SLOW Exim Outbox, Suggestions Please...

nhouse

nhouse

Verified User
Joined
Nov 26, 2003
Messages
152
Location
Tennessee
Hello Everyone,

Firest of all, I have searched the forums and DA help site for possible answers... but the issue persists. So, I would sincerely appreciate any assistance that you can give. Basically, here is the issue... using Exim to send email from Outlook takes around 15 to 20 seconds to exit my outbox.

This may not be the end of the world, so to speak, but I am setting up a new DA based server to move clients to FROM a Pleask based server where Qmail delivers almost instantly and I am afraid that my clients will be unhappy seeing their email sit in the outbox too long.

Here are some basic facts about mysetup:
1. Latest version of DA on a CentOS 4 box with 1gb ram and one 2.2gb AMD processor.
2. The installation is new and only one or two test accounts are on it... so there should be no traffic nor performance issue.
3. Main server IP address of 74.228.247.208 does have reverse DNS.
4. I do have KISS firewall installed and working peoperly with the recommended ports open.
5. I have installed the Spamassassin support and it is active.
6. The test domain is "chapelhilllife.org"

Things I have tried:
1. Searched the forums and have tried commenting out the host_lookup = * line in the exim.conf file... I did restart Exim afterwards. Mail is still slow.
2. I have tried sending with SMTP Authentication turned on and off in my Outlook email settings with the same results.
3. I have tried sending with the KISS firewall turned on and off with the same results.
4. I send from webmail and the mail seems to move faster... as it should.
5. Just to be clear... when I use my ISP's SMTP server, things move out instantly... the ISP is a 5mb cable modem based service. Also, when I check or send mail using the Plesk server, it moves out quickly. I am not knocking DA / Exim at all... just giving the facts. I am trying to move away from Plesk / Qmail.

Things I wonder about:
1. When reading the /etc/exim.conf file, I see references to it being a modified varsion to take advantage of Jeff Lasman's SPAM Blocker technology. I am sure this is a good thing... but could there be additional lines in the code that I "might" need to tweak to increase the SMTP speed?
2. I suppose that SMTP settings will work for my clients with Authentication on or off in their Outlook settings? With no performance consequences?

Please comment and make suggestions as I hope to start moving accounts tot he new server very soon. I do appreciate your time and efforts.
 
Last edited:
There are no changes in the exim.conf file that affect exim's SMTP speed on outgoing email.

I recently started having the same problem when I switched my laptop from looking for Wi-Fi to buying a Sprint card to take advantage of the Sprint EVDO network.

I traced to the fact that the Sprint EVDO network doesn't have reverse DNS for the IP#s it supplies me with.

Jeff
 
Jeff... thanks for the comments. Since this post, I can say that I tested things on two other ISPs and things seemed to work normally with them... both BellSouth & Charter. My ISP is a local (smaller) company.

Only thing is that this same thing doesn't happen with my other server's setup (Qmail). Inconsistancy drives me nuts!
 
Try to restart dovecot. I have had the problem before and after dovecot was restarted it was normal again.
 
Hi nhouse,

It seems i recently have the same problem as you and Jeff. In my opinion it started after the install of Exim 4.66. Mail is going slow and used to be out in seconds. (Using the server from Exim version 4.24)

Fortunately I have another server and installed with DirectAdmin not long ago. This server is, except for the ipadresses ofc, the same software configuration as my first server. With that install Exim 4.60 is up and mail is sending in seconds like it has to. Different are:
- The Exim version
- Hosting location (But the hosting location does not effect the http,ftp or other traffic.)
- The first server has a longer life and more connections/customers to/on it.

On both servers I use Jeff's SPAM Blocker technology (million tnx btw Jeff.....it really helps :) ) and ClamAV. I do not run dovecot.

What you wondered about nhouse:
- I can confirm that exim.conf does not need more code because I run it on both servers
- I use the same Authentication on both servers for SMTP.

What I wonder about:
- Can I install exim 4.60 again on my first server and see if that helps? Can I just download the older version of DA and install it?
 
Last edited:
Make sure the ORDB entry in your exim.conf is either commented out or removed.

Change
Code: 
# deny using ordb
  deny message = Email blocked by ORDB - to unblock see http://www.example.com/
       # only for domains that do want to be tested against RBLs
       domains = +use_rbl_domains
       dnslists = relays.ordb.org
to
Code: 
# deny using ordb
#  deny message = Email blocked by ORDB - to unblock see http://www.example.com/
       # only for domains that do want to be tested against RBLs
#       domains = +use_rbl_domains
#       dnslists = relays.ordb.org

# /sbin/service exim restart
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top