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What are the limits on incoming e-mail size?
Note: some of this information may not apply if you are using Summersault's new control-panel based hosting plans (setup after May 2007). Learn more about this change.
Summersault imposes a limit of 15 Megabytes on e-mail messages sent to the e-mail accounts that we host. If your e-mail account is hosted at Summersault and someone sends you a message that exceeds the 15 MB limit, they will receive a bounce message with an error message that looks like this:
552 sorry, that message size exceeds my databytes limit (#5.3.4)
This limit is imposed to manage the network and disk resources that can be consumed by any one message or any one sender. Because e-mail was not originally designed to accomodate the transfer of large files, sending large files via e-mail tends to be very resource-inefficient.
Note that this limit is likely much less than your total mail account quota, and so you can receive much more than this amount as separate individual messages.
Related Questions
Q: Can I pay to have the limit increased
for my account?
A: At this time, we are unable to provide per-account limit
increases due to the technical limitations of the mail
management software we use.
Q: Can you notify me when someone tries to send me a message that is rejected?
A: At this time, because of the nature of the way e-mail bounces are handled, we're unable to provide notifications for failed message deliveries. As with other kinds of bounced messages, you will have to rely on the original sender taking action.
Q: Why 15 MB?
A: We set the limit at 15 Megabytes based on our analysis
of standard limits throughout our industry, and based
on what we believe is the best balance for our network
and e-mail infrastructure.
Q: Can I change the size of incoming message size allowed for an individual e-mail account?
A: No; incoming message size limits cannot be set on a per-account or per-domain basis. We hope to offer this feature in the future.
Q: I'm having trouble sending/receiving
an attachment that is exactly 15 MB - why?
A: When an e-mail program attachs a file for delivery,
it has to convert its contents into a new encoding that
can often increase the actual size of the "payload" - the
file being delivered. That, in combination with the fact
that the message surrounding the attachment also contributes
to the size, means that the total size can exceed 15 MB even
if you think you're just under the limit.
Q: I need to be able to receive
files larger than 15 MB! How can I do that?
A: There are a variety of third-party services that provide
large file upload and retrieval functionality. We've listed
a few here for informational purposes; we can't endorse
or verify the quality of any third-party services:
- YouSendIt (1GB limit, free)
- XDrive (5GB+, fees vary)
- FilesAnywhere (fees vary)
You can also use the storage space that comes with your Summersault hosting account to upload and download large files. To post files to your account, you can connect via FTP, just as if you were making updates to your site files. Once connected, you can post the file in a private directory on your site and then send the recipient a link.
If you find that you are sending large files back and forth within a centrally located organization, you should consider looking at establishing an intranet server with shared folders. This will significantly reduce the network resources and time involved in moving these files around.
If you still have questions or need assistance, please submit a technical support request.
Last update: 2008-01-18 05:56
Author: Summersault Support
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