This topic

Email disconnections have returned

DavidM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:47:07 GMT

Hi @Lch , @PaulieDDT, @Stephen5000 , @Froggy_Lady @Sue036 @Bert4545 @MNarshall @Ultraviolet13

I've locked the previous thread about this as it was getting messy with off topic posts. Can you guys post here for any ongoing issues with ther disconnects. We've reported this and wil update here when we get anything.

Cheers

David

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 10:19:37 GMT

OK, I'll go first. For the last 4 days, I haven't been kicked off once, from several BT email addresses, all logged in all day! I'm just wondering, do BT email addresses use different servers depending on geographical location, or do they all get processed by the same black box?

Re: Email disconnections have returned

DavidM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:10:46 GMT

Thanks for the post @Stephen5000 .

I'll ask that question. In the meantime can you all let me know if clearing cookies and cache or using a different browser or private session resolves he issue. If you haven't tried that can you give it a go and let me know.

Also, can you all reply with the OS and browser versions you're using.

Cheers

David

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:09:58 GMT

In my case, I only cleared cookies with the mention of, 'BT' in them. Used my standard browser of FireFox v115.4.0

Re: Email disconnections have returned

DavidM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:13:37 GMT

Thanks for that @Stephen5000 , I'll pass it back.

As to the question about different servers the answer is 'Users are sent to the same webmail server for a period based on a browser cookie. They can safely switch webmail servers though without effecting service. '

Cheers

David

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:42:56 GMT

@DavidMwrote:
Thanks for that @Stephen5000, I'll pass it back.
As to the question about different servers the answer is 'Users are sent to the same webmail server for a period based on a browser cookie. They can safely switch webmail servers though without effecting service. '

Interesting response. So in theory, with my WebMail currently working, if I now cleared my cookies, I could then be diverted to a server that had the fault... 🤔

Re: Email disconnections have returned

DavidM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:46:09 GMT

I'll ask that for you @Stephen5000

Cheers

David

Re: Email disconnections have returned

DavidM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 13:51:04 GMT

Hi @Stephen5000 ,

The reply I've received is we're investigating all possibilities and haven't located any specfic server issues.

Cheers

David

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Ultraviolet13 — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:52:57 GMT

A new thread, but sadly not a new issue. This problem has been reported dozens of times recently & yet it continues.

After a brief period of keeping my account logged in - I'd removed BT cookies, shutdown BT Hub for 30 minutes before restarting it to get a new IP address - which did seem to work - I'm back to being logged out 3 or 4 times a day, even though I dutifully tick the "Keep Me Signed In" box every time.

For reference I'll add the link I posted last time, if others would like to see if removing the BT cookies helps them fix the logout problem: aboutcookies.org

This should give you the information you need to find & remove the BT specific cookies rather than deleting ALL cookies, which has been previously suggested.

For Chrome, my main browser, the site shows how to manage cookies from individual sites &/or time periods - a much more targeted approach than just "deleting all cookies".

I'm going to try this approach again later tonight myself - when I can get away with turning the BT HUB off for half an hour.

Suggested process:
1) Use the aboutcookies.org site to learn how to find & delete the BT.com specific cookies on your device, for your specific browser. (The one you're using to access BT Email)

2) Once the BT.com cookies have been deleted, shutdown the device you're using to access BT Email - and constantly being logged out of.

3) Now power off your BT Hub - or the 3rd party HUB you use to connect to BT Internet

4) Leave both your device (used for email) and the HUB powered off for at least 30 minutes.

5) Power up the HUB, after 30 minutes - it should now have been allocated a new IP address from BT

6) Once the HUB is fully up & running, power on your device (laptop, PC - used for email)

7) Log back in to BT Email on that device. Note: any other BT accounts (billing etc.) will also require a fresh login

The idea is that any previous links to BT Email will have been cleared & you now have a fresh IP address & newly generated BT cookies, which should at least remove those components from the logout problem.

As I said I will go through this process later tonight & will let you know if it helps with the logouts.

Anyone else trying this out please also report back here, letting other folks know if it's helped at all.

For reference I'm using a HP Pavilion laptop, running Windows 11 Home ver. 22H2 and the most recent version of the Chrome browser to access my BT Email.

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Ultraviolet13 — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 09:24:27 GMT

Followed my own suggested (possible) fix instructions to the letter and just got logged out again. 🙄

If anyone has had better luck, please let us know.

Any other ideas would also be appreciated - or even better a permanent fix from BT 😅

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:02:47 GMT

Primary email address kicked off 3 times so far today, 12.30pm, 1.20pm, & 3pm.

