Re: Better POP daemon?

[Jack Bowling <jbinpg shaw ca>]

On Wed, Dec 24, 2003 at 04:58:52PM -0600, Rodolfo J. Paiz wrote:
> At 09:26 12/24/2003, you wrote:
> >On Wednesday, Dec 24th 2003 at 09:21 -0600, quoth Steven Stern:
> >
> >=>I'm popping mail from my FC1 server using the IPOP3 daemon that was 
> >already
> >=>there. Dang, but it is slow.  It takes a long time to just to pick up one
> >=>short message, mainly due (I think) to process start time.  It gets 
> >created
> >=>and stopped with each POP session.  Does anyone have a suggestion for a 
> >better
> >=>POP3 daemon?
> >=>
> >=> -- Steve
> >
> >Ummm, I have a suggestion. I had the same problem. No it's nothing to do
> >with long process start time. Make sure your identd is running:
> 
> No, better yet: make sure that your firewall REJECTS requests to ident 
> (port tcp/113). Do not DROP them silently, but REJECT them so that the 
> client gets an answer quickly. What is happening now is that your mail 
> client is making an ident request, and waiting for an answer until it times 
> out; REJECTing ident requests will provide an immediate answer (even if 
> that answer is "no comment") and will make your long wait disappear.
> 
> Ident provides the name of the user running or requesting the service, and 
> it's giving out information that you do not necessarily want to give. It 
> was a "friendly" feature back when the Internet was friendlier... now it's 
> a small security risk and provides no real benefit. Just say no.

I still hit some IRC servers that refuse to log you on if port 113 is
not open. A pain in the butt.


-- 
Jack Bowling
mailto: jbinpg shaw ca