POP3 Mail Debug

1) Test POP3 port 110 reponse, "Login" and "Password"

telnet to your Internex POP3 mail server by name
i.e. telnet santaclara01.pop.internex.net 110 (if fails see below "#3 Verify DNS")
user login
pass password

if good looks like "+OK bob's maildrop has 0 messages (0 octets)"
Error looks like "access denied or password failed"

2) Verify domain status with Internic

i.e. whois skunk.net (or whatever domain your testing)
verify domain status is not "On Hold" usually due to lack of payment to Internic
verify Internic points to correct name servers

3) Verify your workstation is able to resolve DNS

ping mail server by name
i.e. ping santaclara01.pop.internex.net if fails see below

ping mail server by IP
i.e. ping 205.158.3.18 (if this works than you have a problem resolving DNS)

4) Verify domains DNS "MX" and associated "A" record

nslookup
set q=mx
skunk.net (or whatever domain name in question)

Example output - notice bolded "MX" and "A" records, both are required
Server: nic1.internex.net
Address: 199.2.14.10
skunk.net preference = 20, mail exchanger = SantaClara01.pop.InterNex.Net
skunk.net preference = 50, mail exchanger = custmail.InterNex.Net
skunk.net nameserver = nic3.InterNex.Net
skunk.net nameserver = nic2.InterNex.Net
skunk.net nameserver = nic1.InterNex.Net
SantaClara01.pop.InterNex.Net internet address = 205.158.3.18
custmail.InterNex.Net internet address = 199.2.14.12
nic3.InterNex.Net internet address = 206.111.4.5
nic2.InterNex.Net internet address = 207.88.60.5
nic1.InterNex.Net internet address = 199.2.14.10

Verify above records are identical at other ISP's
nslookup
server as1.netcom.com
set q=mx
skunk.net (or whatever domain your testing)

If you don't know of a name server at another ISP then you can find one as below
nslookup
set q=ns (= name server)
netcom.com (or whatever ISP you choose)

5) Send verbose test mail message

mailx -v chuck@internex.net
mail -v chuck@internex.net
sendmail -v chuck@internex.net

6) Verify test messages show up into account

send messages, then log into account as in above step #1

POP3 Commands
Syntax Function
user "user-name" user's account name/login
pass "password" user's account password
stat Display number of unread messages/bytes
retr "n" Retrieve message number "n"
dele "n" Delete message number "n"
Last Display number of the last message
List "n" Display size of message "n" or of all messages
rset Undelete all messages; reset message number to 1
top "n l" Display header "n"= message number, "l"= lines of message i.e. "top 1 10" = message 1, first 10 lines
noop Do nothing
quit End POP3 session

Questions to ask...

- When does the error occur?
- Can you send any outgoing mail?
- Can you receive any mail?

Suggestions... Send to: charly@skunk.net