[WXC/VFX] Static IP and Email Server with WXC

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Static IP and Email Server with WXC

Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#19369 14-Feb-2008 09:39

Hello

I have been enjoying the WXC's Fusion and VFX excellent services for the past 3 weeks or more.

I have few questions relating to WXC's static IP. I did look through the T&C but nothing flash there or I missed the fine prints.

1) First of all ....Can I host my own home email server if I have a static IP with WXC?
2) Can WXC provide me a 'A' record for this IP - (Reverse DNS to my email domain)

Currently I have a static IP with XTRA and hosting a home email server however my domain name is hosted elsewhere not with Xtra. Unless you host this domain name with Xtra they will not provide you a Reverse 'A' record on my Static IP. I know its possible to have this record without hosting my domain name with them.

My 'MX' records look like this....Primary mail server at SERVERNAME.DOMAINNAME.CO.NZ preference 10, IP address xx.xx.xx.xx (xx-xx-xx-xx.adsl.xtra.co.nz).
I would like my ‘MX’ record look like this ….

Primary mail server at SERVERNAME.DOMAINNAME.CO.NZ preference 10, IP address xx.xx.xx.xx (xx-xx-xx-xx.DOMAINNAME.CO.NZ ).

or any other suggestions please, I’m hoping Phil could answer me.

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#110545 14-Feb-2008 09:45

WXC charge $9.95 per month for a bloody static IP!! My current ISP doesn’t charge for a static, I don’t see why they have to charge for static other than a way to make some money.

Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#110549 14-Feb-2008 10:08

kiwitrc: other than a way to make some money.

Xtra's full speed plans have FREE Static IP, as you can see my post above they are not good for me and FREE is not always the best thing in life. Let WXC make at least ''some'' money for the good service

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#110552 14-Feb-2008 10:13

Shash: 1) First of all ....Can I host my own home email server if I have a static IP with WXC?

It would be cheaper to use DynDNS which is free instead of a Static IP which costs $9.95 per month.

Most routers support DynDNS directly, so it is very easy and reliable. I have been using it since October last year without any problem.

Shash: 2) Can WXC provide me a 'A' record for this IP - (Reverse DNS to my email domain)

Because you own your domain, you can modify your MX records in any way you want. AFAIK, there isn't any reason why they won't work with a Dynamic DNS rather than a normal IP address, but others may be able to say for sure.

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#110553 14-Feb-2008 10:15

kiwitrc: WXC charge $9.95 per month for a bloody static IP!! My current ISP doesn?t charge for a static, I don?t see why they have to charge for static other than a way to make some money.

I can't believe they charge for phone lines or DSL service either!! Shocking!!

Its perfectly normal for a business to charge for value added services - just look at things like sms, mms, call minder, sky movies, metallic paint, anything with a 'pro' version, 5 DVDs a week instead of 3, 98 Octane....

Its not like a static ip address could be ad-supported or anything.

There are very good free services around too - I have used DynDNS for about 5 years or so, and never had an issue with them. Check them out.

:-)

Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#110557 14-Feb-2008 10:38

grant_k: It would be cheaper to use DynDNS which is free instead of a Static IP which costs $9.95 per month.

Most routers support DynDNS directly, so it is very easy and reliable. I have been using it since October last year without any problem.

Thanks Grant_k, I do have DDNS with DynDNS for my other line which is used for my IP Cams around the house

I know I can use this for the email server as well but when it come to a email server you feel secure to have a ISP provided static IP.

Also the main point here for hosting your own email server and to have a reverse DNS pointer to your email domain, to avoide blacklist of your mail server.... otherwise you will never know when your email server will be blacklisted!

Cheers

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#110560 14-Feb-2008 11:07

tonyhughes:
kiwitrc: WXC charge $9.95 per month for a bloody static IP!! My current ISP doesn?t charge for a static, I don?t see why they have to charge for static other than a way to make some money.

I can't believe they charge for phone lines or DSL service either!! Shocking!!

Its perfectly normal for a business to charge for value added services - just look at things like sms, mms, call minder, sky movies, metallic paint, anything with a 'pro' version, 5 DVDs a week instead of 3, 98 Octane....

