[leafnode-list] Re: SOLVED (was: fetchmail, fetchnews can't get thru router)

Christian Ebert blacktrash at gmx.net
Sun Aug 10 13:18:14 CEST 2008


* Matthias Andree on Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 11:19:22 +0200
> Christian Ebert schrieb am 2008-08-09:
>> * Christian Ebert on Monday, August 04, 2008 at 14:27:27 +0200
>>> The problem:
>>> 
>>> I changed my internet access at home from dsl to vdsl, and am now
>>> connected via a router (Speedport W 701v). Everything works fine
>>> except fetchmail and fetchnews -- they just hang. Even smtp (via
>>> msmtp) works, also ssh, jabber, irc (both also via ssl) etc.
>>> 
>>> The config at the of this mail works perfectly when I am
>>> connected eg. via AirPort and dsl-modem.
>>> 
>>> As my provider is not exactly helpful to say the least, I am
>>> asking here for help with any kinds of info or experiences with
>>> using fetchmail and fetchnews via a router.
>>> 
>>> The most annoying thing is that AppleMail *is* able to retrieve
>>> mail from all accounts; which led the hotline to say: well, use
>>> the standard mail program then ... of course there isn't any
>>> "standard program" to fetch news etc. etc. I refrain from
>>> ranting. This guy also said that this works for him with Linux,
>>> that it must be a Mac-Problem. But what kind of Mac-Problem?
>>> Nobody has any idea.
>> 
>> Off list discussions with Matthias made me google for DNS issues.
>> 
>> Solution:
>> 
>> I entered to OpenDNS servers manually in the TCP/IP field of the
>> AirPort Network Preferences pane, and lo and behold! It works!
>> Both fetchmail and fetchnews are lightning fast again.
> 
> Which leaves us with a workaround, but not an identified culprit or
> solution.

It would be good if someone running Linux connected via Speedport
701 -> SpeedPortHS 300 could confirm/deny the t-online support
claim that there are no issues with Linux and DHCP on the client
machine.

> Is the Speedport doing "strange things" with DNS forwarding?
> Are Apple PowerPC computers doing strange things with DNS queries?

This link might be of interest:
http://installingcats.com/tag/dns/#direct_dns_better_dns

Although addressing IPv6 issues on Leopard (MacOS 10.5, I am
running Tiger, 10.4) it pushed me in the "right" direction.

> Are the T-Online DNS servers assigned for your VDSL region acting
> strangely?

Probably not. _Probably_ they are not queried automatically (by
fetchmail, fetchnews?).

After digging the right nameservers out of the Speedport config
interface (STATUS::Details/Netzwerk) I entered those DNS servers
in the Network Preferences pane, and they work.

In my experiments before I tried some DNS server addresses from
http://www.atelier89.de/users/dirk/t-o/010.html
but not the right ones, or not in the right order -- my first one
is not even mentioned there, see below; although, as I've found
by now it /is/ included in the output of:

$ nslookup www-proxy.t-online.de
or better
$ nslookup www-proxy.t-ipnet.de

I might revert to the OpenDNS servers if the t-online servers
change annoyingly often.

Basically this writes the server names to /etc/resolv.conf
afaics:

$ cat /etc/resolv.conf
nameserver 217.237.151.205
nameserver 217.237.148.70
nameserver 192.168.2.1

With IPv4 set to DHCP there's only the last, the router's, entry.

But just changing /etc/resolv.conf might not be enough as it will
be overwritten at reboot. -- I have yet to reboot, so I don't
actually know if the settings are preserved.

Note: I _must_ have the routers address as /last/ entry to  make
things work.
Also the speedport config is now only reachable at
http://192.168.2.1, and not at http://speedport.ip anymore.

The t-online guys probably have covered their a**es as the
router's DHCP config help mentions that you /can/ connect
machines both with DHCP addresses and static addresses with the
router in DHCP "mode". But the Speedport's manual[1] does /not/
mention that you /have/ to configure IPv4 _manually_ on MacOS --
and, of course, "normal" users (ie. not freaks using fetchmail or
fetchnews) will never notice.

c

[1] <http://ln-s.net/28cP> (pdf)
-- 
[...] wirklich! wie ich jetzt bin,
hab ich keinen Namen für die Dinge
und es ist mir alles ungewiß.
_HÖLDERLIN: H Y P E R I O N_ <http://www.blacktrash.org/hyperion/>



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