Why 2-minute delay at Airspeed when downloading mail to Eircom addresses?

Fogmatic · 15-01-2014 06:28PM #1

I always downloaded mail pretty well instantly (including with my current POP & SMTP addresses), until summer 2012 (about May I think). From then on, it's always stayed at 'connected to webmail.eircom.net' for about 2 minutes (per mail account) before 'sending login info'. (I've taken to downloading mail just occasionally, like when I was on dialup). The delay's constant, and independant of my connection speed (which fluctuates). Once at login stage, emails download at the proper speed.

Anyone else out there with the same Eircom/Airspeed problem?

In case it saves any time, a bit of background;

My ISP's a very local fixed-wireless provider you've probably never heard of. The connection is via Fastcom and Airspeed.

I eliminated any cause at my end of the connection. My ISP couldn't fix it, as it was somewhere upstream. The problem's only with eircom.net addresses, so I tried the Talk to Eircom forum. They checked the usual things, & and updated my POP address to webmail.eircom.net (which didn't make\any difference). Then they said they'd upgrade me to their New Webmail, which would take about 6 weeks, and would fix the delay problem. When it didn't make any difference, I gave up that dialogue. I've recently learned that the delay's down to Airspeed, anyway.

java · 15-01-2014 11:11PM

I've seen this before when there is no reverse DNS set up on the ip address. May not be related but worth a check.

Find your ip address here: http://www.whatismyip.com/ then enter it here: http://whois.net/reverse-dns-ip-lookup/

There should be an entry "name =". If there isn't, ask Airspeed or Fastcom (whoever owns the ip) to set it up.

Fogmatic · 16-01-2014 06:20PM

Thanks java.
I've been there before (Reverse DNS), during my Talk to Eircom thread, so I looked it up, and it was you who suggested it there too!
I tried it then, but didn't know how to interpret the results (and still don't, as I've yet to learn about the subject). I didn't keep a copy, but tried to describe it, on this page (5th posting). (I can't remember if I saw any 'name=' entry). (P.s. There's another DNS mention in the 8th posting but don't know if it's relevant or not).
http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2056692656/1#post79576559

I've looked at some Traceroutes I did back then, and it reminded me that all of them (to a variety of addresses) completed ok, except those to to mail.airspeed.ie (which was my SMTP server before the problem started, and still is). There were normal-speed hops between some Fastcom ones, and then the moment it hit an Airspeed one it timed out (ad infinitum, it seemed).

I've just tried it again, with a different result (after a few timeouts); I'll paste a screenshot here in a minute (can't seem to copy & paste more than 1 thing at once).

Reverse DNS attempt 16/1/14 by Fogmatic, on Flickr

Fogmatic · 16-01-2014 10:47PM

I don't know if this adds anything, but forgot to mention that in the UK with my laptop (with settings unchanged apart from whatever LAN), email download is near-instant (though sending has to be done via webmail). It was the same here briefly, on a stopgap service after storm damage, with a different SMTP temporarily (mail.vodafone.ie).

Fogmatic · 17-01-2014 05:36PM

Tried another reverse DNS lookup today; results below (after a few 'unexpected error, try again later' messages).
The last 2 digits of my IP differ from last time; is that as it should be?
Is this info enough to know whether or not there's a reverse DNS set up on the IP address? And if there's none set up, is it my address it should be set up on (despite the address changing)?

reverse DNS attempt 2 by Fogmatic, on Flickr

java · 20-01-2014 01:08AM

Those SERVFAIL errors mean there is no reverse DNS response being returned for the DNS servers that listed as being authoritative for the ip range.

I tried another site also, and getting same (weirder!) error about a loop:
http://mxtoolbox.com/archive/?actionstring=ptr:77.95.160.137

This looks to me like your problem. Its a problem for your Airspeed/Fastcom to sort. Are they both the same company?

https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=160.95.77.in-addr.arpa&type=DOMAIN

domain: 160.95.77.in-addr.arpa
descr: Fastcom Telecom Reverse DNS
nserver: ns1.fastcom.ie
nserver: ns0.airspeed.ie

Fogmatic · 21-01-2014 10:57PM

Sorry Java, only just saw your post.
I also got a message about a loop when trying reverse DNS, not this time (so far), but in 2012 (described in my 2nd posting in the older thread linked to above).

As far as I can tell, Airspeed & Fastcom are different companies. My traceroutes whizz through the Fastcom servers then get stuck at the 1st Airspeed one. Fastcom is my ISP according to whatismyip (though legally it's the local reseller I pay the sub to).
Perhaps I'll try approaching Fastcom about it (without mentioning that I don't have a choice of providers!).

loyatemu · 21-01-2014 11:24PM

there's no reverse DNS for that block of addresses (77.95.160.x) but there is reverse DNS for the next block up which also belongs to Fastcom:

$ dig soa 160.95.77.in-addr.arpa

; <<>> DiG 9.8.3-P1 <<>> soa 160.95.77.in-addr.arpa
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 35069
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;160.95.77.in-addr.arpa. IN SOA <

NOTHING!!

;; Query time: 29 msec
;; SERVER: 83.147.160.2#53(83.147.160.2)
;; WHEN: Tue Jan 21 22:20:01 2014
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 40

$ dig soa 161.95.77.in-addr.arpa

; <<>> DiG 9.8.3-P1 <<>> soa 161.95.77.in-addr.arpa
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 157
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;161.95.77.in-addr.arpa. IN SOA

;; ANSWER SECTION:
161.95.77.in-addr.arpa. 3600 IN SOA ns1.fastcom.ie. conor.fastcom.ie. 2011081106 900 600 86400 3600

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
161.95.77.in-addr.arpa. 172800 IN NS ns0.airspeed.ie.
161.95.77.in-addr.arpa. 172800 IN NS ns1.fastcom.ie. <

This is what it should look like

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
ns1.fastcom.ie. 1168 IN A 88.151.80.163

;; Query time: 68 msec
;; SERVER: 83.147.160.2#53(83.147.160.2)
;; WHEN: Tue Jan 21 22:20:10 2014
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 153

So in summary its Fastcom's fault (Airspeed are not directly responsible, I'd imagine they're just providing transit and backup DNS for Fastcom).

Fogmatic · 22-01-2014 01:15PM

Thank you for doing all that, loyatemu (and interpreting it)!
I'll try & approach Fastcom then.

Fogmatic · 08-02-2014 06:16PM

Turns out the mail glitch is likely to be fixed soon, after all (don't ask me how!), so end of story here.

Thank you both for all the help.

Why 2-minute delay at Airspeed when downloading mail to Eircom addresses?

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