Plusnet email problems?

[Roger Mills]

Anyone having problems sending and receiving emails using Plusnet-based
addresses?

It seems to be running very slowly, and some emails have gone missing.

[Andy Burns]

Post by Roger Mills
Anyone having problems sending and receiving emails using Plusnet-based
addresses?
It seems to be running very slowly, and some emails have gone missing.

Yes, I've just posted similar to p.s.customer-feedback

I've only noticed sending being slow, not noticed receiving being slow
(maybe it is but I haven't noticed) not noticed anything going astray.

[Plusnet Support Team]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Roger Mills
Anyone having problems sending and receiving emails using
Plusnet-based addresses?
It seems to be running very slowly, and some emails have gone missing.

Yes, I've just posted similar to p.s.customer-feedback
I've only noticed sending being slow, not noticed receiving being slow
(maybe it is but I haven't noticed) not noticed anything going astray.

There have been some issues over the last 24 hours or so but I'm led to
believe things are now on the mend.

I haven't been close to things but I suspect it was a client access
issue, in which case no inbound mail should have been lost.

[Andy Burns]

Post by Plusnet Support Team
There have been some issues over the last 24 hours or so but I'm led to
believe things are now on the mend.

Thanks Bob.

Has the concept of having a service status page gone now?

[NY]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Plusnet Support Team
There have been some issues over the last 24 hours or so but I'm led to
believe things are now on the mend.

Thanks Bob.
Has the concept of having a service status page gone now?

My experience of service status pages (in general, not specifically PN's) is
that they often show "OK" even when there is manifestly a widespread
problem. One of the problems in a lot of cases is that there isn't the
reporting granularity: there may be a problem with sending or receiving
email or with a newsgroup server, but it all gets lumped in with "broadband"
and on average the DSL connectivity for the majority is fine and swamps the
email problem that is intermittently affecting a smaller number of people.
Again, in general, not specifically PN.

[Andy Burns]

Post by NY

Post by Andy Burns
Has the concept of having a service status page gone now?

My experience of service status pages (in general, not specifically
PN's) is that they often show "OK" even when there is manifestly a
widespread problem.

The problem is that if an ISP's own status page goes away, then people
tend to use "anything available" instead such as DownDetector, which
tends to be a bit meaningless, all problem reports on a map boil down to
population density, it must be shit to live in London all services
report problems there all the time ...

Post by NY
One of the problems in a lot of cases is that there
isn't the reporting granularity: there may be a problem with sending or
receiving email or with a newsgroup server, but it all gets lumped in
with "broadband" and on average the DSL connectivity for the majority is
fine and swamps the email problem that is intermittently affecting a
smaller number of people. Again, in general, not specifically PN.

Red/Amber/Green for broadband, email, usenet, web hosting, dns, voip etc
have been done in the past ...

[Roderick Stewart]

Post by Andy Burns
The problem is that if an ISP's own status page goes away, then people
tend to use "anything available" instead such as DownDetector, which
tends to be a bit meaningless, all problem reports on a map boil down to
population density, it must be shit to live in London all services
report problems there all the time ...

I guess that's where the Daily Mail reporter who deals with this sort
of thing must live then, because DownDetector is what they always
show, and typically a few hours after the issue has been fixed.

Rod.

[Theo]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by NY

Post by Andy Burns
Has the concept of having a service status page gone now?

My experience of service status pages (in general, not specifically
PN's) is that they often show "OK" even when there is manifestly a
widespread problem.

The problem is that if an ISP's own status page goes away, then people
tend to use "anything available" instead such as DownDetector, which
tends to be a bit meaningless, all problem reports on a map boil down to
population density, it must be shit to live in London all services
report problems there all the time ...

Post by NY
One of the problems in a lot of cases is that there
isn't the reporting granularity: there may be a problem with sending or
receiving email or with a newsgroup server, but it all gets lumped in
with "broadband" and on average the DSL connectivity for the majority is
fine and swamps the email problem that is intermittently affecting a
smaller number of people. Again, in general, not specifically PN.

Red/Amber/Green for broadband, email, usenet, web hosting, dns, voip etc
have been done in the past ...

It's useful to have somewhere that says what the ISP expects the situation
to be: eg planned maintenance affecting services X/Y/Z, compared with
unplanned issues where the status should be green but isn't. For example,
AA have a status page which is linked to their ticketing system that shows
jobs in progress:
https://aastatus.net/

(somebody mirrors this to the uk.net.providers.aaisp newsgroup)

By being public, it also means there is visibility of the notes on an
unplanned fault (not just 'we're working on it', but a more technical
description, with updates)

I also like their 'blip graph' which shows logins and logouts to their
servers: if lots of customers are being logged out (eg their ADSL goes down)
that suggests a widespread problem.

Another source for info would be Twitter, but Twitter has become
increasingly unreliable for publically spreading live info.

Theo

[Davey]

On 19 Aug 2023 10:34:44 +0100 (BST)

Post by Theo
Another source for info would be Twitter, but Twitter has become
increasingly unreliable for publically spreading live info.

And possibly spreading false info. I wouldn't touch 'X' with a
barge-pole.

[Chris]

Post by NY

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Plusnet Support Team
There have been some issues over the last 24 hours or so but I'm led to
believe things are now on the mend.

Thanks Bob.
Has the concept of having a service status page gone now?

My experience of service status pages (in general, not specifically PN's) is
that they often show "OK" even when there is manifestly a widespread
problem. One of the problems in a lot of cases is that there isn't the
reporting granularity: there may be a problem with sending or receiving
email or with a newsgroup server, but it all gets lumped in with "broadband"
and on average the DSL connectivity for the majority is fine and swamps the
email problem that is intermittently affecting a smaller number of people.
Again, in general, not specifically PN.

Ideally, a status page should be "live" and reflect the real status of the
service, however, they are mostly gatekeepered by a human. That's why they
don't reflect users' experience.