Email "Too many recipients" error [TPG-R02] comes and goes

[marbell]

Hi,

Intermittently, I can't send email to a list of recipients from my TPG account. The list of recipients does not change. My computer's email settings do not change. I have the correct server for in and out (mail.tpg.com.au). If I give up, ignore the problem, change nothing and try to send another email days or weeks later to the same list of recipients, the problem has usually gone away only to recur after weeks or a few months. The list is not all that long - only 28 recipients. While the problem comes and goes with no changes when sending from my Mac OS10.13.6 Mail application, I can always send to the same set of recipients if I use the TPG web mail interface. It is really frustrating to have to go via the web interface when I want to keep all my mail, especially with this set of recipients, on my computer. 

I notice others have reported the same problem with different mail applications but I have not seen a definite solution. The message says the server "did not recognise the following recipients". The list of recipients includes addresses I frequently send email to individually without this problem. What is going on and is there some way to stop it?

[BasilDV]

Hi @marbell,

Welcome to TPG Community!

If there's no issues sending the email using the TPG web-mail (Post Office), then there's no issues within the TPG server.

We'd like to check the possible issue with the connection between your email client to TPG mail server. Does the email client that in use is updated to its latest version?

Are you able to send us a screenshot with your outgoing settings? We'd like to look into it and analyze the situation. Please send the details via PM.

How to send a PM? Click here.

Kind regards,

BasilDV

[marbell · Accepted solution]

For the benefit of others who may have searched on this problem: My problem was solved after trying a few things with a TPG support person via PM.

-The problem was not any of my Apple Mail settings, even though I had the problem using this email client and I did not have the problem using the TPG web mail interface. 

-The problem was that the IP address of my NBN modem was on a 'banned' list with the TPG server. When this was reset remotely, the 'too many recipients' problem went away and I could send my email to a list of 28 recipients. 

The cause seems to be that the modem has a dynamic IP address. Occasionally it will land on an IP address flagged for previous suspicious behaviour such as sending out spam. So, the TPG server would let me send out email to one or a few recipients but it would say 'too many recipients' if I tried a longer list that looked like it might be an attempt to send out spam. 

The solution in future should be to turn off the modem, forcing it to obtain a new IP address, hopefully one that is not flagged for previous association with poor behaviour. 

[marbell]

Turns out this is not entirely fixed by turning the modem and NBN box off and on again. On several occasions now I have done this. My email to about 30 recipients has then sent but, later that day or the next day, the problem has recurred, only to be fixed by turning the moden and NBN box off and on again. 

So, it seems a work around of sorts but still annoying. 

I also seem to be blocked from sending emails to @yahoo.com addresses and one such address is in my list of 30 recipients. Could this have something to do with the "Too many recipients" problem recurring?

Email to yahoo addresses seem to sometimes but not always get held up with bounces coming back to me that say in part:

...MAIL From:<marbell@tpg.com.au> SIZE=3542

<<< 421 4.7.0 [TSS04] Messages from 203.12.160.61 temporarily deferred due to user complaints - 4.16.55.1; see https://help.yahoo.com/kb/postmaster/SLN3434.html
<bourke.eddy@yahoo.com>... Deferred: 421 4.7.0 [TSS04] Messages from 203.12.160.61 temporarily deferred due to user complaints - 4.16.55.1; see https://help.yahoo.com/kb/postmaster/SLN3434.html
Message could not be delivered for 5 days
Message will be deleted from queue...

[BasilDV]

Hi @marbell,

Thanks for the update.

We've raised this with our Post masters and will provide you with the update once available.

Kind regards,

BasilDV

[marbell]

Now I can't even post to a single recipient and get a different message:

"The sender address marbell@tpg.com.au was rejected by the server mail.tpg.com.au.

The server response was: [TPG-A02] Authentication denied. User marbell@tpg.com.au is banned from using SMTP AUTH due to previous abuse"

[BasilDV]

Hi @marbell,

It seems that the server marked your address as a spam, which is why you received that error message.

Please change your account password, then try to resend the emails. It should start working after the change.

Our Post Master is also looking into your account and will provide you with updates once available.

Kind regards,

BasilDV

[marbell]

I changed my password via my TPG account on line. I updated my password in my mail client. Waited a while. Closed and reopened my Mail application, corrected the password after getting "authentication failed" and now seems to be working. Thanks.

[Riezl]

Great! Feel free to drop us a message should there be any issues, @marbell. Cheers!

[marbell]

The original problem is definitely still there. Multi-recipent emails won't send but then will send after a power cycle of the modem but then the problem comes back the next time I try a multi-recipient email, whether half an hour later or a day later. Then I try a few times. Still doesn't send. Then I power cycle the modem. Then it sends first try.