> I looked at the MercuryI log file. It does not have any entry for my attempt to authenticate. It's as if my email client isn't talking to
> the server! How can that be?


If the client is showing a connection attempt and you are can connect to port 143 via telnet then something is setting on port 143.  If there is nothing showing in the Mercury log nor on the console screen then this looks like something else is trapping the calls to port 143.  Are you sure you are not running multiple copies of Mercury?   Is there anti-virus software running?  Anti-virus software could be setting between Mercury and the client trapping calls to port 143.

Mercury had been running just fine for months. Suddenly I have stopped being able to connect to it. I put in the password and it simply says Login to server failed. I checked that the appropriate ports are open on the server. I don't see anything obvious in the log files...though I probably don't know what to look for. Can anyone help me resolve this issue? Thanks.

You need be more specific.

Peter....I don't know how to be more specific. I try to connect to the imap server with the mail client. It was working a couple days ago. Yesterday evening it stopped and hasn't been working since. It simply won't let me log in. I don't know how to begin to diagnose it.

OK, so now we know you have a mail server with MercuryI active, and that you no longer can connect with a mail client. Still not much to go on, but it sounds like a networking problem. So more details please! Is this mail client installed on the server or on some other computer? In your local network or connecting via the Internet? Can you ping the server? Did you restart server and client? Did you restart any switch/hub/router/modem that the connection passes through? Is there any firewall software active on any involved device? Any antivirus software that might intercept network traffic?...

/Rolf

The mail server is installed on a desktop computer. The client is also on this desktop computer as well as other computers in the house. None can log in. The computer is on the internet just fine. I can use a web browser, I can access the computer remotely, I can go to dyndns and use their test tool to verify the ports are accessible.In fact, the only thing that doesn't seem to work is accessing email. I did not reset the wireless router, but I will do that and report back. I will also reset the cable modem.

OK modem and router were rebooted. No change. Is there any way to get a log file that gives details of connection attempts?

Make sure MercuryI isn't paused, then attempt to make a Telnet connection from any of the local client computers. To do this, open a command window and type:

telnet [IP address] 143

IP address should be the numeric LAN IP of the server (i.e. 192.168.0.10). 

If MercuryI is active you should get a reply saying "* OK hostname IMAP4rev1 Mercury/32 v4.72 server ready."

(To disconnect type "a logout").

If you don't get a reply then something on the server is blocking access to IMAP. 

/Rolf 

I got the reply you indicated.

If a connection is established you should see a corresponding entry in the MercuryI log. If this doesn't give enough information you can do a test with session logging switched on to see the full dialog between the client and the server. (Remember to switch it off again, though.)

/Rolf

Rolf....This morning I went to look at the MercuryI log, but before I did, I tried to log in so there would be a recent entry. It worked! I am completely at a loss to explain this. Nothing I am aware of has changed, so I have no confidence that the problem will not reoccur. All I can do is wait and, if it does, come back to this wonderful support group for help. Thanks to everyone who replied for your assistance.

> Rolf....This morning I went to look at the MercuryI log, but before I did, I tried to log in so there would be a recent entry. It worked! I
> am completely at a loss to explain this. Nothing I am aware of has changed, so I have no confidence that the problem will not reoccur.
> All I can do is wait and, if it does, come back to this wonderful support group for help. Thanks to everyone who replied for your
> assistance.

You have not been trying to use Pegasus Mail in direct access to this account have you?   The Pegasus Mail lock file will cause the MercuryI login to fail since direct access and IMAP4 is not allowed.

Thomas....No. This is probably not the best forum to admin this, but I am using Thunderbird 3 as a mail client....

It has started failing again. It ran just fine for about a day, and now I can't log in again. The system appears to be fine in every other way I can check. How do I start getting more information to get this resolved?

I looked at the MercuryI log file. It does not have any entry for my attempt to authenticate. It's as if my email client isn't talking to the server! How can that be? Any ideas on how I can get to the bottom of this?

It still appears to be a networking problem.

Can you do the telnet again? (Rolf's message 10th June)

I can still telnet and get the correct response. I still cannot authenticate for email.