[Exim] all SMTP connect()s timing out

hello all,

my exim installation is experiencing a problem where every SMTP connection
it attempts to make times out. with strace i can see that the problem
manifests itself as follows:

    connect(6, {sin_family=AF_INET, sin_port=htons(25),
    sin_addr=inet_addr("128.218.95.23")}}, 16 <unfinished ...>

lsof reports that the TCP connection is stuck at the SYN_SENT stage. this is
occurring for me with every SMTP server, although i am able to access them
with a plain "telnet servername 25". it is not a firewall issue unless my
ISP (earthlink/mindspring) has just started doing something tricky.

i created my exim.conf with eximconfig(8) and nothing in it looks weird to
me. i will gladly post it as an attachment if that's appropriate.

i upgraded from 3.31 to 3.33 and experienced no change with this problem.
all suggestions and discussion are appreciated.

aaron brick.

                ________________________________________________
               /                                                \
              |   Aaron Brick                 (415) 206 - 4685   |
              |   brick@???         Room 3501C, SFGH   |

                  Programmer Analyst, Functional Genomics Core
                   Sandler Center for Basic Research in Asthma
                   Lung Biology Center, Department of Medicine
                                San Francisco General Hospital
                       University of California, San Francisco