For the last couple of weeks we've been getting complaints from WebTV users
that they haven't been getting their newsletters. (All of our lists are
announce only.) We finally tracked the problem down to a change that WebTV
made in the last couple of weeks. Specifically, they will now terminate a
connection for any email that has more than 20 recipients or more than 8
errors.

For example, you will see the following in the LSMTP log files if you have
logging turned on:
15:21:41 mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net(  6) >>> 421 Error: too many errors
15:21:41 (  6)O closed WEBTV.COM mailsorter-102.bryant.webtv.net,
WSAECONNRESET

or

14:57:58 mailsorter-101.bryant.WEBTV.NET(  6) >>> 452 Error: too many
recipients
14:58:07 mailsorter-101.bryant.WEBTV.NET(  6) >>> 421 Error: too many errors
14:58:07 (  6)O closed WEBTV.NET mailsorter-101.bryant.WEBTV.NET,
WSAECONNRESET

I have verified with WebTV that this was an intended change on their part.
At the same time, I expressed frustration that I have to change the number
of recipients setting (MAXBSMTP) for ALL of my lists, ALL domains because
they have made this change. (This is the case, isn't it?)

Anyway, thought I would pass on the information in case any other list
owners have been trying to track down why WebTV users aren't receiving their
list mail.

Laura John
Director of Program Management
MSNBC.com