Problems Sending Email via Outlook in Beijing

Lately we've been getting lots of complaints from our clients and friends about not being able to send email via Outlook. It's likely you've had this problem yourself.

In fact, we've even had problems sending through our servers as well.

Now, before you blame your email provider and switch services, there's something you should consider: there is a good chance your internet service provider (i.e. CNC or China Telecom) is blocking access to your email server one way or another.

ISPs around the world are starting to enforce use of their own email sending protocol (SMTP) and blocking port 25 (this is what Outlook and Thunderbird use to send email).

Most ISPs are glad to tell you which port to use and what their SMTP server is. If you have this information, it's easy to set up your email program to use their private server.

However, ISPs in Beijing often refuse to give you the information. In fact, China Telecom recently told one of our representatives, 'I cannot tell you that,' when asked.

What is even more frustrating is that CNC and China Telecom aren't centrally controlled. Each district ISP has it's own rules and own ideas about internet censorship.

An easy way to test whether it's your server or your ISP is to try sending email from a different location. If you have a laptop, don't change any of your settings and take it to a coffeeshop with free wi-fi and try sending. Try at least two locations out, and see what results you get.

If it's not convenient for you to do this yourself, we can take care of it for you. Contact us for help. As a follow-up, we'll talk to your ISP about getting the issue resolved. If they are still unwilling to help, we'll look into other ISP options for you.

Earthquake Workaround

By now, you've probably heard about the earthquake in Taiwan that damaged trans-Pacific communication lines. If you're just about anywhere in Asia, you've likely felt the negative effects of it yourself.

The unfortunate truth is that there is very little you can do about it. Ironically, as I'm typing this I'm unable to connect to any western news sources to cite and link to concerning the effects of the earthquake.

In the days immediately after, we recieved many support calls. Some lacked connectivity entirely, while others were unable to reach certain services like MSN messenger or Skype. I love using Skype, but am still unable to call the US using my Skype credit.

I've read conflicting reports (that I cannot connect to and link currently) about how long the repairs will take. From what I've read, it seems that the repairs will take three or more weeks. For many businesses, including ours, this is a destructively long time.

In the meantime, if you absolutely need a high-speed connection and have a notebook with wireless connectivity, you can get a reliable connection in certain places around Beijing. Large, well-known hotels (i.e. St. Regis or Kerry Center) are often safe bets for reliable connects, as well as the restaurants or cafes nearby. Be careful before you get everything set up... you may have to scout around before you find a really solid connection.

If you don't have a wireless card, please contact us right away, and we'll set you up with one and help you find a decent public internet connection as soon as possible.

Fall Cleaning

If you've been in Beijing for more than a year, the inside of your computer looks worse than the one in the included image. The exhaust fumes and general pollution are bad enough as it is, but the dust brought in by the autumn winds can wreak havoc on your computer.

Large amounts of dust can clog up your computer's ventilation. When that happens, your system can heat up so much that it may shutdown suddenly without warning. It does this as a safety measure to avoid damage to heat sensitive components. Some computers, unfortunately lack this feature... when they overheat they may be damaged beyond repair.

If you're using a desktop, it's not too difficult to open it up and clean it out. Of course, you'll want to turn it off, ground yourself, and avoid using anything that attracts static electricity. We suggest using a can of compressed air, available at most places computer hardware is sold.

If you're hesitant to open your own computer, or if you have a laptop, contact us to have your system cleaned out. It can help extend the life of your computer and keep it running at full capacity.

Grand Re-Opening

It took a little longer than we'd hoped, but we're quite pleased with the results... we think the new website looks great, and we hope you do, too.

We'd like to thank our clients for their patience during this transition, and we'd like to thank everyone at BinarySwitch for helping us get our start as BinarySwitch Asia.

We look forward to the challenges that lie ahead, and hope that you contact us next time you need IT service.

Pardon the Dust

These are exciting times for us at Alternate Paradigm... we've just finished a few contracts that were a bit challenging and a lot of fun. Our new website is about to go live, and we're looking offering a new service paradigm in Beijing.

In the mean time, please excuse the mess as the last bits of the website are put into place. This is Beijing; what would our site be without the dust of nearby construction?