- JUNO.com: A well known, and often used ISP/Email Host. There are intermittent total failures of email delivery for no apparent valid reason. All that comes back is "Access denied...0f197190919511458070e5e059008da......." and more numbers, then "Service unavailable" On our server, we basically ignore these errors, so you will never know if you are missing email.
- UT1.com: This ISP goes down almost every weekend. They are also very close to being sued for violation of privacy laws. They read subscribers' Email. They also limit the amount of incoming and outgoing Email, even though they claim to be an unlimited-use ISP. This is one to stay away from.
- Transtrum.net: Though this one appears generally to be good, their DNS server seems to lose them and therefore Email can't be delivered in a timely manner consistently.
- Tempeschools.org: Apparent DNS errors here, too. They are unavailable from time to time. NOTE: All government links are unpredictable. I've seen problems with virtually every one from time to time. What can we say? You are dealing with government. Service isn't their forte and never will be without accountability.
- IDA.net (Microserv): Their customer support has been dismal, though their network seems to be reliable for the most part. When there have been problems, they are inclined to tell you to do what you do differently and not accept any responsibility for having problems on their end.
- FIRN.edu: They have connection timeouts when Email is being sent. NOTE: This domain hasn't had problems for a while, so maybe they have solved the issues that brought them to this list.
- ATTBI.com (or any of the AT&T subsidiaries): Some issues relating to support and prompt response.
- Qwest.net: Since signing an agreement with MSN.com, they have frequent problems, especially with Customer Service. If you are on their legacy service and don't have to change to MSN.com, you are fine.
- AOL.com: Tied for last place for connection, speed and customer support (see MSN.com). NEW as of 2.1.2006. AOL is EVIL. There, it's been said. Not only do they have 'special features' for members to get rid of spam, but if a member clicks on a button accidently, it affects all 250+ subscribers the same way. As of tonight, I'm fighting to get email through at all. And yes, we've applied for 'bulk whitelist' status... Okay, after several days, they put us in the global whitelist database. Let's see how they are now.
- MSN.com: Tied for last place for connection, speed and customer support (see AOL.com). Recently they have run out of disk space. We can only hope they are working on it. Also, in true Microsoft fashion, when an email is bounced, they give no reason for it bouncing. MSN.com is one to stay away from. NOTE: If you are already on MSN.com, please get a free email address at netscape.net, yahoo.com, or one of the many other free email services and subscribe to our groups using the free email address as MSN.com email lately has not been going through. Instances such as this can be fixed by sending a nice email requesting help to msnabuse@microsoft.com.
- HOTMail.com: As part of the MSN network, this is not an ISP, but as an email client, leaves much to be desired because of refused connections and hours of delays. And, like MSN.com, there is often no reason given for the failure to accept email. With a limit on your inbox of 2MB (megabytes) of storage, you will bounce all the time because it only takes 3 or 4 emails with graphics to fill that little bit of space up. Lately, HOTMAIL has been absolutely abysmal. Stay away, unless you aren't real serious about receiving email. More recently, HOTMail.com recipients are not receiving all their email. Bounces are common with no explanation other than a 5.0.0 error. Here is their 'warning':
Don't let your account freeze up!
(Please let us know if this is still a problem)
As a valued customer, we want to remind you that if your account goes over the 2MB storage limit, it will be automatically frozen. That means:
- You won't be able to send any e-mails
- All e-mails sent to you will bounce back without notification
Your account will stay frozen until you delete enough e-mail to put your account under the 2MB limit. So make sure to monitor your account and delete mails regularly in order to stay well under the limit.
To avoid this hassle, sign up for MSN® Hotmail® Extra Storage. For just $19.95* a year (only $1.67 a month!), Extra Storage gives you 10MB of storage -- five times what you're currently getting. It's the easiest way to avoid a frozen account.
* Annual fee plus applicable taxes.
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- LVCableModem.com: Frequent interruptions of incoming Email connectivity.
- RRV.net: They are up and down and frequently have refused Email connections for delivery.
- STARPOWER.net (RCN.net): They also are up and down with refused Email connections.
- ADELPHIA.net: With their financial woes, they've cut staff and support is slow, not to mention frequent service interruptions which can't be solved as quickly because of the staff reductions.
- Any server that uses the PSMTP.com network of email forwarding hosts. Ask the ISP about this one. They have frequent downtime periods where email either doesn't go or is delayed for hours. Your ISP may be using their network of mail transport servers. To find out, click here. The most recent failure was for MOLALLA.net and had the error:
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
(reason: 554 : Helo command rejected: Access denied). That user didn't get the email.
- USASafety.net: DNS errors occasionally make this host unavailable for Email delivery.
- CableAZ.com: Connection Time Outs cause this server to be slower than others. Low bandwidth may be the issue.
- ACCESSatc.net: Host Name lookup failures are becoming more the rule rather than the exception. This ISP is one to probably stay away from, unless they upgrade their servers. This DNS issue seems not to be going away but rather getting worse.
- PIOCHE.IGATE.com: multiple Email delivery errors make this ISP a less desirable solution for internet connectivity. The most common are Read Errors when attempting to deliver Email.
- INFO2001.net: Host Name lookup failures, which are DNS failures. And, the email address for the Administrative/Technical contact as registered for the domain no longer exists. This domain is now offline, according to recent queries using the link for PSMTP.com servers above.
- INOVION.com: Host Name lookup failure here, too.
- EARprocom.com: Host Name lookup failure again...
- IPSC.com: Recently they have been experiencing connection refused bounces.
- SBCGlobal.net (part of the Prodigy.net system): This ISP has had intermittent read errors which cause email to have delays of a few hours to a day or more. And recently (1/08) they are dumping users. At least we are getting bounces back with the message that the user isn't a SBCGlobal.net customer.
