Login, click, back to login...

robmueller · 11 Feb 2003, 05:45 PM

I'm getting a few people reporting problems with the new cookie handling of sessions. The problem is that there's only about half a dozen people, and they all seem to have standard browsers, and I can't reproduce the problem at all, but the symptoms seem to be exactly the same for them. Basically it's:

1. Go to http://www.fastmail.fm
2. Login
3. Click on any message to read, and you're back at the login screen

Has anybody else seen this behaviour? I'm trying to track down some commonality between the machines it's happening on. If you have seen this, please email webmaster AT fastmail DOT fm with the details. What I'd like to know:

What browser? What version? What OS? Secure or normal login? What links/buttons can you click before getting thrown back to the login screen (mailbox, folders, messages, compose, addresses, options, support, faq???) What are all the messages you get at each stage? Have you tried clearing all your cookies and trying again? Do you go through a proxy? Do you have an ad or cookie blocker?

Also, can you download and run http://www.fastmail.fm/fasttest.exe and send the results.

I want to track this down and fix it ASAP.

Thanks

Rob

**DBH** · 11 Feb 2003, 07:51 PM

It happened to me once a while back...thought it was a fluke, and it hasn't happened again.

ady · 12 Feb 2003, 12:49 AM

No problem here. WinXP Pro + Opera 7.01 + Secure + Save Password. Using old cookies.

kc80027 · 12 Feb 2003, 01:57 AM

Rob, I don't have this exact problem but starting today I have a new problem that is probably related to the new cookie handling of sessions so I'm going to post here instead of creating a new thread. The new problem is I no longer can have two web sessions running concurrently for two different Fastmail accounts (both are Member accounts).

1. I login into https://www.fastmail.fm
2. I open a new browser window (which is my Google home page).
3. In this new window I go to https://www.fastmail.fm
4. The message at the top or the page is:

Quote:

The session you are trying to use has expired. This is either because you were inactive for more than 2 hours or clicked the Logout button. Please enter your user name and password to login again and I'll try and continue from where you left off. If you were trying to send an email, DON'T PANIC, just log in below again and I'll send it off.

5. I login for a different account. (Now I have two web pages showing the inboxes of two different Fastmail accounts.)
6. I go to the first account's Inbox. I open a message. I am directed to the other account's Inbox with this message at the top:

Quote:

The folder ID 396264 does not exist. Maybe you deleted the folder?
Could not access the folder ''. Returning to Inbox.

Apparently, by logging into another Fastmail account the session for the other account is terminated.

I am using Mac OS 9.1, IE 5.1.6. Cookies are enabled and this happened after I cleared cookies and reopened IE.

-kc

**DBH** · 12 Feb 2003, 02:14 AM

Same thing happened to me. For now you can just open a different browser, if you have one. I use IE6 for one and Mozilla for the other.

kc80027 · 12 Feb 2003, 02:38 AM

I just discovered that the session is terminated with only one Fastmail account open. While running only one browser window, I went from my Inbox to https://www.fastmail.fm and the login page had the same message, "The session you are trying to use has expired...." I could not go back to my Inbox using the "Back" button. I had to log back in with my password.

Edit:
This isn't quite right. The Inbox is displayed when I use the "Back" button. When I try to open a message I am directed to the login page with the message "The session you are trying to use has expired...."
-kc

robmueller · 12 Feb 2003, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kc80027
1. I login into https://www.fastmail.fm
2. I open a new browser window (which is my Google home page).

I am using Mac OS 9.1, IE 5.1.6. Cookies are enabled and this happened after I cleared cookies and reopened IE.

This sounds like it could be an Mac IE problem making session cookies global. Try this instead:

1. Open 2 new browser windows
2. Go to https://www.fastmail.fm separately in each window
3. Login separately in each window

Do you still have the same problem? If you do, it's a bug in Mac IE. The best solution would actually be to block cookies for the www.fastmail.fm site, then it will revert to session ID's in the URL. Less safe, but it will allow multiple simultaneous sessions.

Rob

kc80027 · 12 Feb 2003, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by robmueller
Do you still have the same problem? If you do, it's a bug in Mac IE. The best solution would actually be to block cookies for the www.fastmail.fm site, then it will revert to session ID's in the URL. Less safe, but it will allow multiple simultaneous sessions.

Yes, I have the same problem when I open two windows before logging in to either account. Your solution of blocking cookies from www.fastmail.fm worked for multiple simultaneous sessions. It also allows me to access my Inbox from the "Go" menu when I am logged into only one account. Can you or someone elaborate the safety concerns with using session IDs in the URL when the cookie is blocked?

-kc

mprakash · 12 Feb 2003, 11:11 AM

I have two fastmail accounts, and I can
no longer monitor both of them at the
same time.

Please restore the earlier behavior ASAP,
wherein I can use tow browser windows
to check mail in the two accounts.

Otherwise, thanks for a great email
service. (I like it enough to have paid
for two accounts for different purposes.)

Mayank.

SanjaySheth · 12 Feb 2003, 11:15 AM

Rob, a better solution may be to use multiple cookies .. one for each account.

