Runbox Team: Need Help, My Email Is Down

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 01:02 PM

Got a problem- can't access Runbox or mobile.runbox.com. So, obviously I have no access to email and can't email in a help request.

What I get when trying to access email is:

------------------------------------------------
Network Error (dns_server_failure)

Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server.
The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem.
-------------------------------------------------

Now, obviously, I have internet access as I can type this, so I THINK that it's a runbox problem. In fact, seems pretty much every other website works; it's just that I've never seen that error message before.

carverrn · 30 Apr 2006, 01:11 PM

No. I can access Runbox just fine. Mobile and regular web interface.

Unless it was a temporary issue the problems not with Runbox.

Regards,
Rich

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 01:20 PM

Thanks Rich. No, I'm definitely still down. Nothing, same error message. Everything else seems to work at other sites.

The only thing I can think of is it's barfing on long latencies (I'm in Iraq, thus our connection is via Sat), but I was able to access the site with no problems at all for the last several days. It's just this morning I can't get on, and it chugs along for quite a bit, then I get that error message.

So, it' appears that for me, it's a runbox problem.

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 01:45 PM

Note: NOT trying to double post, but want the runbox folks to notice that I'm having problems, and I was unable to change the thread title on my prior post.
--------------------------------

Got a problem- can't access Runbox or mobile.runbox.com. So, obviously I have no access to email and can't email in a help request. My username at runbox is kzemach

What I get when trying to access email is:

------------------------------------------------
Network Error (dns_server_failure)

Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server.
The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem.
-------------------------------------------------

Now, obviously, I have internet access as I can type this, and it's only Runbox that I can't access without an error, so it's a runbox problem.

Could use my email right now... thanks.

Ken

***Edwin*** · 30 Apr 2006, 02:24 PM

Duplicate threads merged.

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 07:38 PM

Thanks for merging, but is there anyway to change the subject of this post? That was the point of the second, to more effectively ask for help now that I've determined it's runbox. Am afraid they'll pass over this posting title, and, you know, I really need me email. Really.

THanks,

Ken

carverrn · 30 Apr 2006, 09:30 PM

Ken,

I changed the title as you requested.

I don't think it's a problem at Runbox. Mobile and web access seem to be working just fine ... at least it works fine for me from the Chicago, IL/USA area.

Have you contacted your Internet Service Provider?

Regards,
Rich

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 10:08 PM

Thanks Rich.

Well, I can't really contact my ISP, cause my effective ISP here in lovely Ramadi, Iraq, is some crazy satcom company from Dubai I think. No contact gonna happen. It's up again right now, so I'm OK for a bit, but it was Runbox, and ONLY runbox, that I couldn't access. Is there some setting that would cause that? Would like to figure it out so I can troubleshoot the next time it happens...

Thanks,

Ken

Geir · 30 Apr 2006, 10:14 PM

kzemach,

The error message you quoted does suggest network problems between your computer and the Runbox servers. Runbox is located in Norway, so it could be a temporary regional DNS issue with your ISP.

If it happens again you might want to try accessing your email by POP via this service: http://www.mail2web.com

Also, this Runbox Help page might be helpful in troubleshooting network problems: Connection Problems

- Geir

kzemach · 30 Apr 2006, 10:29 PM

Thanks Geir. I'll work through that stuff; it could be a latency problem; I've seen that before, but it was curious that no other site had that problem, and usually if one is bad, lots are. Am also going to mirror my mail to Yahoo so that I have access to it if it happens again.

Regards,

Ken

carverrn · 30 Apr 2006, 11:21 PM

The original error message probably described the problem:

Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server. The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem.

Heres my attempt at describing the DNS process:

The Domain Name Servers (DNS) are the "phone books" or "directory assistance operators" of the internet. When you enter an address like mobile.runbox.com your browser has no idea how to contact this address because the internet uses numerical IP address to designate computers. So a request must be sent to a DNS to lookup mobile.runbox.com to get the numerical IP address.

Each Top Level Domain (TLD) (e.g. com, org, net) has a specific set of servers that list every domain within that TLD. To look up a name for a specific TLD a request has to be sent to one of the DNS for that TLD.

That DNS will most likely refer your request to another DNS that is responsible for a specific set of domain names. This will probably be a DNS for the company hosting the domain you are trying to access. If that's the case, it will have the numerical IP address for the domain you requested and that IP address will be returned.