HOWEVER, a secondary address has been logged in since 8.30am ( 6.5hours ago) and still connected...

Re: Email disconnections have returned

IMacD — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:40:17 GMT

Just been kicked out again. Happened every day since new thread started. Chrome browser.

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:02:02 GMT

How to solve the logging off issue.

After a non technical analysis of this issue but just examining the actual evidence, I conclude the following:

I am now 100% certain this issue has nothing to do with what browser you use. Every brand mentioned on this forum displays the same behaviour.
I also know that clearing 'cookies' and 'cache' is also not the root of the issue. It never 'cures' the issue but simply causes annoyance and inconvenience for customers.
From personal experience, I have experienced being kicked off numerous times from my standard browser, yet being logged onto the same browser in a 'private' window with another address has seen me logged on all day with no issue.
I also have experience of being logged into my standard window I've remained fine all day, whilst a 'private' window with another address has seen me kicked off.

The only conclusion that can be reached by examining actual customer evidence, is that our behaviour has nothing to do with the issue.

I suggest that whatever servers that BT are using have an inherent fault. Though it's one of those 'intermittent' faults that doesn't show up on standard plug in diagnosis.

It'll be some insignificant errant component, (the equivalent of a dry solder joint) that is causing the random logging off. Until BT work out a way of matching up what servers customers are actually using when the fault occurs (which we can PM a mod email addresses affected and actual times log off happens), it'll not be solved unless BT just swap out in total the hardware their email uses...

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:08:05 GMT

On trying to access a new unread email, I just got the buffer wheel of doom. I tried a few times, same thing. So, I 'right clicked' on the browser tab to reload, and the instant I did that, it logged out.

That was not 'random', and a definitive cause & effect...

(I have often used the 'reload' function without it logging out)

Re: Email disconnections have returned

gg30340 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:24:26 GMT

@Stephen5000 wrote:

On trying to access a new unread email, I just got the buffer wheel of doom. I tried a few times, same thing. So, I 'right clicked' on the browser tab to reload, and the instant I did that, it logged out.

That was not 'random', and a definitive cause & effect...

(I have often used the 'reload' function without it logging out)

No problem refreshing here when viewing Inbox. It does not log me out.

If I refresh within an open email it refreshes back to the Inbox not the open email which is closed.

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:30:29 GMT

@gg30340wrote:
@Stephen5000wrote:
On trying to access a new unread email, I just got the buffer wheel of doom. I tried a few times, same thing. So, I 'right clicked' on the browser tab to reload, and the instant I did that, it logged out.
That was not 'random', and a definitive cause & effect...
(I have often used the 'reload' function without it logging out)
No problem refreshing here when viewing Inbox. It does not log me out.
If I refresh within an open email it refreshes back to the Inbox not the open email which is closed.

Sorry, my fault. I should have stated that it did this a couple of times, like the whole 'logging off' scenario, it's entirely random when it does it, and it isn't a solid fault,mostly it's fine but the very act of me doing it did cause it to log out...

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Stephen5000 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:19:10 GMT

Well here's a new one LOL Just got kicked off (7th or 8th time today) and now get this... onwards and upwards, eh? 🤣

Re: Email disconnections have returned

licquorice — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:33:58 GMT

The BT email system really is a basket case.

Re: Email disconnections have returned

PeterE17 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:57:13 GMT

@licquorice The BT email system is far from being a basket case. Until recently it was perfectly adequate for personal use (but I would not have used it for business). It has fallen victim to bad analysis or bad specification or bad coding, or some combination of these and/or other factors. BT's best course of action is to roll back the system to its position six weeks ago (before the deluge of random disconnects/log-offs) and rewrite the project plan from the start. I sincerely hope there was a contingency plan in place just in case the changes they wanted to implement fouled up in a big big way (which of course they did).

Re: Email disconnections have returned

Ultraviolet13 — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:59:56 GMT

Still getting logged out here - think it was about 3 1/2 hours this time.

A roll-back might be a good temporary solution but won't fix the underlying problem.
Enabling full logging of events on the servers, if only for a short time (yes I know that eats storage space & slows things down), could help find the actual issue. Is it tied to a certain server(s) for example, related to other processes running, system resources being over subscribed. Detailed information on why the email processes are being terminated & any error/exit codes generated would perhaps be more useful. Going forward, much more robust testing & better change control before anything being implemented on a live service.

Personally I don't think the email service has even been close adequate since we lost the Yahoo! platform, and currently it's just more & more frustrating seeing the same issues over & over.