***Forum Emails Not Working***

[tommundy]

Hi all,

I'm aware of an issue that's knocked out all emails from the forum. This includes PM notifications and reminders to renew your membership.

I think I've tracked it down to our email host enforcing TLS 1.2, but the current forum software I'm guessing is only using TLS 1.0 or 1.1. There's been various knock-on effects with it going down, such as people's subscriptions not updating for the past few months, so I've got some catch-up to do.

I'll also have to review if we can get the forum to use TLS 1.2 to authenticate to the email server, or if I have to look for alternative options.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.

In the meantime, please check back manually on the forum for new posts and personal messages.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Tom

[jimi]

You'll get there, it isn't a major deal, might even encourage peeps to check the forums more often

[tommundy]

You'll get there, it isn't a major deal, might even encourage peeps to check the forums more often

Hey Jimi, cheers for the support!

That side of it I'm not too worried about. The kick in the nuts is it's killed the feedback loop for subscriptions from PayPal, so people pay their subscription, but the forum a) doesn't update their privileges and b) doesn't create the subscription record in the forum. I've got it all audited in the PayPal payments, but it's still going to be a pain to get it all re-aligned, and updated in the membership database.

I'll get there though.

[Sweetpea]

I need to renew my subscription in the next week or two. Do you want me to hold off while you get on top of things?

James

[tommundy]

Just an update on this.

I've just gone back through the 50 membership renewals (including 2 new members! ) since April, and updated everyone's membership records accordingly, and where necessary, re-upgraded your forum access.

At least now I can monitor any new ones coming through until I get the server move and software upgrade planned in.

Thanks again all!

[jimi]

Any luck with finding/sorting the problem Tom ?

[tommundy]

Hey Jimi! Sorry for the delay in replying; busy as always! But we are moved into our new house finally.

I know what the issue is, but unfortunately it's going to need at least a server migration, and possibly a software upgrade, and worse case a brand new version of VBulletin as well as the server migration. The only short term fix I could do to resolve the lack of emails issue would be to find an email host that still offers TLS1.0, but I think that might be tricky.

Sorry for the bit of downtime overnight and this morning too. My server host only gave me 48 hours notice of an internal server move they carried out. I was quietly hoping they might auto-upgrade us to save me a tonne of work, but alas, no.

Will keep you all posted as I progress with things.

[jimi]

Hey Jimi! Sorry for the delay in replying; busy as always! But we are moved into our new house finally.

I know what the issue is, but unfortunately it's going to need at least a server migration, and possibly a software upgrade, and worse case a brand new version of VBulletin as well as the server migration. The only short term fix I could do to resolve the lack of emails issue would be to find an email host that still offers TLS1.0, but I think that might be tricky.

No problem Tom, congrats on the house move

I think you'll struggle to find any hosts that still support TLS1.0, I checked my WHM/Cpanel and the minimum it will support is TLSv1.2, even if you do find something your still stuck with an old depreciated version Might be time to bite the bullet and go along the upgrade route.
Not familiar with Vbulletin since we use phpBB and Joomla, with them version upgrades are "usually" fairly straightforward and painless.

If there's anything I can do to help drop me an email.
Jimi

[tommundy]

Cheers Jimi! It was a long time coming. We'd been window shopping for about 8 years, haha.

Yeh, the TLS1.0 option would have only been to tide us over for a few months, so probably not worth the effort at this stage.

Thanks for the offer of help. It'll be good to have an extra pair of eyes on it, and everything will need testing.

[tommundy]

There is a new incremental version that would be easy to upgrade to (and may give TLS1.2 functionality), but when I last tried that, I discovered that our VPS also has a very outdated version of php, which can't be upgraded, so I had to revert the upgrade. Computers eh!?