Your ISP will also have it's own DNS servers. It will probably keep IP address information for many recently and frequently accessed domain. This is so it can respond quicker and not have to continually keep sending requests out to the DNS servers for the TLDs.

Once you have the numerical IP address for the domain the server hosting that domain can be contacted using the IP address.

However, if any of the DNS servers are not responding then you won't be able to get the IP address.

So from the error you received I would say that one of these DNS lookup attempts failed so your browser couldn't determine the numerical IP address for mobile.runbox.com.

Anything more specific then that I can't say. There are usually multiple DNS servers at each level but I don't think a request goes through all. If your ISP's DNS doesn't have an IP address for a domain I think it will try a specific DNS server for a TLD. If that fails it probably tries another one but if that fails I don't know if it gives up or tries another.

When I've hosted domains at web hosting services my domain is typically assigned to two of their DNS servers. So if both of those are having problems my domain can't be looked up. However if you had the IP address you still could access the site if the hosting server is responding.

For example:

http://193.71.199.94

will get you to the Runbox Web Mail interface. However, you can't get to the mobile.runbox.com with just an IP address because it needs to see that your request referenced "mobile.runbox.com" to switch to the mobile interface.

I know this is long and probably not totally accurate but I think it's correct enough for this issue.

Regards,
Rich

Geir · 30 Apr 2006, 11:52 PM

Excellent explanation and good point about accessing the service directly by the IP.

- Geir

kzemach · 1 May 2006, 04:47 AM

Wow, thanks. That actually helps. Next time it barfs on me, I'll try the ip address directly and see what that does, which, if it does (or doesn't) work, will certainly narrow down the problem.

Awesome answer; I almost feel smarter already after just reading it. If only it were so easy....

Thanks,

Ken

30 Apr 2006, 01:02 PM	#1
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Runbox Team: Need Help, My Runbox is Down Got a problem- can't access Runbox or mobile.runbox.com. So, obviously I have no access to email and can't email in a help request. What I get when trying to access email is: ------------------------------------------------ Network Error (dns_server_failure) Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server. The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem. ------------------------------------------------- Now, obviously, I have internet access as I can type this, so I THINK that it's a runbox problem. In fact, seems pretty much every other website works; it's just that I've never seen that error message before. Last edited by kzemach : 30 Apr 2006 at 01:31 PM.

30 Apr 2006, 01:20 PM	#3
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Thanks Rich. No, I'm definitely still down. Nothing, same error message. Everything else seems to work at other sites. The only thing I can think of is it's barfing on long latencies (I'm in Iraq, thus our connection is via Sat), but I was able to access the site with no problems at all for the last several days. It's just this morning I can't get on, and it chugs along for quite a bit, then I get that error message. So, it' appears that for me, it's a runbox problem. Last edited by kzemach : 30 Apr 2006 at 01:32 PM.

30 Apr 2006, 01:45 PM	#4
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Runbox Team: Need Help, My Email Is Dow Note: NOT trying to double post, but want the runbox folks to notice that I'm having problems, and I was unable to change the thread title on my prior post. -------------------------------- Got a problem- can't access Runbox or mobile.runbox.com. So, obviously I have no access to email and can't email in a help request. My username at runbox is kzemach What I get when trying to access email is: ------------------------------------------------ Network Error (dns_server_failure) Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server. The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem. ------------------------------------------------- Now, obviously, I have internet access as I can type this, and it's only Runbox that I can't access without an error, so it's a runbox problem. Could use my email right now... thanks. Ken Last edited by kzemach : 30 Apr 2006 at 02:00 PM.

30 Apr 2006, 01:11 PM	#2
carverrn Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,606 Representative of: Runbox.com	No. I can access Runbox just fine. Mobile and regular web interface. Unless it was a temporary issue the problems not with Runbox. Regards, Rich

30 Apr 2006, 02:24 PM	#5
*Edwin* Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: UK Posts: 3,118	Duplicate threads merged.

