Weird problem with sendmail on SuSE Linux w/OE 6.0- cannot forward email.

Dear SuSE wizards, I don't know if this is a problem with sendmail, the access.db, my /etc/hosts.allow, some security settings, the network hubs, Linux, or just what... The problem: The client has a small network with two servers, both with dedicated IP addresses. The first server is a Novell Server. The second is the SuSE 7.3 server whose main mission in life is to run sendmail. It works flawlessly, except for one small problem--two users on the second floor cannot forward email messages. (the mail clients are OE 6.0 with a POP3 connection). There are three ethernet hubs, call them A, B, and C. A connects the two servers, with a line that goes to B. B accepts network connections from all users on the 1st floor. This hub has one cable that goes to hub C on the second floor. I am including this because, if I bring a computer that is attached to hub C on the second floor to a station that plugs directly into B, I can forward email and it works just fine. All other network access functions work just fine. The error message is a Time-out from the SMTP server and OE asks if they want to wait for 60 seconds longer. I will add that if I telnet to the SMTP port when I am connected to hub C, mail.server.org replies with a helo to smtp.server.org. When I move the PC to connect to Hub B, I a helo to that same smtp.server.org. The unit with that domain name (smtp.server.org) is the Novell server which acts as the gateway to the internet. It should NOT be necessary for this server to act as a gateway to the smtp server. This is probably a lot more detail than is required, but how can I go about troubleshooting why these two workstations cannot forward mail? (they send and receive just fine. When we attempt to forward, there is NO message generated in the /var/log/messages or /var/log/mail that I can find. Weird. I have swapped hubs but that yield no differences. I swapped hubs because this problem did not crop up until a previous hub "C" was damaged by water. When I swapped that hub out for a new one, that seems to be when this problem started. Only the two people that are plugged into this new hub have the cannot forward problem. I tried another hub just because this seems like the only variable that could be the offending variable. Any hints on what I could try next? I am stumped! -- Andrew Lietzow The ACL Group, Inc.
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Andrew Lietzow