Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

ruud · 2006-12-09 10:45:44

mwr
The error means that the part of the email address behind the ‘@’ does not appear to be a valid hostname for receiving email. ZCR determines this by doing two DNS lookups (one for the MX record, one for the A record). If both fail, then this error is shown.
Does this happen for every email address you enter and/or does it happen each time you try a someone@shaw.ca address?

Please provide an URL to a contact form that demonstrates this problem.

mwr · 2006-12-09 19:08:35

Users have told me it happens also with kpcorp.com and yahoo.com. I have also tried it with my work address, which ends in kamloopsnews.ca — no go.

Here is a URL: http://www.thriftmac.com/suggestions/

Thanks for your help. It seemed to be working fine until recently, which makes it all the more baffling. I can’t imagine what I might have done to cause this.

ruud · 2006-12-09 22:39:46

Unless you edited the plugin, I doubt you caused this yourself (it seems to fail for all email domains).
Can you put the following code in a new file called dnstest.php, upload it to your server and open the page in your browser. It should show an IPnr and 4 times ok … or the last 4 things should all fail (windows server):

<pre><?php 
$domain = 'vanmelick.com'; 
echo 'OS: '.PHP_OS."\n";
echo 'gethostbyname: ' . gethostbyname($domain) ."\n";
echo 'getmxrr: ' . (getmxrr($domain, $d) ? 'ok' : 'fail') . "\n";
echo 'checkdnsrr: ' . (function_exists('checkdnsrr') ? 'ok' : 'fail') . "\n";
echo 'checkdnsrr(MX): ' . (checkdnsrr($domain,'MX') ? 'ok' : 'fail') . "\n";
echo 'checkdnsrr(A): ' . (checkdnsrr($domain,'A') ? 'ok' : 'fail') . "\n";
?></pre>

Also test this with an extra dot added to at the end of the domain name: $domain = 'vanmelick.com.';

Last edited by ruud (2006-12-09 22:44:17)

mwr · 2006-12-09 23:45:30

Here are the results:

OS: FreeBSD
gethostbyname: vanmelick.com
getmxrr: fail
checkdnsrr: ok
checkdnsrr(MX): fail
checkdnsrr(A): fail

With extra dot:

OS: FreeBSD
gethostbyname: vanmelick.com.
getmxrr: fail
checkdnsrr: ok
checkdnsrr(MX): fail
checkdnsrr(A): fail

ruud · 2006-12-09 23:52:41

Please contact your webhost. DNS is not working properly on the server. PHP functions like checkdnsrr don’t make a difference between a failing DNS and an a false result. The ZCR script assumes a working DNS, so if checkdnsrr fails due to DNS problems on your webserver, the script interprets that as a false result and shows the ‘not a valid email host’ error.

mwr · 2006-12-10 00:02:27

Will do.

mwr · 2006-12-11 16:49:32

They say DNS is working fine:

sounds like something Textpattern related, because DNS works in general from Cardero, e.g.
cardero:~ # dig +short vanmelick.com
207.228.238.44
cardero:~ # dig +short vanmelick.com mx
10 vanmelick.com.
5 home.vanmelick.com.
What kind of contact form is that? Zem’s zem_contact plugin? I’m not familiar with what such code does exactly, but this is not a general DNS issue on Cardero. Did you try bringing this up with the author and/or the TXP community?

ruud · 2006-12-11 18:41:54

Perhaps it helps to show them the bit of code I asked you to use for testing. It clearly shows the problem (checkdnsrr exists but can’t resolve either MX or A records for the host specified) and it’s small enough for them to understand quickly.

It’s not textpattern related, but perhaps PHP related.

Last edited by ruud (2006-12-11 18:43:21)

mwr · 2006-12-12 20:02:11

My host doesn’t seem to have any help for me. I’d really like a contact form. Is there some other (easy) way I could create one?

ruud · 2006-12-12 20:56:56

Edit the plugin, change this line:

if (is_callable('checkdnsrr') and !checkdnsrr($domain,'MX') and !checkdnsrr($domain,'A'))

into:

if (is_callable('checkdnsrr') and checkdnsrr('textpattern.com.','A') and !checkdnsrr($domain.'.','MX') and !checkdnsrr($domain.'.','A'))

This change checks if it can resolve textpattern.com. If it can’t then DNS is probably not working properly and the MX check is skipped. I’ll add this to the next ZCR release.

Last edited by ruud (2006-12-12 20:58:00)

mwr · 2006-12-12 21:41:31

Thank you for all your help. The form now works perfectly.

Amusing aside: It took me a few tests before I realized it was working. Nothing was showing up in the In box. Finally, I got the idea of looking in the Trash. Yes, Mail though it was junk …

maniqui · 2006-12-13 02:52:19

Some time ago, I have seen a TxP site that was using the comment form as a contact form.
I commented that it was a great idea for keeping a track of the “e-mails” sent thru the contact page.
Of course, the “problem” about using the comment form as a contact form is that the visitor have to preview the “e-mail” before being able to send it.
This could lead to confusion and usually end in the “e-mail” not being “sent” (because visitors could leave the page after hitting preview, thinking (wrong) that the e-mail was already sent).

So, the feature request: add a table in the TxP database to keep a record of all the e-mail sent thru ZCR. Of course, this could be implemented as an option: “Keep record of e-mails in database? yes | no”.

Personally, from time to time, I have problems with the e-mails sent using ZCR: e-mails never arrives to my account.
I think I have discovered this isn’t a ZCR problem at all, but a problem of the hosting delivering the e-mails sent through ZCR.
That problem it’s very weird and usually it lasts a few hours.
Strange thing: I can perfectly send and receive e-mails, and even the “copysender” e-mails are sent by ZCR. But the original e-mail to the destination (my account) of ZCR never arrives.

I have done exhaustive checking and trial and error and I repeat: this really doesn’t seem to be a ZCR problem but a problem between my hosting provider and Google Mail.
One important thing to note: the e-mails sent during the time that the ZCR “fails” have never arrived. They have been lost in some point between the Earth and Alpha Centauri. Very sad.

Back to the feature request: having such feature could be helpful as an “e-mail sent thru ZCR backup” inside the TxP admin/database. Of course, the problem related above seems to have only affected to me and no one else using ZCR.
But the future is unknow. Maybe (I hope not!) your visitor’s email are being sent right now to Alpha Centauri too!.

Thanks in advance and excuse my english.

Last edited by maniqui (2006-12-13 02:53:04)

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#25 2006-12-09 10:45:44

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#26 2006-12-09 19:08:35

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#27 2006-12-09 22:39:46

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#28 2006-12-09 23:45:30

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#29 2006-12-09 23:52:41

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#30 2006-12-10 00:02:27

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#31 2006-12-11 16:49:32

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#32 2006-12-11 18:41:54

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#33 2006-12-12 20:02:11

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#34 2006-12-12 20:56:56

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#35 2006-12-12 21:41:31

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

#36 2006-12-13 02:52:19

Re: Plugin: zem_contact_reborn 4.0.3.18 (old version)

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