Sendgrid Problems?

[KarenBM]

Phew! Problem seem to be resolved. No idea what did it in the end, didn't do anything I hadn't tried a million times over. Perhaps it was something on the server side. Anyway, thanks for your suggestions etc, really appreciated.

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Karen, Sorry I can't be more help.

Usually these kind of problems are fairly logical and we can narrow the problem down to a specific area and then work out what's causing it. In this case though it's a bit of a mystery and is proving hard to pin down.

I think we've pretty much covered all the things that can affect it though. The only areas I can think of are:

- The variable used for the SMTP port where not set manually
- The SMTP port edit in actinic.pm
- The SMTP port being used (2525 seems to work for most people)
- The SMTP settings in Sellerdeck (smtp.sendgrid.net, 'username', 'password', 'Authentication' ticked)

Those 'should' get it working.

You could try contacting sendgrid and seeing if they can see anything odd in their server logs. You will need to have your site trying to send via sendgrid for them to see anything. At the moment I don't know whether you're directing your outgoing emails to sendgrid or not.

Mike

[KarenBM]

Hi Mike, thank you for taking the time. I already checked the port variable and it was fine there. I tried your suggestion but that slowed everything down to a halt, and I had the server timed out message as I had before I changed port, so I don't think the problem lies there.

[Mike Hughes]

I can't help wondering if the Sellerdeck is messing up the variable you're using for the SMTP port number.

Can you check the variable is set up as Norman shows here https://community.sellerdeck.com/for...772#post532772

i.e. 'Type' set to number and 'Whole numbers only' ticked.

Alternatively (or in addition), you could check the problem isn't in this bit by commenting out the line where you're using the variable to set the smtp number in actinic.pm and just setting it directly then doing a site update.

i.e. change this

$nSmtpPort = <actinic:variable name="ExternalSMTPPort" />; # Use default port - LINE 1321

to

# $nSmtpPort = <actinic:variable name="ExternalSMTPPort" />; # Use default port - LINE 1321

$nSmtpPort = 2525;

[KarenBM]

Do you know why there is a number in front of the email:
58325name@btinternet.comError returned from SMTP server (1: 501 Syntax error in parameters or arguments

It isn't always the same number, but always start with 583

Still battling this. Does anyone know why there is a number in the error message as above? Been waiting for Ionos to get back to me and they still haven't. I have trawled through coding and the web to no avail. I have turned off "send email to customers" and have to send these manually from Outlook now, which is a right pain in the butt and takes forever. We no longer receive email saying there are orders to be downloaded, not sure if I mentioned that - so ANY message sending is caput. Message interface on site still throws up error. If anyone has any idea I would be most grateful.

UPDATE: OK, found out from mailscript.pl that 583 is a SMTP error code generated there.

[KarenBM]

Have given up on this now, will wait and see if 1and1 comes back to me.

[Goz]

It seems to me that, over the years, 1and1 and Fasthosts have been the most problematic web hosts as far as SellerDeck is concerned - and it is almost always related to emails. (not that this helps in this instance.... just an observation).

[Mike Hughes]

OK. I hadn’t realised you now had it transferring to the psp.

I assuming emails aren’t going out.

You can always achieve the same thing by turnIng off the customer email if you don’t want any delay from smtp interfering with PSP transfers.

That’s probably the route I’d go on this. Turn off the customer email so it doesn’t interfere with the psp transfer (check to make sure though) and then use the contact us form to debug the Smtp email problem.

[KarenBM]

Do you know why there is a number in front of the email:
58325name@btinternet.comError returned from SMTP server (1: 501 Syntax error in parameters or arguments

It isn't always the same number, but always start with 583

[KarenBM]

OK. So we know it isn't a sendgrid problem and not an error.err file problem.

I would:

1. put back all the sendgrid settings since these were the last known working settings.
2. Compact and repair the database. In case there's been a corruption somewhere in the database.
3. Purge and refresh the website. In case there's been a corruption somewhere in the files online.

I'd focus on the 'contact us' form as a way of testing as it doesn't depend on customer orders and other problems that can get in the way of the checkout operating.

Mike

AT the moment though with the 1and1 settings there are no delays in transferring to the payment providers, which I was having with SendGrid. It is now just the syntax errors from the mail server. I am waiting for 1and1 to call me - again...
I did compact and repair the database when it all first started
Purge and refresh. I did a refresh but was told that a purge and refresh overwrites any modifications I have done in the templates.

Checking on Google that error seem to be a connection problem.

[Mike Hughes]

OK. So we know it isn't a sendgrid problem and not an error.err file problem.

I would:

1. put back all the sendgrid settings since these were the last known working settings.
2. Compact and repair the database. In case there's been a corruption somewhere in the database.
3. Purge and refresh the website. In case there's been a corruption somewhere in the files online.

I'd focus on the 'contact us' form as a way of testing as it doesn't depend on customer orders and other problems that can get in the way of the checkout operating.

Mike

[KarenBM]

Changed smtp settings to ionos (1and1) but got the folloiwng error when trying to send email from within SellerdecK:
Failed to communicate with the SMTP server.

Possible Cause:
1. Network transmission problems.
2. Could have Changed the SMTP Server settings, but not Uploaded after that.

Recommendation:
1. Retry
2. Upload the Site First, if you have changed the SMTP Server Settings.

Resolution:
If retry fails, check your SMTP settings
or contact your ISP.

The error was:
58325name@btinternet.comError returned from SMTP server (1: 501 Syntax error in parameters or arguments


Command: send Filename:

so it isn't Sendgrid...

I also tried sending a message via the contact page and it brought up a syntax error.... HELP!

[KarenBM]

Will do that now Mike. Noticed heaps these errors in the log over these past few days days:

Program = ORDERSCR, Program version = 39919 , HTTP Server = Apache , Return code = 999 , Date and Time = 2020/06/10 22:31, Internal Errors = Error executing the on-line credit card plug-in script.
Program = ORDERSCR, Program version = 39919 , HTTP Server = Apache , Return code = 999 , Date and Time = 2020/06/11 10:34, Internal Errors = Unable to connect to the mail socket (Connection timed out)
Program = ORDERSCR, Program version = 39919 , HTTP Server = Apache , Return code = 999 , Date and Time = 2020/06/11 10:35, Internal Errors = Error recording Sage Pay payment: Call Back Transaction ID does not match the expected ID

and more...

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Karen,

The first thing I'd suggest is to go onto your server and delete the error.err file. It's pretty massive now and has all the error log messages going back 15 years. It's not impossible that this is slowing down things enough to cause a problem.

Deleting it won't cause a problem as sellerdeck will automatically create a new one.

Mike

[KarenBM]

Sorry I just keep adding to this. It's a really odd problem. I just tried to untick "username and password required" in network settings, and the result is exactly the same - long delay transferring to the payment providers and long delays showing receipt following payment, but it still transfers even though I didn't specify the accout to SendGrid?? Network settings still succeeds but there is no feedback so I can't see exactly if anything failed. We are losing business big time now. Support asked for a support snapshot, as I have cover, but it is prohibited by size, at over 2.5GB!