Its not like a static ip address could be ad-supported or anything.

There are very good free services around too - I have used DynDNS for about 5 years or so, and never had an issue with them. Check them out.

:-)

Can DynDns be used to log into a server that is configured to allow a specified IP address only? That’s the only reason I need Static IP.

PenultimateHop

637 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#110566 14-Feb-2008 11:24

Shash:
Thanks Grant_k, I do have DDNS with DynDNS for my other line which is used for my IP Cams around the house
I know I can use this for the email server as well but when it come to a email server you feel secure to have a ISP provided static IP.

Also the main point here for hosting your own email server and to have a reverse DNS pointer to your email domain, to avoide blacklist of your mail server.... otherwise you will never know when your email server will be blacklisted!

Just to set the record (heh) straight, what you are asking for is reverse DNS, which is a 'PTR' record.

DNS A record: name -> IP
DNS PTR record: IP -> name

I can't answer if WxC officially provide custom PTRs (but anecdotal evidence would indicate they have done in the past), but I would like to comment on blacklisting and mail servers. If you are running a mail server on the end of a DSL line, I would recommend relaying your outgoing mail into your ISP. This solves a couple of things for you:

You only need to relay a message once - if you have multiple recipients, you aren't taxing your upstream bandwidth. The ISP mail server will relay the message to all recipients.
You may now find your [outbound] mail traffic is free - if your ISP provides differential billing for 'local' (on-net) traffic.
You may find that the ISP DSL space is listed in various "DUL" or "residential" blocks, which very arguably should NOT be sending mail out directly.
1. It's easier to get a major ISP's mailservers whitelisted than it is some random person's.
You avoid nasty problems where mail retries result in your quota being consumed due to a far-end mailserver rejecting your [large] message at the end of the SMTP session. I have seen severe Jetstream bill shock due to this.

#3 is a reasonably important one. You may already be blacklisted without knowing it.

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Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#110594 14-Feb-2008 13:07

Thanks PenultimateHop

PenultimateHop: 3.You may find that the ISP DSL space is listed in various "DUL" or "residential" blocks, which very arguably should NOT be sending mail out directly. .

This is also my first question to WXC whether they allow me having a Mail server on Fusion, since this is a Home mail server so my email client not necessarily has to use default port 25. BTW with Xtra my port 25 is not blocked as I have requested an Exemption not to block port 25.

PenultimateHop: 1. It's easier to get a major ISP's mailservers whitelisted than it is some random person's.
4. You avoid nasty problems where mail retries result in your quota being consumed due to a far-end mailserver rejecting your [large] message at the end of the SMTP session. I have seen severe Jetstream bill shock due to this. .

This also comes down to how your mail server is configured and what mail server you are using….

There are many small business in NZ having there email servers hooked at the end of a ADSL line, most of them host there domain name with Xtra so that they will have this pointer record (reverse of A-records) set correctly. Are all these small business mail servers black listed? As per the current regulations if your reverse pointer is not set correctly, your mail server will be 100% black listed. I can have my domain name with Xtra but they charge $80 a year, we all here are in the saving money (Not FREE) wagon here ann't we?

PenultimateHop: #3 is a reasonably important one. You may already be blacklisted without knowing it.

Hmmmm I have to check on this…

this is somthing I can not openly say in a public fourm that my mail server is Whitelisted

I’m sure WXC simply can have this PTR, what this means to WXC is a another FUSION account + Static IP

Cheers

PenultimateHop

637 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#110911 16-Feb-2008 00:43

kiwitrc:
Can DynDns be used to log into a server that is configured to allow a specified IP address only? That’s the only reason I need Static IP.

Generally speaking, no.

PenultimateHop

637 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#110913 16-Feb-2008 00:52

Shash: Thanks PenultimateHop

PenultimateHop: 3.You may find that the ISP DSL space is listed in various "DUL" or "residential" blocks, which very arguably should NOT be sending mail out directly. .

This is also my first question to WXC whether they allow me having a Mail server on Fusion, since this is a Home mail server so my email client not necessarily has to use default port 25. BTW with Xtra my port 25 is not blocked as I have requested an Exemption not to block port 25.

