Trouble Shooting Email Problems
The following sequence of steps should help you to identify the cause of any email problems. Some of the steps seem obvious but even experienced web designers have forgotten to plug a power cord in before!
Symptoms:- Can't SEND or RECEIVE email
- Mail begins DOWNLOADING but then STOPS
- I'm not receiving emails from SPECIFIC PEOPLE
- Emails to me are BOUNCING
- Emails are SLOW to arrive
Can't SEND or RECEIVE email
- Is your internet connection working?
Try going to a web page that
you have never been to before, like performing a search on Google.com that
you have never done before. If you don't get a web page, then there is
a problem with your internet connection. Check your internet cable is
connected and that your modem is turned on. If you still cannot access
the internet, contact your ISP (eg. Shaw, Telus).
- Is there an error message?
If an error message is asking for the correct login credentials, check that your username (full email address) and password are correct. If the situation persists then your password might have been changed by your company email administrator. Try reseting your password through the Sage webmail administration system
Mail begins DOWNLOADING then STOPS
- Is someone sending you an email with a large attachment that is blocking the queue?
Check by going to your webmail account and looking to see if there is an email on the server that is blocking things. Typically emails over 10MB start to slow down email client software like Microsoft Outlook and can clog servers. Delete the email in your webmail account and then see if you start receiving emails.
More information about using webmail
I'm not receiving emails from SPECIFIC PEOPLE
- Confirm that you are receiving email
Get someone in your office, or someone other than the person having trouble sending to you, to send you an email.
- Is your spam filter blocking the email?
Check your spam folder for a copy of the email, it might have been sent straight there.
- Is your webmail spam filter blocking the email?
Try adding the email address to the "white list" under the webmail administration area.
- Has the sender's email server been blocked or banned?
For an extra level of spam protection, Sage servers perform a reverse DNS lookup on the email servers that send emails. Spammers do not configure this properly so that they won't get caught. It is possible that the email address comes from a server that also does not have the reverse DNS lookup correctly configured. Try adding the email address to the "white list" under the webmail administration area.
Emails to me are BOUNCING
- Is your mailbox full?
Check by going to your webmail account and looking to see if it is full. If it is, it is stopping new emails arriving. Delete unwanted messages and set your email program to automatically delete emails after a shorter period of time.
More information about using webmail
More information about configuring your email client
- Is someone sending you an email with a large attachment that is blocking the queue?
Check by going to your webmail account
and looking to see if there is an email on the server that is blocking
things. Typically emails over 10MB start to slow down email client
software like Microsoft Outlook and can clog servers. Delete the email
in your webmail account and then see if you start receiving emails.
More information about using webmail
Emails are SLOW to arrive
- Is your internet connection working?
Try going to a web page that
you have never been to before, like performing a search on Google.com that
you have never done before. If you don't get a web page, then there is
a problem with your internet connection. Check your internet cable is
connected and that your modem is turned on. If you still cannot access
the internet, contact your ISP (eg. Shaw, Telus).
- Wait and try again later
As your emails have to traverse a large number of networks, it is not uncommon for period delays to occur as outtages occur at some areas. In these cases, the email typically "self heals". i.e. your email will eventually arrive. Email servers typically continue sending for 4 days until successful.