USPS Error

[bislewl]

ok I have a unique one here...

- Running Zen Cart 1.5.3
- Using USPS Version 2015_0531_K7

Sometimes it returns rates, sometimes it takes a while and gives: "Error 28: connect() timed out!"

Thus far I'v tried:

Reinstall module with the following steps:
- Uninstalled in Admin (Modules -> Shipping -> USPS)
- Copied/replaced freshly downloaded version K7 files
- Installed in admin (Modules -> Shipping -> USPS)

Used curltester.php
- All other Curl test come back "Good" including "http://testing.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPITest.dll"
- However "http://production.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll" is only working about 40% of the time.

Swapped out USPS username for a known working one, same inconsistent results

modified the address in

doCurlTest() 

for

echo 'Connecting to USPS (port 80)...<br>'; 

with the following addresses:
production.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll
http://production.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll
https://production.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll
then I tried http://testing.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPITest.dll and that worked

tried the

doCurlTest() 

with and without the 2nd parameter of: 80 (except on the https address)

Seems like once it fails it fails for a while, then it works and returns rates and then it fails again.

Anyone with thoughts or similar experiences?

[Ajeh]

Sounds like intermittent problems connecting to USPS ...

Normally, it either works or does not work ... the intermittent usually happens when USPS is having issues ... this is a link to one thing that checks the USPS connection:
http://www.shippingapimonitor.com/history.html?api=usps

You could check with your domain hosting company to see if they are having issues or explain to them that you are having intermittent issues so that they can check for these problems ...

Usually, you will get logs for this problem to help identify times that this has been happening ... they will be in the /logs directory (/cache on older versions of Zen Cart) ... but this issue is either your Domain or USPS ...

[bislewl]

Sounds like intermittent problems connecting to USPS ...

Normally, it either works or does not work ... the intermittent usually happens when USPS is having issues ... this is a link to one thing that checks the USPS connection:
http://www.shippingapimonitor.com/history.html?api=usps

You could check with your domain hosting company to see if they are having issues or explain to them that you are having intermittent issues so that they can check for these problems ...

Usually, you will get logs for this problem to help identify times that this has been happening ... they will be in the /logs directory (/cache on older versions of Zen Cart) ... but this issue is either your Domain or USPS ...

Thank for the response Linda.

Nothing in the /logs folder. Sorry I should have said that earlier.

The link shows 2 minutes of downtime, which wouldn't account for what I'm having.

Also I checked on 10+ different stores, on a variety of hosting companies (people really need to remove the /extras folder IMHO)
and even the one from the same hosting company and all had "Good" responses, all the way down.

I added
dofsockTest('production.shippingapis.com',80); and received

Connecting to USPS (port 80)...

Warning: fsockopen() [function.fsockopen]: unable to connect to production.shippingapis.com:80 (Connection timed out) in /home4/****/public_html/extras/curltester.php on line 166


Error Num: 110, Message: Connection timed out 

[bislewl]

Actually, I think I have discovered the issue, not the exact solution but...if I swap out the url for the IP address it works...I do the same in the includes/modules/shipping/usps.php (see below) it returns rates...

Example:

...

    switch (MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_SERVER) {
      case 'production':
      $usps_server = '56.0.34.43';
      $api_dll = 'shippingapi.dll';
      break;

... 

results from modified curltester.php

Connecting to USPS (port 80)...
Error 28: connect() timed out!

Connection Details:
Array
(
    [url] => "HTTP://production.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll"
    [content_type] => 
    [http_code] => 0
    [header_size] => 0
    [request_size] => 0
    [filetime] => -1
    [ssl_verify_result] => 0
    [redirect_count] => 0
    [total_time] => 5.042165
    [namelookup_time] => 0.048846
    [connect_time] => 0
    [pretransfer_time] => 0
    [size_upload] => 0
    [size_download] => 0
    [speed_download] => 0
    [speed_upload] => 0
    [download_content_length] => -1
    [upload_content_length] => -1
    [starttransfer_time] => 0
    [redirect_time] => 0
) 

Connecting to USPS via IP (port 80)...
GOOD: CURL Connection successful.

Connection Details:
Array
(
    [url] => "HTTP://56.0.34.43/ShippingAPI.dll"
    [content_type] => text/xml
    [http_code] => 200
    [header_size] => 454
    [request_size] => 209
    [filetime] => -1
    [ssl_verify_result] => 0
    [redirect_count] => 0
    [total_time] => 0.164458
    [namelookup_time] => 0.000165
    [connect_time] => 0.081003
    [pretransfer_time] => 0.081085
    [size_upload] => 37
    [size_download] => 212
    [speed_download] => 1289
    [speed_upload] => 224
    [download_content_length] => 212
    [upload_content_length] => 37
    [starttransfer_time] => 0.16444
    [redirect_time] => 0
) 

[Ajeh]

Seriously, talk to your hosting provider and explain to them the problem you are having with USPS and mention your observation of the IP vs the domain name which has never been an issue nor solution on USPS issues. That seems like a server-specific DNS name-resolution issue.

The debug logs will only generate if you have in the USPS shipping module the Debug set to Logs ...

NOTE: the cURL tester will not generate debug logs just the shipping module from either Shipping Estimator or Checkout shipping page ...

[Ajeh]

If you add something to the shopping cart and test via the Shipping Estimator, about how many times does USPS fail over 20 attempts? Or is it more attempts before it fails?

So far I cannot get it to fail and I am trying to reproduce the issue ...

[DrByte]

Seems like a DNS problem on the server.

A test could be to TEMPORARILY add a hosts file entry:

56.0.34.43  production.shippingapis.com   #temporary for testing only, Oct 2015; should be removed ASAP

If the problems stop immediately after putting that in the hosts file but re-occur again after removing it, then that strongly suggests that the server's ability to do name resolution is broken.

Do remember to remove it from the hosts file after you're done testing, in case USPS changes the IP address in the future.

[bislewl]

If you add something to the shopping cart and test via the Shipping Estimator, about how many times does USPS fail over 20 attempts? Or is it more attempts before it fails?

So far I cannot get it to fail and I am trying to reproduce the issue ...

Now, with the IP they all come correct. Before I could do 20 requests and 15 would work, then another 20 and every one fail.

I'm contacting hosting provider, hopefully they can resolve the issue, correctly. My suspicions are a DNS issue.

Thanks for the help! Hopefully it will help someone else too!

[Ajeh]

Thanks for the update ... please let us know what the resolve is for this issue once you have found it with your hosting provider ...

[bislewl]

Just wanted to post an update, the hosting provider confirmed the issue.

However they are saying it is the USPS server has banned the store's IP. But since USPS servers run multiple servers by forcing to use a server that hasn't banned that store it's working. They say they are contacting USPS to resolve the issue with being banned from that server.'

I'll update when I hear more