Re: SBS2003 + Exchange smtp causing internet problems

From: SuperGumby [SBS MVP] (not_at_your.nellie)
Date: 09/06/04 

Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 21:25:06 +1000

Kev's take (or my interpretation of it) sounds good to me.

Email was designed to send short text messages to another user. The ability
to 'attach' files was added in version 73456902649855134543, but even then
your 100KB attachment was 7bit encoded and resulted in a minimum 120KB
message. Though more recent email systems handle binary data better (if both
servers can agree on a protocol which doesn't result in the attachment being
7bit encoded during the SMTP conversation) email systems must be backward
compatible and therefore often transfer files in a less than optimal manner.

Two anecdotes come to mind:

A client in aeronautics couldn't send me a 300K .gif using Outlook Express.
A neat picture he had been sent by a mate of a (from memory) FA18 Hornet up
around Mach1, there's a toroidal cloud which (often?) forms around the plane
as it crosses the sound barrier. (I'm pretty sure this is the circumstances
of the photo, been wrong before though). It was bouncing when he sent it to
my ISP's mailbox. Got him to send it to me direct. First thing I noticed was
that OE 5.? reported the collected email message as being 7MB in size. Of
course, I forwarded it to all my mates, who exponentially sent it to more
people, who had rx'd it from three or four of their mates already, some of
them people I knew,,,

Another client couldn't send mail, bitchin' all the time about how the NEW
SERVER was PATHETIC. Took a few months before we figured out he was sending
a 3MB .bmp as a .sig. The listserv he was subscribed to kept sending back
notices suggesting his 'Hi, please ignore this test. +.sig' was rejected
because 'Items over 7MB cannot be posted to this group'. We'll clean up the
7gawdzillion messages in his sent items some day, I'm interested to find out
whether Exchange has 'single instanced' the .sig, and whether it has
maintained the single instance storage on the bounce messages.

rambling again.

"Kevin Weilbacher [SBS-MVP]" <kweilbacMVP@gte.net> wrote in message
news:e1xtO6zkEHA.3432@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> The way to fix it is to restrict sending such large files via email as
> attachments!
>
> Did you know that many of mail servers will restrict the size of incoming
> file attachments to 1-2mb?? That means that even if you could or can send
> such files out, there is no guarantee that yhe recipient will be able to
> receive them. Additionally, sending such files eats up your Exchange
> database, which is limited to 16gb public and private stores.
>
> If you are regularly sending those kinds of files out, no matter how fast
> your Internet connection is, you need to look into getting a separate FTP
> site up (perhaps with your external web site provider), and set up a
> mechanism that allows your users to upload these files to your FTP site,
> and then send out emails to your customers with the FTP address link for
> them to donwload the file.
>
> Not only is that a better use of Exchange, but it is a better use of your
> bandwidth, plus it is more professional. You can also obtain software that
> will allow you to track who has downloaded each file, or how many times
> the file has been downloaded. And if the files are at all confidential,
> you can require that the user actually enter a valid email address first,
> to authenticate who is downloading it.
>
> Bottom line ... use the right technology for the right job. And IMO, using
> email to deliver 8mb files is not the right technology!
>
> --
> Kevin Weilbacher [SBS-MVP]
> "The days pass by so quickly now, the nights are seldom long"
>
>
> "Peter" <nospamhere@mailing.com> wrote in message
> news:OIw$acxkEHA.3520@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Hi Everyone
>>
>> Been trying to work this one out all weekend but damned if I can.
>>
>> We currently install an SBS2003 Standard server to service about 15 staff
>> members, Exchange is setup to run as our SMTP Server.
>>
>> Our current internet connect is a business grade Bigpond (Australia)
>> account, 256/64.
>>
>> The problem I am having is that staff are sending out emails which are in
>> the range of 4-7mb in size and sometimes they send this email to several
>> email addresses, in turn what is happening is that bandwidth is being
>> taken
>> up, virtual stopping our internet connection.
>>
>> What can I do to fix this problem, in the next few weeks we will be
>> upgrading to a faster connection, however i need to get a solution
>> together
>> before hand or else my *** is toast !!!
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>