Email delays

Unusually I'm seeing email delays at Zen. 1 or 2 earlier this week, several today

Typical header below.

Delivery-date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:09:54 +0000
Received: from bastion01.mail.zen.co.uk ([212.23.3.232])
by zencphosting14.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KvxVS-0000VY-Gs
for ; Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:09:54 +0000
Received: from s802.sureserver.com ([195.8.222.36])
by bastion01.mail.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.63)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KvwDq-00060W-Vl
for ; Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:47:41 +0000

No service status report but this is getting serious. This email delayed for almost a day.

I spoke to support and was told there was a heavy load on the cpanel server used by my account and email gets delayed to prioritize web pages. I was also told this happens from time to time. Support couldn't offer an alternative Zen solution for avoiding silly email delays like this.

This shows me that cpanel is not a business grade service. I've had this account since July and it's already time to look at the alternatives.

Received: from feynman.zen.co.uk ([212.23.8.65])
by zencphosting14.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KwFW8-0005fj-QG
for .co.uk; Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:23:48 +0000
Received: from smtp.eunet.lv ([213.21.192.240])
by feynman.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.63)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KvuqS-0002tt-L4
for .co.uk; Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:19:24 +0000

cPanel is a shared service so can, unfortunately, be susceptible to email queues from time to time. If you are wanting a true business grade solution you would be better looking at getting a dedicated managed server. Options from Zen here: http://zen.co.uk/Hosting/Managed.aspx

Another option is request to be moved to a less congested cPanel server by ringing Support. This can be done Mon-Fri 9-5am.

Edited by eternalflame (Sat 01-Nov-08 13:44:23)

Is this delay a Zen problem?

It was sent at the same time as other delayed emails and took over 7 days to arrive.

The delay is at the point the email is handed over form the senders server to Zen.

Delivery-date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:13:48 +0000
Received: from bastion01.mail.zen.co.uk ([212.23.3.232])
by zencphosting14.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KyXiG-0007TQ-04
for [email protected]; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:13:48 +0000
Received: from mail.uk..com ([192.93.164.29] helo=crawsmail1.uk..com)
by bastion01.mail.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.63)
(envelope-from <>)
id 1KyXiF-0000iq-JX
for [email protected]; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:13:47 +0000
Received: from crawsmail1.uk..com (mailsweeper1.int.rdel.co.uk) by crawsmail1.uk..com
(Content Technologies SMTPRS 4.3.14) with ESMTP id <[email protected]> for <[email protected]>;
Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:09:29 +0000

In that case, I don't think it was a Zen problem. It looks as though the handover to the first of the Zen bastion servers took the seven days:

Received: from mail.uk..com ([192.93.164.29] helo=crawsmail1.uk..com) by bastion01.mail.zen.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from <>) id 1KyXiF-0000iq-JX for [email protected]; Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:13:47 +0000

Now why that might be the case is anyone's guess, but I doubt it was because of a problem at Zen's end given the redundancy that is there.

Something a bit odd looking at the names....the "crawsmail" servers all report as xxx.uk..com i.e. two dots between 'uk' and 'com'.

Thanks.

Just a coincidence then that the email was sent at the same time as other delayed emails.
The .. between uk and com was because I took out the company name.

I see email delays like this and memories of Plusnet come flooding back.