30 Apr 2006, 07:38 PM	#6
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Thanks for merging, but is there anyway to change the subject of this post? That was the point of the second, to more effectively ask for help now that I've determined it's runbox. Am afraid they'll pass over this posting title, and, you know, I really need me email. Really. THanks, Ken

30 Apr 2006, 09:30 PM	#7
carverrn Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,606 Representative of: Runbox.com	Ken, I changed the title as you requested. I don't think it's a problem at Runbox. Mobile and web access seem to be working just fine ... at least it works fine for me from the Chicago, IL/USA area. Have you contacted your Internet Service Provider? Regards, Rich

30 Apr 2006, 10:08 PM	#8
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Thanks Rich. Well, I can't really contact my ISP, cause my effective ISP here in lovely Ramadi, Iraq, is some crazy satcom company from Dubai I think. No contact gonna happen. It's up again right now, so I'm OK for a bit, but it was Runbox, and ONLY runbox, that I couldn't access. Is there some setting that would cause that? Would like to figure it out so I can troubleshoot the next time it happens... Thanks, Ken

30 Apr 2006, 10:14 PM	#9
Geir The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 2,938 Representative of: Runbox.com	kzemach, The error message you quoted does suggest network problems between your computer and the Runbox servers. Runbox is located in Norway, so it could be a temporary regional DNS issue with your ISP. If it happens again you might want to try accessing your email by POP via this service: http://www.mail2web.com Also, this Runbox Help page might be helpful in troubleshooting network problems: Connection Problems - Geir

30 Apr 2006, 10:29 PM	#10
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Thanks Geir. I'll work through that stuff; it could be a latency problem; I've seen that before, but it was curious that no other site had that problem, and usually if one is bad, lots are. Am also going to mirror my mail to Yahoo so that I have access to it if it happens again. Regards, Ken

30 Apr 2006, 11:21 PM	#11
carverrn Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,606 Representative of: Runbox.com	The original error message probably described the problem: Your request could not be processed because an error occurred contacting the DNS server. The DNS server may be temporarily unavailable, or there could be a network problem. Heres my attempt at describing the DNS process: The Domain Name Servers (DNS) are the "phone books" or "directory assistance operators" of the internet. When you enter an address like mobile.runbox.com your browser has no idea how to contact this address because the internet uses numerical IP address to designate computers. So a request must be sent to a DNS to lookup mobile.runbox.com to get the numerical IP address. Each Top Level Domain (TLD) (e.g. com, org, net) has a specific set of servers that list every domain within that TLD. To look up a name for a specific TLD a request has to be sent to one of the DNS for that TLD. That DNS will most likely refer your request to another DNS that is responsible for a specific set of domain names. This will probably be a DNS for the company hosting the domain you are trying to access. If that's the case, it will have the numerical IP address for the domain you requested and that IP address will be returned. Your ISP will also have it's own DNS servers. It will probably keep IP address information for many recently and frequently accessed domain. This is so it can respond quicker and not have to continually keep sending requests out to the DNS servers for the TLDs. Once you have the numerical IP address for the domain the server hosting that domain can be contacted using the IP address. However, if any of the DNS servers are not responding then you won't be able to get the IP address. So from the error you received I would say that one of these DNS lookup attempts failed so your browser couldn't determine the numerical IP address for mobile.runbox.com. Anything more specific then that I can't say. There are usually multiple DNS servers at each level but I don't think a request goes through all. If your ISP's DNS doesn't have an IP address for a domain I think it will try a specific DNS server for a TLD. If that fails it probably tries another one but if that fails I don't know if it gives up or tries another. When I've hosted domains at web hosting services my domain is typically assigned to two of their DNS servers. So if both of those are having problems my domain can't be looked up. However if you had the IP address you still could access the site if the hosting server is responding. For example: http://193.71.199.94 will get you to the Runbox Web Mail interface. However, you can't get to the mobile.runbox.com with just an IP address because it needs to see that your request referenced "mobile.runbox.com" to switch to the mobile interface. I know this is long and probably not totally accurate but I think it's correct enough for this issue. Regards, Rich

30 Apr 2006, 11:52 PM	#12
Geir The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 2,938 Representative of: Runbox.com	Excellent explanation and good point about accessing the service directly by the IP. - Geir

1 May 2006, 04:47 AM	#13
kzemach Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 51	Wow, thanks. That actually helps. Next time it barfs on me, I'll try the ip address directly and see what that does, which, if it does (or doesn't) work, will certainly narrow down the problem. Awesome answer; I almost feel smarter already after just reading it. If only it were so easy.... Thanks, Ken