Upgraded to win 8 + Wingate 8 and POP RETR getting dropped

[VisSim-pete]

We had an aging gateway email server that was running Win XP + Wingate 6 + Mailenable 6. We upgraded to Win 8 server + Mailenable 6 + Wingate 8 and now we are getting intermittent dropping of client pop connections. Mailenable log says:
03/23/14 00:19:32 (recv) socket [808] error during [RETR] command from host 192.9.100.116. Socket was disconnected - Error: (10054)
The POP logon and UIDL goes fine. It only craps out during a RETR of certain emails. We have not enabled email within Wingate but could there be some interaction between Wingate and Mailenable causing this? Is there any way to get more info on the POP socket drop? Should we drop back to Wingate 6?

[adrien]

Hi

so mailenable and WinGate are on the same computer? If so, WinGate wouldn't normaly be in the chain at all (apart from maybe opening a firewall hole). Were there any changes made on the clients?

I wonder if mailenable 6 doesn't like Windows 8? Current version of Mailenable is 8, 6 predates windows 8.

Adrien

[VisSim-pete]

We moved to a trial version of Mailenable v8 (current version) and get exactly the same behavior. They tell us the problem is not theirs but rather the proxy.
We can see that Wingate can handle mail, but historically we have been using Mailenable for that. We are not sure how to fully disable mail functionality in Wingate.
Under the Wingate services panel we see "SMTP delivery service" and it is running. We can only pause it, but it seems to start running again on its own.
We can't find any dedicated Wingate email service under the Windows services panel. We were thinking to uninstall the service, but when we right click on the "SMTP" line, it only gives the option to install the service, which is odd since it already claims to be running. Is there any log on port 110 we can look at to tell us why the RETR port is being dropped?
Pete

[adrien]

Hi

In our experience, everyone always blames the proxy, even if it's not installed.

You would have to go to quite a bit of effort to have WinGate interfere with a POP3 server on that computer.

The mail delivery service allows for delivery of mail in WinGate, it won't be affecting your POP3 server. It connects to remote servers on port 25 to deliver mail. We force it on so that it can send notifications.

By default WinGate doesn't even touch port 110 unless you install the POP3 proxy or POP3 service in WinGate (which isn't installed by default). Or if you installed some other service on port 110. In fact I'd put money on it if you uninstalled WinGate that the problem would still be there. Of all the components that have the possibility to affect a mail server on the same computer (with default WinGate config), the only one is the network driver. You could try unchecking the WinGate network driver on the LAN adapter, but I seriously doubt it will make any difference, since you're getting the connection and some protocol back and forth.

I think the mail server tech support is just trying to blow you off frankly.

However if you have any AV software on that computer, it could be that. Many AV products install filters which intercept port 110, 25, 80 etc.

Adrien

[adrien]

p.s.

as for logging - since WinGate's not touching port 110, there's nothing logged. However you could try running wireshark on the client computer and capture TCP port 110. This will tell you if the client is disconnecting, or whether it's the server. If it's the server, then I'd be looking for AV software or other security software. We have over the years had problems with all manner of AV / security software which installs filters and breaks protocols.

Regards

Adrien

[VisSim-pete]

Thanks. You confirmed what I was thinking about Mailenable support. We'll try wireshark on port 110.
For now we've rolled back to XP+mailenable 6 + Wingate 6 and POP works again.
I wonder if Win Server 2012 could be at fault here somehow? We totally disabled the firewall though and don't have any AV running other than the CLAM thing that ships with Mailenable.

[adrien]

Hi

did you get anywhere with this one?

Regards

Adrien