PC Ext: Remote Client Sets Hop Count to Ten

• Microsoft Mail Remote for Windows, version 3.2

SYMPTOMS

A mail message sent from the Version 3.2 of Microsoft Mail Remote for Windows version 3.2 or 3.5 client, may result in a non-delivery message similar to the following:

From: POSTMASTER To: < sender of message > Subject: Mail failure Date: Thursday, May 23, 1996 3:22PM

FROM: < sender of message >

TO: < recipient of message >                      DATE: 23-05-96
                                                  TIME: 15:22

[003] Message hop count exceeded. Message followed the following route:

  NETCAD/HBPO01
  NETCAD/BUPO01
  NETGRI1/RH02
  NETGRI1/IH01
  NETSIS/WO01
  NETSIS/EUO01
  NETSIS/HUB02
  NETUFE/HUB01
  NETUFE/HUB03
  NETUDI/UDIPO1

  <net>/<po>/<mailbox>

CAUSE

The non-delivery report is generated when the number of hops reaches ten, regardless of the hop count setting as configured in the Admin program. The Remote Windows client does not pick up the administrator set hop count from the postoffice. The client inserts a hop count of ten in all messages.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in version 3.05.0025 and prior versions of external.exe. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services for more information on the availability of this fix.

The Windows Remote Client has no access to the hop count as set by the administrator on the home postoffice. The 3.05.0030 version of external implements code to insert the postoffice value of hop count into remote client messages. Prior versions of external did not change the value of hop count when handling remote client messages.

In the Microsoft Mail for PC Networks Administrators Guide, Chapter 7, is a section describing the purpose of hop count and the proceedure to set it. This setting is designed to affect all client mail for users having a mailbox on the postoffice.

See Article Q147368 for more information about a similiar hop count problem for messages generated by the Microsoft Mail for Windows client.