Outage takes out TelstraClear

A failed switch at TelstraClear’s Auckland facility last week interrupted email, web service and DNS resolution nationwide.

TelstraClear spokesman Mathew Bolland says the switch was replaced replaced within hours but backed up traffic overwhelmed TelstraClear’s firewall, leading to spotty performance for customers throughout the day.

Paradise ADSL customers also had problems with authenticating, Bolland says. Asked how it was possible for a single switch failure to cause such severe problems, Bolland says TelstraClear doesn’t know but is looking into it.