So change your cookie from IDStr=234...234 to
IDStr_(accountname)=234..234

Then, each account would have its own cookie regardless of how many browser windows are used.

Jeremy Howard · 12 Feb 2003, 12:07 PM

I think we might just do that Sanjay - I remember discussing this last week, and can't remember why we didn't decide to do it! Thanks for your (as usual) very useful analysis.

admiralu · 19 Feb 2003, 03:47 AM

I am still experiencing being kicked off the server when I try to delete a message or bounce one. This is getting annoying.

Jeremy Howard · 19 Feb 2003, 04:41 AM

Could you try the new code on the beta server and tell us if that fixes your problem: http://www.emaildiscussions.com/...threadid=11263

admiralu · 26 Feb 2003, 04:30 AM

I tried the beta code and still was kicked off the server. This seems to happen after I delete an item and move to another message, not frequently, but at least one a session. It also happens if I bounce a message to the sender. I hope this problem will be fixed soon, it is very annoying having to keep logging in after deleting a message constantly. I have taken to deleting a batch of messages at once instead.

Jeremy Howard · 26 Feb 2003, 05:05 AM

You should go back to using the main server now - the previously-beta code has been moved into production.

Let me know if you still have that problem on the main server.

11 Feb 2003, 05:45 PM	#1
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	Login, click, back to login... I'm getting a few people reporting problems with the new cookie handling of sessions. The problem is that there's only about half a dozen people, and they all seem to have standard browsers, and I can't reproduce the problem at all, but the symptoms seem to be exactly the same for them. Basically it's: 1. Go to http://www.fastmail.fm 2. Login 3. Click on any message to read, and you're back at the login screen Has anybody else seen this behaviour? I'm trying to track down some commonality between the machines it's happening on. If you have seen this, please email webmaster AT fastmail DOT fm with the details. What I'd like to know: What browser? What version? What OS? Secure or normal login? What links/buttons can you click before getting thrown back to the login screen (mailbox, folders, messages, compose, addresses, options, support, faq???) What are all the messages you get at each stage? Have you tried clearing all your cookies and trying again? Do you go through a proxy? Do you have an ad or cookie blocker? Also, can you download and run http://www.fastmail.fm/fasttest.exe and send the results. I want to track this down and fix it ASAP. Thanks Rob

12 Feb 2003, 02:38 AM	#6
kc80027 Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 48	I just discovered that the session is terminated with only one Fastmail account open. While running only one browser window, I went from my Inbox to https://www.fastmail.fm and the login page had the same message, "The session you are trying to use has expired...." I could not go back to my Inbox using the "Back" button. I had to log back in with my password. Edit: This isn't quite right. The Inbox is displayed when I use the "Back" button. When I try to open a message I am directed to the login page with the message "The session you are trying to use has expired...." -kc Last edited by kc80027 : 12 Feb 2003 at 02:46 AM.

12 Feb 2003, 11:11 AM	#9
mprakash Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 4	This is a serious problem I have two fastmail accounts, and I can no longer monitor both of them at the same time. Please restore the earlier behavior ASAP, wherein I can use tow browser windows to check mail in the two accounts. Otherwise, thanks for a great email service. (I like it enough to have paid for two accounts for different purposes.) Mayank.

19 Feb 2003, 03:47 AM	#12
admiralu Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 442	Cookie Issue I am still experiencing being kicked off the server when I try to delete a message or bounce one. This is getting annoying.

26 Feb 2003, 04:30 AM	#14
admiralu Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 442	Beta Test I tried the beta code and still was kicked off the server. This seems to happen after I delete an item and move to another message, not frequently, but at least one a session. It also happens if I bounce a message to the sender. I hope this problem will be fixed soon, it is very annoying having to keep logging in after deleting a message constantly. I have taken to deleting a batch of messages at once instead.

11 Feb 2003, 07:51 PM	#2
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	It happened to me once a while back...thought it was a fluke, and it hasn't happened again.

12 Feb 2003, 12:49 AM	#3
ady Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 482	No problem here. WinXP Pro + Opera 7.01 + Secure + Save Password. Using old cookies.

12 Feb 2003, 02:14 AM	#5
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	Same thing happened to me. For now you can just open a different browser, if you have one. I use IE6 for one and Mozilla for the other.

12 Feb 2003, 11:15 AM	#10
SanjaySheth Master of the @ Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,079	Rob, a better solution may be to use multiple cookies .. one for each account. So change your cookie from IDStr=234...234 to IDStr_(accountname)=234..234 Then, each account would have its own cookie regardless of how many browser windows are used.

12 Feb 2003, 12:07 PM	#11
Jeremy Howard Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 11,501	I think we might just do that Sanjay - I remember discussing this last week, and can't remember why we didn't decide to do it! Thanks for your (as usual) very useful analysis.

19 Feb 2003, 04:41 AM	#13
Jeremy Howard Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 11,501	Could you try the new code on the beta server and tell us if that fixes your problem: http://www.emaildiscussions.com/...threadid=11263

26 Feb 2003, 05:05 AM	#15
Jeremy Howard Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 11,501	You should go back to using the main server now - the previously-beta code has been moved into production. Let me know if you still have that problem on the main server.