- FLASH.net: Also part of the Prodigy network. Prodigy isn't the best ISP to get, as you already know if you read the reviews that are here and there.
- CABLEone.net: Intermittent errors. Not serious, but don't use this service if you email time sensitive material. Rule of Thumb: Don't ever use Email for time sensitive communications; use the phone or snail-mail overnight services.
- SNOW.edu: Host name lookup failure. This means the Utah.gov/edu system Domain Name Servers (DNS) are not synced. Snow College, Utah, which is part of the Utah higher education network instituted by Governor Mikey "I never saw a tax I didn't like" Leavitt to enable access of all students in Utah to the Internet.
- CO.JEFFERSON.id.us: Like Utah's government network, Idaho's also has problems from time to time. Most recently, Connection Timed Out errors.
- MYVISTO.com: Very slow server at times. Connection time-outs when the server is trying to receive email is very common, sometimes for days, even where the recipient never gets the email at all. Very poor ISP.
- SCInternet.net: Mostly up, but occasionally our server encounters Too Many Hops and Connection Timed Out errors when attempting to deliver mail. This indicates a poorly configured email server.
- COLOR-COUNTRY.net: Mostly up, but as above, occasionally our server cannot deliver email because of Connection Timed Out errors.
- EBOXMail.net: Again, they seem to be mostly up, but occasionally there are Connection Timed Out errors here also. UPDATE: Connection Refused errors are now happening... Maybe they ought to be avoided.
- CPDMail.com: Connection time outs on a regular basis make this ISP slow in allowing email delivery. Recently they are so slow that no one on that domain is getting email.
- TRIB.com: Server connections are refused for email delivery from time to time. These lapses can last from a few hours to a day or more.
- SISNA.com: This ISP never used to be a problem, but lately, their connect times for email delivery leave a LOT to be desired, sometimes lasting for a couple days. It's as if they left Unix as their server OS and got sold on the Microsoft Song and Dance routines. Do you send email that is time critical? Don't use Sisna.com as your ISP if you do.
- DIRECWAY.com: This ISP has only been a problem a few times, but recently, they must have updated their content filters because now if you put something in the subject line such as 'please read' they will block the email. Hmmm.
- MADMAC.com: This is an unstable ISP that has had Host Name lookup failures too frequently to be taken seriously. It seems that each year, they go away from the internet. Perhaps because they fail to pay their bills to the registrar or upline ISPs.
- FAMILYTREEMAIL.com: Connection Timed Out errors cause email to be delivered very late. Don't count on time-sensitive email being delivered on time. Update: They are so slow, some email isn't ever delivered.
- ENSCOINC.com: Connection refused... Enough said? Well, maybe not. That means email isn't accepted at all. This could mean the email MX host is down, or the accepting program died somehow. In any case, email can't be delivered if the host refuses connections.
- BRIGHAM.net: Their spam filter is so sensitive that it blocks email with reference to white handkerchiefs used for LDS temple dedications where the word lace is included. Huh? Worse, than that, they block emails for who knows what reasons. It seems very arbitrary. It almost appears that they are anti-Mormon and any 'Mormon' sounding word is blocked.
- ACSALASKA.net: This ISP doesn't really know how to setup and maintain an email server. They consistently have emails bounce with messages which mean the email server has been misconfigured. They work and then they are down; over and over...
- CVALLEY.net: Amazing that an ISP that returns email sent to its custmoers as 'user unknown' can stay in business, but I guess when you are the only show in town, you have that luxury. Too bad if you live in Chariton Valley, Missouri.
- CWNET.com: So, you wnat to do email. Don't use this one. They limit the number of SMTP (simple mail transport protocol) session to an abysmally low number. What does that mean? You are likely not to get email in a timely manner, if at all. When an email is sent, they may bounce it with a message that says, "Too many concurrent SMTP connections. Try again later." What if the 'later' is after the sender's email server has given up? Don't you hate it when that happens?
- GMAIL.com: Google has started a new email server. So far so good, however I've been seeing more and more 'bounces' where the email can't get through. When I learn more, I'll put it here. More: Several of our group members are not seeing the email they send to their groups. . .
- TELUS.net and TELUSPLANET.net These two must be the same because they are returning email as User Unknown, even when the user is on their system. Apparently they have one MX (email host) that doesn't play nicely with their other MX hosts. Consequently, we have had to unsubscribe almost all their subscribers from our email lists to prevent us getting oodles and gobs of User Unknown bounces. UPDATE: They are even worse than I thought. Their email comes as SPAM because their MX server is listed in the rfc-ignorant.org database as a possible spammer hosting service. Please don't bother using them. Not a good idea.
- DCSD.org This is apparently on a new spam firewall because many emails are being bounced stating the email "was blocked by our Spam Firewall." There are a lot of attempts to control spam, but it's so annoying and incredibly arrogant and stupid to return all the emails that are blocked for whatever reason the administrator writes into his spam filter's ruleset.
- DSDMAIL.net This is apparently on the same new spam firewall as the DCSD.org. Read previous paragraph for a description.
- TOOELESD.org Ditto previous 2 entries...
- FRONTEIRNET.net This place has instituted such draconian spam filtering that using them is foolish. A simple click of your mouse can result in the loss of benign email from your brother. Yes, my siblings who use it no longer can get email from me and they aren't even aware of the problem. Use at your own risk. On our email group server, I see many bounced emails daily.
- PLATEAUTEL.net Another victim of the PSMTP.com mess. Trying to get cheap services which rarely end up being a good solution for customers.
- EARTHLINK.net I hate to add this one, but they are increasingly bouncing email with 'user unknown' for no apparent reason. Though those that bounce shouldn't and are okay after a day or so, they are missing group emails, and who knows what else.
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