While I believe WxC blocks outgoing 25/tcp to mail servers that are not their own by default, I was actually referring to something else.

There are many Realtime Blackhole Lists (RBL) that use "residential" IP space as a basis. Generally speaking, a PC sitting on the end of a DSL line has no need to be sending out email. Some mail administrators will reject mail (i.e. bounce) from source IPs in what is obviously consumer DSL/cable/dialup space; others may use it to score the email with an anti-spam engine based on these RBLs.

There are definite advantages in relaying your email into your ISPs server from your own, for these reasons.

Shash:
PenultimateHop: 1. It's easier to get a major ISP's mailservers whitelisted than it is some random person's.
4. You avoid nasty problems where mail retries result in your quota being consumed due to a far-end mailserver rejecting your [large] message at the end of the SMTP session. I have seen severe Jetstream bill shock due to this. .

This also comes down to how your mail server is configured and what mail server you are using….

There are many small business in NZ having there email servers hooked at the end of a ADSL line, most of them host there domain name with Xtra so that they will have this pointer record (reverse of A-records) set correctly. Are all these small business mail servers black listed? As per the current regulations if your reverse pointer is not set correctly, your mail server will be 100% black listed. I can have my domain name with Xtra but they charge $80 a year, we all here are in the saving money (Not FREE) wagon here ann't we?

Yes, it absolutely does come down to how your mail server is configured, and I was just highlighting some of the advantages to relaying through your ISP's mail platform - remember you are paying for that mail platform to be there in your monthly subscription fee, so you may as well make use of it!

I think you may be confusing a few issues here.

1. Having your A record and PTR record match to, e.g. mail.mybiz.co.nz is not required, but it is recommended. There are anti-spam engines that will score your mail as spam (or spam-like characteristics) if it's coming off what appears to be a dynamic IP with ISP-style reverse DNS. But remember that your reverse DNS entry will have a matching forwards DNS entry, even in a typical ISP scenario. You certainly will not be 100% blacklisted, but you might find that some email is scored badly or bounced.
2. Having reverse DNS is not mandatory, but it is recommended, again for scoring reasons.
3. They may not be blacklisted, but there are people that erroneously use DUL RBLs for blacklisting email or scoring it. It is something to keep in mind when you are hosting email on the end of your DSL line.
4. I have seen many of these small business' experience significant bill shock and/or problems with their mail by directly sending out their own SMTP sessions, when they can simply and feasibly relay through their ISP mail platform[1].

Shash:
PenultimateHop: #3 is a reasonably important one. You may already be blacklisted without knowing it.

Hmmmm I have to check on this… this is somthing I can not openly say in a public fourm that my mail server is Whitelisted

I’m sure WXC simply can have this PTR, what this means to WXC is a another FUSION account + Static IP

The only people that can answer the PTR question is WxC.

[1] This assumes your ISP has a reliable outgoing mail platform.

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#110916 16-Feb-2008 04:37

PenultimateHop:
kiwitrc:
Can DynDns be used to log into a server that is configured to allow a specified IP address only? That’s the only reason I need Static IP.
Generally speaking, no.

Thanks PH. Lots of useful stuff in your response to Shash that I will look into further.

Shash

157 posts

Master Geek

#110951 16-Feb-2008 12:39

Update - email to telecom/Xtra solved my issue of having PTR on my static IP which is looks like this xx.xx.xx.xx .mailserver.mydomainname.co.nz. Not - xx.xx.xx.xx. xadsl.xtra.co.nz.

I was quite surprised to get this resolved by the complex tech support team, especially my domain name is not hosted with Xtra. About two years ago I did tried this but my request was refused with the reason that I do not have my domain name hosted with Xtra.

I know this is possible because about few years back (2003 I guess)I have moved my domain name from Xtra to other domain registrars, however my PTR record were left intact till I went back ( 2005) and ask them to remove this PTR and replace with my new PTR (as I have changed my email domain) this is where I got refused, and the default PTR ( xx.xx.xx.xx.xadsl.xtra.co.nz) was set.

Well, Thanks for everyone’s answers here, I’m glad my mail server is running what is recommended and sending out emails directly to your email servers!