Problems sending email using clear.net.nz from Spark Mobile Network

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › Problems sending email using clear.net.nz from Spark Mobile Network

sfrasernz

234 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 13

#222632 21-Aug-2017 17:30

This sounds like a relaying issue to me but Vodafone have offered zero assistance. My father uses Spark for his mobile carrier (work phone) and operates a clear.net.nz personal email address. He is able to receive email from pop3.clear.net.nz while on the Spark network. He is intermittently able to send email via smtp.clear.net.nz but for the most part he can't.

Can anybody offer any advice to make this work? Webmail is not a viable solution.

Something I haven't tried is to use Sparks email server but I'm not sure they'd permit a ReplyTo address of clear.net.nz?

Thanks

Rickles

3107 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 445

Trusted

#1849941 21-Aug-2017 17:47

Sounds like usual 'open relay' block ... ISP's do not like sending another ISP's email

Receiving is no problem, just sending ... when travelling I use an SMTP service.

Other options are a Gmail account with appropriate aliases, or just use a Spark email address.

tdgeek

30048 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9455

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1849945 21-Aug-2017 17:52

I'm unsure how he can intermittently send using the Clear address, as that uses Post 25. Port 25 is blocked on Spark mobile.

Clear should use SSL, then you can use it anywhere anytime.

sfrasernz

234 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 13

#1849955 21-Aug-2017 18:28

Yeah I thought it was strange as well that he could send intermittently. I put it down to that perhaps some subnets were permitted to relay. Either that or dad was mistaken (quite possible)!

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
13036 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3896

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

Subscriber

#1849959 21-Aug-2017 19:00

As to it working inconsistently on the mobile network, i have no known cases that would line up with this.

Normally paradise/Clear emails require a /p or something to access them off network.

In terms of a business explanation of the best steps here, we advise customers to go back to Clear (vodafone) to request for SSL STMP servers - This is a basic feature any mail system should offer at this stage...

Technically, this IS Vodafones issue to resolve as Port 25 filtering is pretty common (Vodafone do it themselves)

However, truth be told and as per your own findings Vodafone are not able to offer support for that. (in my previous role i would deal with 2-4 of these situations a week, well in the range of 50 when xtramail migrations first happened and security was tightened)

Spark Do have a work around available, however it is Unsupported.

If you have a Xtramail address, you can request verification added to that account for the clear account.

After that, you would setup your SMTP servers to sparks SSL servers and this should be good.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Linux

12173 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8469

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1849960 21-Aug-2017 19:02

It's not an issue it's working as designed, Sending via another ISP should be blocked

Linux

richms

29098 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10208

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1849980 21-Aug-2017 19:46

You should move from clear to an ISP that is interested in providing you a reliable secure email service that operates over SSL and has ports that are available from other networks.

Richard rich.ms

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638
Inactive user

#1850007 21-Aug-2017 20:32

As everyone else has said... Clear smtp still operates like they are living in the early 80's and only support open relay.

A free smtp2go account would fix the issue. You can set that up as the outgoing over SSL and then it won't matter where the mail gets sent from.

Rickles

3107 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 445

Trusted

#1850242 22-Aug-2017 11:49

>He is intermittently able to send email via smtp.clear.net.nz but for the most part he can't. <

That does seem odd, so maybe the email 'appears' to have been sent, but no error message?

>A free smtp2go account would fix the issue<

Exactly ... I use MySendMail, a free smtp service, and correspondents are none the wiser.

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#1850253 22-Aug-2017 12:15

Dump the ISP email service and get a Gmail, Outlook etc or whatever account. A lot more flexible.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

raytaylor

4076 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1296

Trusted

#1850771 22-Aug-2017 22:37

This is a vodafone issue and vodafone need to fix it.

Instead they have been ignoring the problem for 7+ years now.

They simply need to set up SSL smtp access and offer a port other than 465

Ray Taylor

There is no place like localhost

Spreadsheet for Comparing Electricity Plans Here

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1850823 23-Aug-2017 07:10

raytaylor:

This is a vodafone issue and vodafone need to fix it.

Instead they have been ignoring the problem for 7+ years now.

They simply need to set up SSL smtp access and offer a port other than 465

I don't necessarily agree with that 100% - you could just as easily argue the responsibility of providing SMTP lies with the RSP rather than the mail provider. Afterall you don't use a 3rd party DNS server because that is core infrastructure for a RSP as well. I'm not suggesting that all RSP's need to provide POP3 email, but many people need SMTP servers for various reasons.

At the end of the day IMHO SMTP/POP3 should be avoided at all costs for email as it's such a terrible solution and I don't understand why people still use it. With people wanting email of multiple devices these days anything that supports ActiveSync/EAS is still by far the best (and I'd argue only) solution for email.

When you can rock solid email with Activesync/EAS with your own domain as cheap as little as $10 or so per year I struggle to understand why people rely on their crippled RSP email services. Yes changing can be a pain, but that's short lived.

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

richms

29098 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10208

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1850930 23-Aug-2017 08:31

If you are not providing any email service at all, and are just selling internet access then no SMTP should be provided.

Using an ISP one worked in the days before hugely agressive spam filtering where anything without SPF will usually hit the spam folder unless you have emailed them in the past with most providers.

Richard rich.ms

raytaylor

4076 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1296

Trusted

#1851687 24-Aug-2017 09:11

sbiddle:

I don't necessarily agree with that 100% - you could just as easily argue the responsibility of providing SMTP lies with the RSP rather than the mail provider.

Using your own ISP's email server will not be compatible with your EmailSP's SPF records.

Ray Taylor

There is no place like localhost

Spreadsheet for Comparing Electricity Plans Here