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Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
#53509 02/28/20 07:52 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
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This isn't really a problem at the Mac end of things, but I've noticed in the last few weeks that whenever I try to send an email to someone with a Yahoo email address, the emails bounce back off the Yahoo server. I get a "Yahoo email server dropped the connection" error message from the mail delivery system. I end up having to resend the email several times before it eventually gets through. Has anyone else experienced this problem with Yahoo?


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53511 02/28/20 11:23 PM
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I have not had any problems, but I used a deep internet search app (DEVONAgent 3.11.3) and found 688 separate posts complaining of the same or very similar problems with Yahoo and that was just a top level search! I didn't read them all, but almost all of those I read were from SMTP server administrators complaining their users were unable to send messages or had to try many times to get through to Yahoo addressees. If I understand what is going on this is because of tightened rules Yahoo uses to block or deprioritize incoming messages to their domain. As you surmised the ball is in Yahoo's court to fix.

The only suggestion I can offer at this time would be to try sending your rejected messages using an alternate email provider. (I am sure Yahoo would be happy to provide you with a Yahoo account — for a fee.🙄)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53521 03/01/20 03:17 AM
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Thanks. I was afraid it might have been a problem with my own mail server. I have an email account with Site5 Webhosting that I use for my website feedback. I was afraid that maybe someone had been using a Site5 mail account for spamming, and got the entire Site5 mail server blacklisted. I do have a separate email account from my ISP, but I don't want it to be exposed to any more spam than it already is.

I did have a Yahoo mail account, but closed it out a couple of years ago, when they changed their terms of service. That was when they announced that they could harvest any information they wanted from the email message content, and I had to certify that I had received permission for this from everyone I've ever corresponded with. Yeah right. Goodbye Yahoo.

BTW I tried downloading DevonAgent Lite, but it won't run on my machine. I fire it up and it immediately quits. I'm running Sierra which should be compatible, according to their site.


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53525 03/01/20 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bob_00001
Thanks. I was afraid it might have been a problem with my own mail server. I have an email account with Site5 Webhosting that I use for my website feedback. I was afraid that maybe someone had been using a Site5 mail account for spamming, and got the entire Site5 mail server blacklisted. I do have a separate email account from my ISP, but I don't want it to be exposed to any more spam than it already is.

Reading between the lines the problem is arising from Yahoo's spam blocking algorithms and settings. It is also quite possible that some customer(s) of Site5 are sending out a lot of advertising to Yahoo addresses which is resulting in traffic from the Site5 being "deprioritised". This is exactly the reason some SMTP administrators limit the number of addressees on messages and the total number of messages per day for any given account. Which in turn has created the bulk email industry and is making firms such as Constant Contact a LOT of $€¥£﷼₤ .

You might try contacting Site5 and reporting the problem. They are the ones that are being blocked and would carry a lot more weight with Yahoo than you would.

Originally Posted By: Bob_00001
I did have a Yahoo mail account, but closed it out a couple of years ago, when they changed their terms of service. That was when they announced that they could harvest any information they wanted from the email message content, and I had to certify that I had received permission for this from everyone I've ever corresponded with. Yeah right. Goodbye Yahoo.

To be fair Yahoo is struggling to remain in business and dealing with rising costs, a shrinking number of paid users, and tight fisted advertisers. Yahoo's big competition used to be AOL and Google. AOL, like Yahoo, is a shadow of its former self in a market dominated by Google who was the first to openly announce and admit they would sell their data which created a financial colossus and funded the development of superior technologies. Yahoo is having to jump on the customer data selling train just to remain viable.

Originally Posted By: Bob_00001
BTW I tried downloading DevonAgent Lite, but it won't run on my machine. I fire it up and it immediately quits. I'm running Sierra which should be compatible, according to their site.

When you open/launch DEVONAgent Lite the only thing that happens initially is a small icon (I am not even sure what it is supposed to resemble) appears on the Menu bar (no icon appears on the Dock). If you click on that icon a dropdown appears. Enter the search term and DevonAgent Lite submits a google search and opens your default browser to display the results. Devonagent Express is initiated in a similar manner, but displays. the search results within Devonagent Express, offers a choice of search engines, offers a choice of filtered or unfiltered searches, excludes specified domains and links, and only opens the default browser to view a selected entry. Devonagent Pro does all of the above, plus uses multiple search engines, searches n level deep, uses wildcard searches, has its own browser, etc., etc.. In other words Devonagent Pro is a tool for professionals such as researchers and authors who are seriously mining for information and can benefit from AI ranking ranking and filtering of search results. Devonagent Express is a tool for the average user who can benefit from some of the ranking and filtering of the Pro version and Lite adds everything to a search that you paid for (it is free 🤔).

By the way all three DevonAgent versions are available on the MacOS App Store.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53527 03/02/20 02:17 AM
Joined: Jan 2010
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I'll contact Site5 and let them know about the problem.

As for Yahoo, it's unfortunate that they are having problems staying alive. I always liked their stuff, but creating ridiculous terms & conditions that no one could reasonably comply with, is not the answer. It's just driving more subscribers away. I didn't take the decision to close down my Yahoo email account lightly, but in the end, I had to recognize that there's no such thing as a "free" email account.

As for DevonAgent, I did realize later that it had installed an item in the menubar, that I hadn't noticed at the time. I was surprised because most other things that work that way usually put an item in the dock or show up when you do a cmd-tab. Anyway, mystery solved. Thanks.


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53532 03/02/20 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bob_00001
... I didn't take the decision to close down my Yahoo email account lightly, but in the end, I had to recognize that there's no such thing as a "free" email account.

In a growth market, like when Yahoo was started, it is possible to get away with providing free or below cost services as a means of increasing market share. In a mature or shrinking market, cash flow and profit is essential for survival. The computer market hasn't been a growth market for several years and has been shrinking for the last three or four. Google's genius was in anticipating the change and selling user data almost from the beginning. Yahoo's failure was in hanging on to their old business plan too long.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Problems with Yahoo Mail server?
Bob_00001 #53538 03/03/20 02:18 AM
Joined: Jan 2010
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It turns out that Site5 is sell aware of the problem. This is what they told me:

Recently our mail gateway Ip addresses are blocked on yahoo's server and hence our users are unable to send emails to Yahoo. And, we are regularly contacting yahoo on this. Currently we are waiting for an update from Yahoo.

Last edited by Bob_00001; 03/03/20 02:20 AM.

MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6

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