Emails to domain disappearing

[#1]

Hi,

As background I realise that plusnet is no longer interested in email which is fine and I'll deal with that in due course. However, a massive problem has occurred which I need somebody to fix urgently and the customer service agent said to come here?? The fact is email is currently part of the service and until today nobody said it wasn't for much longer.

I have a domain name which I registered through plusnet almost back when it started. I have used it as my main email for years and all mail goes straight into my plusnet mailbox as you would expect. The domain renewed the other day and it shows on the plusnet account as registered to me and ICANN shows it's registered to 2026 so let's assume the renewal was done.

However, since the renewal emails to the domain alias are just not arriving although the sender gets no bounce message. Emails addressed to the post xxxx@xxxx.plus.com mailbox which in theory is exactly the same place all work fire. Everything is working just not email to the domain alias.

For obvious reasons this is a total disaster!

Any help please?

Ian

[#2]

Hi Ian,

In the first instance, two things to check...

1. @yourdomain.co.uk is being routed to Plusnet the same as the naked domain - use nslookup ...
   

   nslookup
   DNS request timed out.
       timeout was 2 seconds.
   Default Server:  [192.168.1.254]
   Address:  192.168.1.254
   
   > set type=mx
   > ***account***.plus.com
   Server:  [192.168.1.254]
   Address:  192.168.1.254
   
   Non-authoritative answer:
   ***account***.plus.com      MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = mx.avasin.plus.net
   > ***domain***.co.uk
   Server:  [192.168.1.254]
   Address:  192.168.1.254
   
   Non-authoritative answer:
   ***domain***.co.uk MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = mx.avasin.plus.net​

2. Check the email delivery settings - login in to the portal -> Manage Account -> Manage your domains -> Email set to collect using POP3
   
   

[#3]

Many thanks for responding. I have to say it's a minor panic!

So the Nslookup for [account].plus.com looks fine which is not a surprise as emails to that form of address are working:

> [account].plus.com

Server: 9.9.9.9

Address: 9.9.9.9#53

Non-authoritative answer:

[account].plus.com mail exchanger = 10 mx.avasin.plus.net.

However for my domain it fails

> [mydomain]

Server: 9.9.9.9

Address: 9.9.9.9#53

Non-authoritative answer:

*** Can't find [mydomain]: No answer

So something clearly went wrong on the renewal.

On my account page right now it shows my domain name and says "registered and hosted".

I have screenshot from when I renewed via the portal where I selected the renew button on my account page which I did when I got emails saying it was expiring. I have done this for years with no issues. 

[FWIW the POP3 email setting is still set correctly.]

HOWEVER, at the bottom of the configuration screen it still says the domain is set to expire on 2025-03-27.

ICANN lookup shows the following:

• Registry Expiration: 2026-03-27 10:05:20 UTC
• Updated: 2025-03-28 07:12:07 UTC
• Created: 2004-03-27 11:05:20 UTC

Something obviously got lost in the renewal process...

Regards,

Ian

[#4]

Check the name servers on the registrars site.

Least we now know where the issue is - the domain has gone dark!

Looking at those dates, I suspect that it was renewed the day after it expired ... now there could be 24-48 hours delay whilst the name servers repopulate.  Who is the registrar?

[#5]

I have no idea about the actual registration or even who the registrar is. Plusnet did it for me?

It's not a domain I bought somewhere and pointed at Plusnet - plusnet offered it to me years and years ago and they have managed it ever since as far as I know. 

In a bit of good news: bounce messages are now happening so at least people know what's going non. Emails going in a black hole is the worst possible world.

Do I just wait and see or can plusnet fix it?

Thanks

ian

[#6]

What is the TLD? If .uk look up the details on Nominet.

[#7]

.net

ian

[#8]

ICANN says the registrar is ENOM, INC. which means nothing to me. If I had access to the registration I could move the email to use another provider but presumably only plusnet has access to the registration information as they must have done it.

Presumably therefore either plusnet needs to give it me or needs move the name to another provider for me. I already have another name that I did register with cloudflare that I use on my apple account now they apple supports user domains is so it can go there.

I presume this was all going to happen anyway at some point when plusnet stops hosting email but it would be better if it hadn't just stopped working with no warning.

Do you think it may just be propagation timing issue that will sort itself out?

I suspect you've done all you can for which I'm very grateful.

Ian

[#9]

Hi Ian,

I expect this to flush out, but I’d be wanting to be sure. Now you know the registrar you should be able to find the name servers and query those direct.

Without detail there’s nothing other customers can do to assist further.

I’m aware that @LexLex2020 is working some magic around here this afternoon / evening …

[#10]

I can track down the nameservers but presumably as I didn't register the name, plusnet did, only they can sort the mess out - assuming that propagation isn't the answer. A day and a half later it's not looking good. 

Really appreciate your time and help - hopefully plusnet will pick up the baton soon.

Ian

[#11]

Try putting the name servers into nslookup then query your domain. If that does not resolve you might try looking to see if they have a support service you can access.

I do not know how Plusnet’s .net donation NS are managed - via the third party NS or their own.

This needs a staff touch - possibly NetOps who are office hours only.

[#12]

Update in the hope that plusnet pick this thread up:

I tracked down the authoritative server and whilst it has a record for the overall domain it has no MX records.

I then got an email this morning from plusnet saying the domain had expired but I can still renew on the account page. Of course I've already done that several times before expiry (when the reminders came in) but I did it one more time anyway.

Hilariously the message under renewing your domain already says "We will renew this domain automatically for you, if you don't want us to renew your domain click here." 

So basically they know I want to renew but just haven't actioned it.

Hopefully I can find a way tomorrow morning to get in touch with an operations person that can help. I'll be very happy to move it once it's working.

Ian

[#13]

Ian,

Is this mail service associated with a live broadband account?

[#14]

Yes. I’ve had plusnet broadband as my provider almost since it started. Probably 20 years.

Ian

[#15 · Accepted solution]

SU escalation raised - failure potentially PR damaging.