Vanished email account

I have been with PlusNet for some years now. Previously I was with Madasafish and I had a domain on which I used to host, if that's the right word, several email addresses one of which is used by my wife. These email addresses have vanished and PlusNet can't or won't tell me what's gone wrong.

When I log into PlusNet webmail using my wifes email address and her password the current mailbox is shown (as expected). However, I cannot send or receive emails and the last email shown is dated 17/1/2020. There are no subsequent emails. What I can't understand is how I can log in to an account that PlusNet claims doesn't exist. It appears that I can delete emails.

If I try to send an email I get the following error message:
SMTP Error (550): Failed to set sender "*****" (<*****> sender rejected - invalid domain (no MX or A record)).

According to Whois the domain is still registered and will be until expiry on 5/9/2020. Whois also show the name servers to be ns1.force9.net and ns2.force9.net both of which are associated with PlusNet. The domain is registered until September, 2020.

I have been accessing this email account via Mozilla Thunderbird for many years. Now I can no longer do so. I simply get a "failed to connect" nessage.

All this is beyond me and I would be very grateful if somebody with greater knowledge could help.

Needless to say that I am extremely disenchanted with PlusNet

Domain names and email accounts are separate entities

You might do better to post in the Plusnet email forum.

It sounds as though the MX record(s) for your domain have been deleted (these tell the rest of the Internet which server accepts email addressed to the domain). Suggest you check at (for example) https://mxtoolbox.com/

In my opinion, ISP email accounts are best avoided.

There are several providers of cheap domain and email packages, and once you have your own domain you can move it if you wish, and changing ISP becomes much easier.

Consider using a Gmail account as a backup.

Madasafish was sold off 13 years ago, and BT reported its imminent demise in 2015.
The question is who controls your domain nowadays ?
Presumably Plusnet - Force9 seems to be part of the Plusnet operation nowadays.

Other replies are correct - Mxtoolbox.com will tell you what if any MX and A records exist. But only whoever has control of those can make changes.
Also agree with Michael_Chare - to try the Plusnet email forum. There are many reports out there of similar situations to yours.
Hopefully someone on that Plusnet email forum will be able to help.

Have you been paying annual registration fees for the domain ?
If it's a .co.uk domain, and it's registered in your name, there are alternative ways to get this back.

clyde123
I have tried Mxtoolbox.com with no luck. It did not recognise the domain
I have also posted on Plusnet email forum with no response.
I haven't been paying annual registration fees for the domain. I seem to recollect that it was provided by my service provider for free. I haven't really thought about it unti it stopped working and my wife sqwauked (loudly)!
The whois information states that "Nominet was able to match the registrants' name against a 3rd party data source on 10-Dec-2012" Presumably that was me.
Whois also states that the Registrar is Plusnet.plc t/a Madasafish Broadband [Tag = MADASAFISH]
Can you give me any hint as to the balternative ways to get this back that you mention?
Fortunately my wife has a plusnet account and I have managed to persuade her to have a gmail account as well. She still wants her account because a lot of people have her address.

Many thanks to everybody who responded,

Mike

Edited by deleted (Sat 22-Feb-20 02:14:22)

Registrar:
Plusnet Plc t/a Madasafish Broadband [Tag = MADASAFISH]
URL: http://www.madasafish.com

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 05-Sep-2008
Expiry date: 05-Sep-2020
Last updated: 21-Aug-2018

Registration status:
Registered until expiry date.

Name servers:
ns1.force9.net
ns2.force9.net

That's some of this enquiry result.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 22-Feb-20 02:02:21)

Roberto

Have I got this right? .co.uk is a domain hosted on ns1.force9.net which is a server operated by plusnet. How on earth can plusnet deny any knowledge?

Aaaaargh!

Edited by deleted (Sat 22-Feb-20 02:13:14)

That's the domain, but other than it existing says nothing about what services are associated with it. That's a different question altogether.

For example, I have several domains registered in my name elsewhere that would give similar looking results to that, but with no website or email services. Basically just available if I wish to add such services.

So that entry doesn't say whether or not any email services are still being provided for your domain.

The good news is that if you wish to retain that domain-name it should be possible to get them to transfer it to your ownership under your own name. Once it is in your name it would cost under £10 a year, then you add email hosting at something like £2-£3pm.

That wouldn't bring back the email histories if those have been lost however .

I'm going to remove the domain name now from my posts and links in them. I suggest you also edit it out of yours.

Otherwise it could well be picked up from here by trawler bots.

Thanks for that. I can't understand how this setup that has worked perfectly for over 15 years suddenly stops. Somebody has done something and I can find out who the somebody is or what they have done. The finger seems to be pointing at plusnet so I'm going to mhave another go at them.

Thanks for your help.

You need to remove the name from the posts though. ASAP .

Sorry to demonstrate the abysmal depth of my ignorance but how do I do that?

Yay. Found out how!

What did the mx records say? Were they pointing to valid mx servers?

Edited by Oliver341 (Sat 22-Feb-20 13:17:09)

It was a normal whois enquiry using this site. It gave the name servers but not what the MX records.

I'm sure if you PN the OP for the domain name so you can investigate, (which I have forgotten), he will be glad of any help.

I'm happy to take a look if you PM the domain name to me: https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/sendprivate.php?Us...

In reply to a post by mikekay45:

I can't understand how this setup that has worked perfectly for over 15 years suddenly stops

I am guessing you had a free service from an ISP where they were paying a third party, and they've now stopped paying the third party, without letting you know.

Thanks for the PM. Your domain is correctly pointing to ns1.force9.net and ns2.force9.net but those servers are not providing DNS records at all for your domain. Plusnet need to explain what's happened here.

Sorry for delayed response. I don't generally visit the forum more than once a day.

Nominet (who control all the .uk domains) have the authority to make changes to domain ownership and/or registration. See their online here : https://www.nominet.uk/domain-support/online-services/

It used to be very easy to get them involved. It cost £10 and as long as you could prove domain "ownership" they would deal with changes for you.
Reading the site today, it might take a bit of work.

Your first hurdle is to prove "ownership". Somehow you need to prove that you had control of it.
I saw the domain name yesterday, so start with that at least. It would be excellent if you had any documentation from Madasafish showing you to be owner. Emails even.

But really, it's Plusnet that ought to be sorting this. There's no doubt the domain resides on one of their servers, therefore they must have some information about it.

It's most likely, as another poster said, that you've been benefitting from free hosting, maybe for years, and Plusnet have cottoned on that they're paying the annual fees for it. In which case, "be careful what you wish for" - Plusnet might want some back fees if they do co-operate and sort this for you.

Anyway, good luck. In theory you should be able to get the name back.

Fortunately Plusnet have been dutifully renewing the domain name (apparently without asking for payment), and the domain is correctly pointing to Plusnet DNS servers, so luckily there is no issue with Nominet here.

It does appear Plusnet's DNS servers are serving no records for the domain name though, most likely for billing reasons as you say.

Oliver

Look like posting on the plusnet forum might have borne fruit. one of their support staff is looking into things. Hopefully he can sort it.

Thanks for your help.

Mike