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What is the proper time delay between sending emails for SMTP to not fail on Windows Server 2008 R2 machines?

For example, if I set a 500ms delay, would it successfully send all emails?

My software will send announcement email to my players. i can send all emails without any delay or i can make the software sleep like 500ms for each sending email

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    I'm not following your question. What time delay are you referring to? Where do you set this time delay? What SMTP server are you running?
    – joeqwerty
    Nov 19, 2011 at 16:11
  • this is the delay i am going to set at my email sending software. like send email then wait 500 ms and then send the second email. Nov 19, 2011 at 17:36
  • This makes no sense. Either you've grasped hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere, you've missed something very important out of your explanation or you're doing something very unusual.
    – Rob Moir
    Nov 19, 2011 at 21:59
  • If you need a delay for SMTP not to fail, you are doing something horribly wrong somewhere. Nov 20, 2011 at 3:39
  • i really don't understand you. i did not modify anything. my software will send announcement email to my players. i can send all emails without any delay or i can make the software sleep like 500ms for each sending email Nov 20, 2011 at 12:46

1 Answer 1

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If your software follows the RFCs no delay is required. You should be able to send multiple emails in the same connection without delays.

If your software just sends messages and relies on delays rather than following the RFCs, there is no correct answer.

EDIT: If you read the RFCs you will see mail is sent using a conversational protocol. If your software follows that protocol, there is no need to insert delays between messages. Some software just uses delays where it should be following the conversation. Software that does that is very fragile and may break if the other end does not respond within a reasonable time.

Adding delays between messages when you send a bunch may or may not be a good thing. Delays give the server time to process the last message before a new message arrives. Not having a delay increases the chance that multiple messages can be sent upstream with one connection. Unless you overload your mail server I would opt for no delay.

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  • i really don't understand you. i did not modify anything. my software will send announcement email to my players. i can send all emails without any delay or i can make the software sleep like 500ms for each sending email Nov 20, 2011 at 12:46
  • Your question was vague and got an appropriate response. See the comments to your question. I edited it and added your comment, My response has also been edited.
    – BillThor
    Nov 20, 2011 at 13:04
  • hello. thanks for editing. i will use c# 4.0 wpf application. i am using System.Net.Mail; Nov 20, 2011 at 13:16
  • I would expect that to follow the standards (RFCs).
    – BillThor
    Nov 20, 2011 at 13:28
  • so setting 500 ms delay is that good ? this delay will be setup at my application. i won't change anything on iis Nov 20, 2011 at 14:09

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