Troubleshooting EmailArchitect Email Server: Common Issues & Fixes

Troubleshooting EmailArchitect Email Server: Common Issues & Fixes

1) SMTP won’t accept/relay mail

• Symptoms: 500 relay denied; outgoing mail stuck; remote servers can’t deliver.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Ensure SMTP listens on the correct IP/port (default 25).
  2. Verify Relay Restriction settings — add trusted client IPs or enable ESMTP authentication for users.
  3. If ISP blocks port 25, configure “Relay Message by Remote Host” to use your ISP’s SMTP and set ESMTP credentials.
  4. Check connection control / deny lists and RBL blocks (use rbls.org to check IPs).

2) Clients can’t send (authentication or TLS errors)

• Symptoms: Authentication failed; “encrypted connection not available”; cannot submit mail on ⁄₄₆₅.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Confirm client uses correct submission port (587 or 465) and matching SSL/TLS settings.
  2. Enable STARTTLS or require SSL in SMTP service if clients need it.
  3. Verify username/password and that “Require SSL with user authentication” isn’t blocking non-SSL clients.
  4. If using 2FA/app passwords, provide app-specific credentials.

3) IMAP/POP3 connection problems

• Symptoms: Clients show “server not responding”, can’t fetch mail.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Verify IMAP (default 143, SSL 993) and POP3 (110, SSL 995) ports are open and bound to correct IPs.
  2. Confirm SSL certificate validity if using SSL; test with non-SSL briefly to isolate cert issues.
  3. Check service binding (SMTP/POP3/IMAP set to listen on correct IP).
  4. Restart the IMAP/POP3 service and check server logs for errors.

4) Webmail upload / attachment size problems

• Symptoms: Webmail attachment upload fails or truncated.
• Quick fixes:
• Adjust max attachment size in Web Access script (e.g., modify nMaxSize in attachmentupload.asp) and match server max message size.
• Ensure IIS and any reverse proxies allow the configured upload size; restart services after changes.

5) Mail delivery delays or bouncebacks

• Symptoms: Delays, many queued messages, non-delivery reports.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Check outbound retry and timeout settings in SMTP Delivery. Increase retries or adjust timeout as needed.
  2. Examine concurrent outbound connection limits and throttling rules (per-domain and overall). Relax rules if too restrictive.
  3. Ensure correct HELO/EHLO domain and that DNS reverse (PTR) matches expected domain to avoid remote rejection.
  4. Inspect spam/AV modules and filters for misclassification.

6) Anti-spam / RBL blocking legitimate mail

• Symptoms: Legitimate senders blocked; 501/5xx RBL refusals.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Check RBL rule results in logs; add trusted sender IPs to the whitelist if safe.
  2. Tune greylisting and spam scoring thresholds.
  3. Enable DKIM/DomainKeys for outgoing mail and verify SPF records to improve deliverability.

7) Data, backup, or archive issues

• Symptoms: Mail archive not writable or restore fails.
• Quick fixes:
  1. Verify DB Connector settings and database availability (MySQL/ MSSQL).
  2. Confirm file-system permissions for backup tool and webmail folders.
  3. Use the included Backup Tool to export and restore mail; test restores on a staging server.

8) Common administration checks (quick checklist)

• SMTP/IMAP/POP3 services are running and bound to correct IPs.
• Required ports (25, 587, 465, 110, 143, 993, 995) open in firewall/NAT.
• SSL certificates valid and correctly configured.
• Relay and connection-control lists properly configured (avoid overly permissive relay).
• DNS A, MX, PTR, SPF, DKIM records correct for domains.
• Review server logs (SMTP, POP3, IMAP, WebAccess, Anti-Spam) for error details.

Where to look next

• Official EmailArchitect docs and FAQs (emailarchitect.net/emailserver).
• Server logs (EmailArchitect log folders) for exact error codes and timestamps.
• If unresolved, contact EmailArchitect support: [email protected].

If you want, I can produce a prioritized step-by-step runbook for diagnosing a specific error code or log entry — tell me the exact error text or a recent log excerpt.