Using SslStream Read Method Hangs on C#

Question

I am trying to read a response from the server using SslStream. The server is Google IMAP and I am using the IMAP commands according to the google documentation.

The first time, when I use the AuthenticateAsClient Method, this works, and I can read the response from the server with no problems:

SslStream.Read(responseStreamBuffer, 0, responseStreamBuffer.Length);

However, when I try to use the same Read method again, I get this error: Unable to read data from the transport connection: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or e stablished connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.

The rest of the code works perfectly, but after the first time reading from the stream, the code will hang out. I do have a catch struct for handling the exception, and this is where I got the exact error from.

I essence, the server gets the command I send using the SslStream.Write method, but every call thereafter for the Read method is rejected with the above exception.

I would be greatful for any help I can get.

Regards, Shay Rosenfeld.

Are you [disposing](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.idisposable.dispose.aspx) the stream after you are done with it? — Mike, Nov 01 '13 at 15:21

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 12 '15 at 04:06

Ok, so I decided to dig a bit and think outside the box. I knew that my code should be ok, as the only problem was with the second read.

So I though the problem might not be with C#, but with the IMAP protocol (or at least the way I was handling it). So far as I had discovered, if you use the Write methods, you should use the Read method when using a NetworkStream of amy kind. As SslStream only has Read and Write and no ReadLine or Writeline methods, I was stuck with the other ones, no problem.

Then I saw a question about a similar topic pertaining POP3 protocol. When I was sending command, I was sending the command itself, e.g. tag login user pass. But, unknown to me, the command was send successfuly, only for the server it was not the end of the command. Obviously, the problem was not with the IAMP protocol (smarter people than me probably invented that), it was my commands, and not my code. I.e., I had to put "\r\n" at the end of my command, telling the server that it was the end of the command, as so tag LOGIN user pass\r\n. After that, it worked like a charm. Now I only need to build a class for handling secured IMAP handling for my app and thats it.

If there is interest, I will be uploading the draft code (which is what it is right now), and probably the library too when I am finished. I love to use C# at its natural form and it challenges me every time, so that is why I don't always use external libraries. Of course, it is not always possible, but when it is I can feel the accomplishment of succeeding, and making myself a better programmer.

Thanks for all you guys who watched my question and tried to help, thanks to guys like you we can keep on programming without taking out hairs off.

Happy Halloween All!

Regards, Shay Rosenfeld.

Using SslStream Read Method Hangs on C#

1 Answers1