Why does my email reader timeout sometimes when trying to get to my email?
This is an issue/problem that is rooted in the very nature and architecture of the Internet. Therefore to understand this issue I will need to give you a very short lesson on how this part of the Internet works.
First a few definitions:
Router: A dedicated computer that "routes" message packets base on an internal database of "nearest" routers and destinations.
Message Packets: Messages are broken up into fixed length "packets". Each packet has the destination address and sending address. (Along with a lot of other stuff we won't get into here). Each packet may take a different route to the destination. The receiving "program" assemble the packets into the final message.
The Internet is made up of a "web" of "routers" that send message packets to the next available router that is aware of the destination. In this way each message from point A to point B may take a different route each time it is sent, depending on the availability of the router point.
This point can be illustrated with the following out put of a program called "TraceRoute" that records the route taken by a test message packet. (This is the route taken from SonicSpider's office to Enom.com's mail servers)
1 mps-161 (207.137.13.161)
2 select7-gw-s0.select.net (207.137.9.221)
3 select-gw.select.net (207.137.3.1)
4 router.select.att.net (12.127.201.97)
5 gbr2-p50.sffca.ip.att.net (12.123.213.70)
6 tbr2-p012701.sffca.ip.att.net (12.122.11.85)
7 12.123.12.61 (12.123.12.61)
8 border2.pc2-0-bbnet2.sje.pnap.net (66.151.144.69)
This shows each router that received and passed on that test message packet. Therefore, routes from two points on the Internet may have to pass between dozens of routers before they get to their destination.
Now what does all of this have to do my email problem?
Well, since the access to your mail server must go through as many as dozens of routers, any failure or delay on ANY router in that path will either delay or fail to pass on that packet. (It is more complicated than this but the result is that delays can and will occur at different times of the day)
This means that at any time your access to your mail server can be delayed. Your email reader has a built in "timer" that "times out" if the process takes to long. The result is a vague and often confusion error message. (Written by the maker of your email package.)
Adding on to this issue are a number of other problems that can occur:
But it does most of the time, and it works great "most of the time".
So what can you do to work effectively with this "system" that can be a bit flaky and unreliable at times? Here are some suggestions:
Summary:
This was a lot of technical stuff to digest so lets break it down to a simple answer, now that you better understand the scope of the problem.
Why does my email reader time out sometimes when trying to get to my email?
Answer: There are many and complicated steps in delivering your email to it's destination. Each step in this process can be delayed or fail, and because of this the time out settings on your email reader can be reached and you will received this error message. Therefore, wait 15 to 30 minutes and try again. If the problem continues for more than a day, feel free to call us and we will look into it further.
First a few definitions:
Router: A dedicated computer that "routes" message packets base on an internal database of "nearest" routers and destinations.
Message Packets: Messages are broken up into fixed length "packets". Each packet has the destination address and sending address. (Along with a lot of other stuff we won't get into here). Each packet may take a different route to the destination. The receiving "program" assemble the packets into the final message.
The Internet is made up of a "web" of "routers" that send message packets to the next available router that is aware of the destination. In this way each message from point A to point B may take a different route each time it is sent, depending on the availability of the router point.
This point can be illustrated with the following out put of a program called "TraceRoute" that records the route taken by a test message packet. (This is the route taken from SonicSpider's office to Enom.com's mail servers)
1 mps-161 (207.137.13.161)
2 select7-gw-s0.select.net (207.137.9.221)
3 select-gw.select.net (207.137.3.1)
4 router.select.att.net (12.127.201.97)
5 gbr2-p50.sffca.ip.att.net (12.123.213.70)
6 tbr2-p012701.sffca.ip.att.net (12.122.11.85)
7 12.123.12.61 (12.123.12.61)
8 border2.pc2-0-bbnet2.sje.pnap.net (66.151.144.69)
This shows each router that received and passed on that test message packet. Therefore, routes from two points on the Internet may have to pass between dozens of routers before they get to their destination.
Now what does all of this have to do my email problem?
Well, since the access to your mail server must go through as many as dozens of routers, any failure or delay on ANY router in that path will either delay or fail to pass on that packet. (It is more complicated than this but the result is that delays can and will occur at different times of the day)
This means that at any time your access to your mail server can be delayed. Your email reader has a built in "timer" that "times out" if the process takes to long. The result is a vague and often confusion error message. (Written by the maker of your email package.)
Adding on to this issue are a number of other problems that can occur:
- The email server temporarily becomes overloaded
- Your network provider's access points are overloaded or down.
- Your email client is experiencing problems due to local issues, viruses or trojan programs overwhelming your computer.
But it does most of the time, and it works great "most of the time".
So what can you do to work effectively with this "system" that can be a bit flaky and unreliable at times? Here are some suggestions:
- Set realistic expectations.
- Assume that your email can take up to 3 days to arrive. (This is generally the limit most mail servers will continue to try and deliver your mail before bouncing it)
- Assume that during certain times of the day you can experience "time outs" when trying to send or receive email.
- Use your WebMail as a backup interface when access your email when access to the mail server is problematic.
- DO NOT USE EMAIL AS A TIME SENSITIVE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
Summary:
This was a lot of technical stuff to digest so lets break it down to a simple answer, now that you better understand the scope of the problem.
Why does my email reader time out sometimes when trying to get to my email?
Answer: There are many and complicated steps in delivering your email to it's destination. Each step in this process can be delayed or fail, and because of this the time out settings on your email reader can be reached and you will received this error message. Therefore, wait 15 to 30 minutes and try again. If the problem continues for more than a day, feel free to call us and we will look into it further.