problems with fetchmail and sent mail

[Conrad Newton <conrad.newton@broadpark.no>]

My home mail is fetchmail/postfix/procmail
based on Debian woody.

For two years I have been using the same
system without trouble.  The last update
of the system was maybe one month ago.

But since two days ago, fetchmail does
not work.  A call to

fetchmail -v

lists the number of mails waiting, but
refuses to download any of them.  It
starts on the first, gives a few dots ...
and then quits.  I can download mail
from the POP3 server manually using mutt.
It also appears that my outgoing mail 
is not reaching its destination.

I have not altered the system during
this time.  I contacted my internet
service provider (ADSL), and they said
they had not changed their system either.

They suggested that there could be a problem
with my firewall, an SMC Barricade.  This
router is the same one I have used for the
last two years.  I have never altered the
firmware or adjusted any of the default
values, which so far as I know do not
make any services available.

So I am completely at a loss as to what
could be wrong!  Can someone make a suggestion?

Conrad