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Attachments convert to .dat between ISP's

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by stoutcj

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OK guys, this one has me stumped and I hope your feedback helps me resolve an issue.

Running Outlook 2002, and I send many attachments to biz associates and pals that include video and photos. I changed ISP's in May, back to a local cable modem company that had recently been acquired by Wave Broadband, and Wave was offering a 10 Mbit/s connection. So even though the network architecture wasn't ideal, the throughput is awesome. Immediately, some email recipients began to complain that attachments I sent were arriving as .dat files, or not coming through at all. The emails are stripped or partially stripped.

I talked to Wave...they claim there is "no way" their servers would strip packets or convert attachments, --regardless of size.

Reviewed all settings of Outlook XP (2002)including security settings and consulted Microsoft, supposedly all is nominal. The problem continued so....Reinstalled Microsoft Office after a complete uninstall because regardless of the settings I changed, the problem continued. Of approximately 20 people I exchange attachments with, 4 are reporting back to me and helping me resolve the issue. These 4 are home machines, and large companies are reporting back that my attachments are stripped, and this is no good. I have to send photos to my company as part of my job and can't depend on their arriving intact, so this isn't a hobby issue, it affects my job.

I've used 4 different email servers as test beds for sending attachments, and recipients that have reported not receiving attachments report back that regardless of which email server I use, the problem still occurs.

The only commonality in this problem is Wave Broadband, the new ISP. My design to return to this network was easy - 1) I never had an issue with the company when it was Starstream Communications, and 2) they offered a terrific connection speed at a good price.

Here's the rub: two receipients report that a complete attachment comes through once in awhile. These guys never had issues with my sends before, and my company sends are my big concern. It affects my pay!

So now I come to the TR community because I'm completely out of ideas, or for that matter, if it truly is something I can take to Wave Broadband, I cannot articulate a specific issue that they can act upon. So I'm stuck.

....AND, this happens on all of my primary PC's in my network. I have 7 of them, and 3 are used for email.

I changed routers to the new WRT300N from Linksys (it ROCKS) and am connected via Fast Ethernet for now. New wireless-N NIC later.

Clone, Asus Mthbd 1.7 GHz, 1G RAM
Fast Ethernet
ISP= Wave Broadband
Microsoft Office XP (2002)
Cable modem, 10 Mbit/s

Thanks in advance guys.

Chad

8 replies

by dan.cox

What format is your email in?
I don't know if this is the same issue but I had a situation where I sent attachements in a RichText email to a HTTP client. They always got converted to a .dat file. If I sent the same email in HTTP format it would be ok. It depends on the client the recipient is using. If they are using HTTP only client such as hotmail on the web, then they sometimes get the attachments converted to .dat. Almost always actually... Check that out as a possibility.

by stoutcj

Thanks Dan,
I've always sent mail in HTML....the ability to use other fonts or to bold text is helpful in communications in my world.
The coincidence of timing, the changing of my ISP, really threw me off and I wasted a lot of time as a result.
Sebastian is thinking that TNEF is the answer, which is exactly what you're saying. But with HTML format, this shouldn't be an issue....?
I'll keep at it...this is one of those deals where solving the puzzle is almost a "moral imperative" ha.

by stoutcj

Right...I understand, and thanks Sebastian.
I send everything in HTML, so TNEF should not be an issue....I thought.

by citysurvey

Using either outlook or pegasus mail, does the same thing. None of our other computers do this. I am able to open the dat files with Adobe, no problem, others cannot do it simply, have to change the filename. Have you found a solution to your problem? Thanks, Mike

by dpalsen

...and it was a setting on the other end. Make sure the recipients can receive attachments, and also make sure that they're not going straight to their junk-mail folders, as often junk mail folders are filtered against attachments.

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