Ping and tracert timeouts - Marconi 4 Port

[Ross Matthews]

Have a strange problem and cannot resolve.
OS: Win Xp Pro Service pack 2
ISP: Telkom
Router: Marconi 4 Port

Spoken to telkom, router set correctly and can access internet and downloads fine.

Problem: Can ping site - reply practically instant
when using tracert, get request timed out over x hops and eventually find target.

This causes problems connecting to mail server and cannot get mail. Mail server responds, but looses connection.


Task 'Gauteng - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x8004210A) : 'The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'

Have tested mail accounts on another ADSL connection (another office - seperate connection) and all is fine.

Can anyone shed any light on this. Have allready spent from 10h00 till 13H00 on phone to ISP and Telkom

 

[Franna]

I had the exact same problem last week with a client in Newlands (CPT, 512K ADSL) that uses the Outlook 2003 POP client to download their mail from a server in the UK.

The pings were great, internet access was otherwise fine, but it would just not download the e-mails. When you click "send and receive" it starts the mail download, but after message 2 the speed go down to around 20 bytes/s. Then it times out after about 5 minutes. Was way under 3G cap limit.

I then connected the machine to the internet via dial-up and everything was fine. So the problem was with the ADSL line! But try to convince Telkom. They refused to accept that anything was wrong with their crappy best effort service. After numerous phone calls they eventually sent out a techie, but he could not find anything wrong.

This went on for a week when all of a sudden everything just worked again. Nothing changed on my side, so they must have done something on their side.

Ross - I would advise you to take the computer to the other office and test it here. If it works there then your connection is surely to blame. Give Telkom support a call and demand a technician to come out.

Lastly - you have not reached your cap?

 

[Ross Matthews]

Hi Thanks for reply... Have not reached cap

Have downloaded patches for SP2. still nothing. will try move this machine to other office.

will post results

 

[Franna]

More info needed:

Mail client: eg Outlook Express 6
Mail hosting company: WebAfrica
Location of mail server: Local
Antivirus: NAV2005
Firewall: Router hardware

 

[Ross Matthews]

Hi. Have solved the problem after many hours of troubleshooting. I eventually took the system from one premises to another and connected to the network there. NO PROBLEM. ALL WORKED.

So, I sent the router back to TELKOM and had it replaced. Plugged new unit in, set the user name and password and voila. NO MORE PROBLEM.

(Will not go into slagging anybody, but not 1 person I called could shed any light on the matter and everyone assured me that lines and hardware were not the issue and the problem lay with my systems or software.)

Thanks for the replies.

Ross Matthews