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    Can't get emails

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved NAT
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    • M
      muswellhillbilly
      last edited by

      Web server? I thought your roommate was having problems with the mail server?!! Is he using something like Yahoo Mail or GMail?

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      • DerelictD
        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
        last edited by

        Web server?

        I think you're looking at your local network when the problem lies elsewhere.

        Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
        A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
        DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
        Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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        • B
          Baldur
          last edited by

          @Derelict:

          Web server?

          I think you're looking at your local network when the problem lies elsewhere.

          I'm more specifically looking at the PFsense box as a whole. What could the router do to prevent email from getting in. If it's not the problem, then it's not my problem.

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          • B
            Baldur
            last edited by

            @muswellhillbilly:

            Web server? I thought your roommate was having problems with the mail server?!! Is he using something like Yahoo Mail or GMail?

            He's using the more traditional e-mail. IMAP works fine. I don't know if SMPT or POP3 is having issues. Am I mistaken? Does the mail server not originate from the internet?

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            • DerelictD
              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
              last edited by

              OMG.  No.  His MUA connects outbound (POP3/IMAP) and receives/pulls email.  If he wants to send one his MUA connects outbound (SMTP) and sends it.

              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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              • M
                muswellhillbilly
                last edited by

                One reason mail might not be getting in would be because there was a rule on your firewall which prevented POP3 or IMAP from being allowed in. If you haven't got such a rule then the issue may very well lie with your roommate's mail server. Is this server managed by anyone? Has your roommate enquired with anybody whether the mail server is malfunctioning?

                If you haven't changed anything on your firewall and your roommate's email has suddenly started failing then I would first check that the mail server isn't the issue before looking for problems at your end where there may not be any.

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                • DerelictD
                  Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                  last edited by

                  One reason mail might not be getting in would be because there was a rule on your firewall which prevented POP3 or IMAP from being allowed in.

                  You mean allowed out?

                  That would make the MUA complain.

                  Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                  A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                  DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                  Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                  • B
                    Baldur
                    last edited by

                    @muswellhillbilly:

                    One reason mail might not be getting in would be because there was a rule on your firewall which prevented POP3 or IMAP from being allowed in. If you haven't got such a rule then the issue may very well lie with your roommate's mail server. Is this server managed by anyone? Has your roommate enquired with anybody whether the mail server is malfunctioning?

                    If you haven't changed anything on your firewall and your roommate's email has suddenly started failing then I would first check that the mail server isn't the issue before looking for problems at your end where there may not be any.

                    Now that you mentioned it, I decided to check my firewall and this came up in the search.

                    Would this be relevant in any way?

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                    • B
                      Baldur
                      last edited by

                      @Derelict:

                      One reason mail might not be getting in would be because there was a rule on your firewall which prevented POP3 or IMAP from being allowed in.

                      You mean allowed out?

                      That would make the MUA complain.

                      The thing is that I do not know if it's sending. But I'm guessing a giant "Cannot connect to server" would pop up if that were the case.

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                      • DerelictD
                        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                        last edited by

                        Considering you blacked out anything useful, it's impossible to tell.

                        Email clients make OUTBOUND connections.  The pertinent firewall rules are on LAN, not WAN.  But like I have said at least three times, if it was a problem connecting to the server the email client would be complaining.

                        This is a non-problem.  He needs to call his email provider and ask where his mail is.

                        Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                        A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                        DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                        Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                        • M
                          muswellhillbilly
                          last edited by

                          Your screenshot has blacked out not just the IP addresses but the source/target ports, so it's not really much hlep.

                          Ok, now that we've established that your roommate's mail server is hosted outside your LAN, you should forget about port forwarding any protocols inbound. Your out-of-the-box outbound NAT/rules should allow your roommate to connect to his mail server without your having to muck about with inbound NAT rules.

                          You can try this test: From a command prompt (any machine in your LAN will do), type 'telent aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd 110', where 'aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd' is the IP address of your roommate's mail server. If you get a 'Connected' message that means your LAN can connect to the remote server successfully via POP3. Likewise with the other ports for SMTP (port 25) and IMAP (port 143). If you don't get a 'Connected' message this may mean there's a problem with the mail server. Unless you have a rule specifically blocking access to these ports then it's unlikely to be the firewall.

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                          • B
                            Baldur
                            last edited by

                            @muswellhillbilly:

                            Your screenshot has blacked out not just the IP addresses but the source/target ports, so it's not really much hlep.

                            Ok, now that we've established that your roommate's mail server is hosted outside your LAN, you should forget about port forwarding any protocols inbound. Your out-of-the-box outbound NAT/rules should allow your roommate to connect to his mail server without your having to muck about with inbound NAT rules.

                            You can try this test: From a command prompt (any machine in your LAN will do), type 'telent aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd 110', where 'aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd' is the IP address of your roommate's mail server. If you get a 'Connected' message that means your LAN can connect to the remote server successfully via POP3. Likewise with the other ports for SMTP (port 25) and IMAP (port 143). If you don't get a 'Connected' message this may mean there's a problem with the mail server. Unless you have a rule specifically blocking access to these ports then it's unlikely to be the firewall.

                            Might be worth showing us your firewall rules, for that matter.

                            The ports are 61109, which I know is not POP3, but I filtered the search to port 110.

                            As for rules, there are no firewall rules for the WAN.

                            Either way, thank you. I will ping the server tomorrow and see if it gets me anything.

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                            • vallumV
                              vallum
                              last edited by

                              @Baldur:

                              @Derelict:

                              Web server?

                              I think you're looking at your local network when the problem lies elsewhere.

                              I'm more specifically looking at the PFsense box as a whole. What could the router do to prevent email from getting in. If it's not the problem, then it's not my problem.

                              Hey ,
                              I guess your friend has configured Offline client(outlook , windows live etc) on LAN PC .
                              In order to diagnose first you have to SSH into Pfsense and from Terminal do to a Telnet to MX of mailserver on Port 995 or 110 (this is configured on offline client)  , are you able to do it?

                              Manu

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