure what is happening.
>
> >Then several weeks later the problem will return. Also, while I have
> >this problem I cannot send emails via gmail. Gmail reports a problem
> >in the messenger side saying that it has a technical problem.
>
> Do you mean you're accessing Gmail via your browser, and having problems
> sending, or are you using <some port other than 25> for an SMTP connection
> to try sending? Also, wrt 'messenger side' do you mean the information
> panel on the left which normally gets used for 'chat'? I've seen that
> 'now and then' indicating that it is unable to establish a link, but
> as I don't use it very much, have not spent time checking quite how
> reliable (or otherwise) it is, sorry.