Help!! - Problems with Outlook Express

[Slugger]

I've got a major problem that I can't figure out and can't get any help from the tech support people involved. I've had problems hooking a new Toshiba laptop into my home network. I'm trying to use a Netgear MA401 wireless PCMCIA card to hook into my system. I've got a Linksys router, an Addtron wireless access point, and two other desktop PCs hardwired into the router.
I was not getting any connectivity at all to either my network, the internet, or my email accounts. Based on a Netgear tech suggestion, I changed the TCP/IP settings on the wireless card from "automatic" to discrete settings for TCP/IP, gateway, subnet mask and DNS servers. I've now got internet access and connection to the rest of my network. What I don't have is use of Outlook express for my email.
I've been through everything I can think of that relates to the connection but cannot find a cure. As you can imagine from my smorgasbord of hardware, I'm getting the major league runaround from the vendors on why they are all not to blame. I am not looking for blame assignment, just some advice on how to fix it.
The only advice I've received is from the Toshiba rep, who said to reinstall IE and OE per the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 318378. This requires registry entries which I am reluctant to do unless completely desperate.
Anyway, are there any suggestions out there? I'd be happy to give more details if anyone out there has the time or inclination to help.

Thanks

 

[Oaf357]

What exactly is wrong with OE?

Can you ping your mail server?

 

[Slugger]

Here are the two error messages that pop up whenever I start OE or try to receive or send messages.

The host 'mail' could not be found. Please verify that you have entered the server name correctly. Account: 'mail', Server: 'mail', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 11001, Error Number: 0x800CCC0D

The host 'mail' could not be found. Please verify that you have entered the server name correctly. Account: 'mail', Server: 'mail', Protocol: POP3, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 11001, Error Number: 0x800CCC0D

I know how to use the ping command, but how do I know what to enter for an address for the mail server? Is there somewhere I look on a screen, or some kind of command where I can query for that information?

Thanks

 

[JackMDS]

What about your Desktops? Does OE and your mail are working?

As general Advice. I keep a $23 USB to Ethernet Adaptor. When I have a problem that involves Wireless, the first thing that I do is plug this device to the USB port of the concerning computer, and plug the computer into the Router/Switch/Hub to make sure that the Network settings, email etc. working correctly. Then I switch back to Wireless. This was $23 very well spent.

Ez Connect Compact USB 10/100 Converter.

 

[Slugger]

The settings for OE on my wired desktops is exactly the same, with the phrase "mail" inserted for the incoming and outgoing servers, and everything works just fine. As far as the wired connection goes, this laptop does have a built in ethernet adapter, so I will try that connection to see if the problem still exists.

About the ping, how can I find out the correct address or IP address to ping?

thanks

 

[Garion]

If you have the same settings on a couple of other computers that work, then you've got a DNS configuration problem. Do an "ipconfig /all" and chances are that your "DNS Suffic Search List" is different on the machine that can't work. Make sure all of them have the same TCP/IP configration, especially in the DNS tab.

Also, in the properties of your account in OE, make sure that you don't have anything to do with "secure password authentication" checked.

If all else fails, instead of just using "mail", use the fully-qualified domain name of your mail server in the OE setup - IE, mail.ispname.com. Might be different depending on your ISP.

- G

 

[Oaf357]

To ping your mail server just use mail as the address.

 

[Slugger]

Here?s the latest on my story:

As suggested I tried to find the information on my DNS servers. Using ipconfig /all I saw the configuration information but did not see anything about ?DNS Suffix Search List?. The nearest things were ?Primary DNS Suffix? which was blank, and ?Configuration Specific DNS Suffix? which was also blank.

The nearest thing was ?DNS Servers? which lists 4.2.2.2, which is what the Netgear tech told me to use.

When I went to my wired PCs and ran winipcfg (running Win98SE), I came up with 24.1.80.33, which is what my router displays on its setup screen. I then tried to use these DNS number in my laptop and everything disappeared altogether.

Another thing I tried was to ping my mail server. When I entered ?ping mail? on the laptop, I got nothing. When I tried ?ping mail? on the wired PC, it came up with the mail IP address. I then went back to the laptop and tried ?ping 63.240.76.7? and I got a response. To my untrained eye this seems to confirm that there is some kind of conflict in the DNS setup.

The next thing I tried was to bypass the wireless adapter and use the wired Ethernet port on the back of the PC. All of the symptoms are the same (manual IP info gets me internet and home network contact but no email).

The next thing I tried was to bypass the router altogether, plug the cable modem directly into the PC and use automatic configuration. To my surprise, everything came to life, including my OE. This seems to point out that I?ve got something going on within my home network that needs fixing.

One interesting thing I saw when checking my wired PC is that the host name was displayed as ?Perry#4.attbi.com? which is the computer name I assigned followed by ?ispname.com?. The next thing I?m going to try is using this name as my incoming and outgoing servers in OE. I?ll post the results after that experiment.

That?s it for now. Any more info or comments would be appreciated.

 

[Garion]

Yep, you've got a messed up DNS setup. I'm going to assume you've got ATTBI as your ISP. There's several ways to fix this. Here's the easiest:

Do a "ping -a mail" on the box that works. It should show you the fully-qualified domain name. When I do it, I get "pinging mail.attbi.com.." with the IP and then the results of this ping. Write down the full domain name, then go to the machine that doesn't work. In Outlook Express, go into the setup of your mail account. Instead of putting "mail", put in the fully-qualified domain name (in my case "mail.attbi.com"). Problem should be solved.

By the way - Your netgear tech didn't do you any favors. The DNS server 4.2.2.1 is a public one provided by Genuity/BBN. A lot of people use it, but you *really* should use what your ISP gives you. Better performance and there might be things that will make your computer work better. Your problem isn't with your router, it's with the config if your workstation's DNS settings. If this tech couldn't figure that out, he needs to go back to network kindergarden and start over again. These kinds of problems are very, very basic (No offense to you - You're not a tech!) that anybody with any network background should be able to fix easily.

- G

 

[Slugger]

Thanks for the advice Garion. After I left my last update, instead of using my plan of "computername.ispname.com", I tried your earlier suggestion (server.ispname.com) and lo and behold, everything works now, just as you stated in your last response. Thanks for the diagnosis and suggestions.

About the DNS stuff, for some reason the 4.2.2.2 works, but when I put in the number that my router reports and which my other wired PCs report, nothing works at all. I would prefer to use whatever ATTBI would recommend per your suggestion, but I wouldn't know how to get that number. I'm somewhat reluctant to call ATT about anything, since I know people who have had trouble with them after they found out that these other customers were running home networks. They essentially sabotaged their setups and demanded an extra $10 per month per computer to restore service.

Anyways, thanks again for the help.