[WXC/VFX] XNET smtp.xnet.co.nz reverse DNS incorrect causing bounced mail

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] XNET smtp.xnet.co.nz reverse DNS incorrect causing bounced mail

andynz

360 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#69809 13-Oct-2010 12:09

Have had trouble with email bounced by Yahoo/xtra over the last day or so when sending via smtp.xnet.co.nz. Talked to Xtra today and the found the fault to be incorrect reverse DNS on the xnet mail server. smtp.xnet.co.nz resolves to 58.28.4.122 resolves to ananke.wxnz.net.

I spoke to Xnet CS but they didn't know when it would be fixed.

I'm writing hear to let other know about the problem and too see if anyone from Xnet can elaborate any more. It' is really important the issue gets fixed so customers can have reliable email delivery.

Cheers
Andy

frio

80 posts

Master Geek

#391301 13-Oct-2010 12:34

Hi there,

This isn't actually a configuration problem. smtp.xnet.co.nz is a CNAME for ananke.wxnz.net (our outbound mail solution), which in turn resolves to 58.28.4.122. Regardless, even if smtp.xnet.co.nz was an A record, the server itself HELOs as "ananke.wxnz.net", and thus when the reverse DNS check is done on Xtra's end, the results match :).

Mail delays to Xtra are related to some spam sent through our mailserver over the past few days, and Xtra/Yahoo subsequently blacklisting us. That issue has now been resolved, and we should now be removed from that blacklist. It's very difficult to tell with Xtra whether we have or haven't been, as Yahoo now administers their email solution, and communicating with anyone who has any authority over the mail system is difficult.

Cheers!

andynz

360 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#391320 13-Oct-2010 13:25

Hey thanks for your reply and clarification. Just got up in a bit of finger pointing this morning and as it appears some mis information on the part of Xtra and Xnet CS first thing today who said there were no problems at all with mail delivery.

Anyway for your reference this was what Xtra said and thanks for your reply on this forum.

**************
I think I may have found the problem.

smtp.xnet.co.nz's A record is 58.28.4.122.
If you look for the reverse DNS for this you get: ananke.wxnz.net

This should be the same, ie it should be smtp.xnet.co.nz..

Try this with smtp.xtra.co.nz and you'll see what I mean.
I have spoken to our security people and they say this is
international best practice for mail server set up.

It is probably not enough to cause a across the board block to all you
email but it is going to lower the "reputation" if your email.

Talk to xnet about this.
***************

Cheers
Andy

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#391324 13-Oct-2010 13:45

andynz: Have had trouble with email bounced by Yahoo/xtra over the last day or so when sending via smtp.xnet.co.nz. Talked to Xtra today and the found the fault to be incorrect reverse DNS on the xnet mail server. smtp.xnet.co.nz resolves to 58.28.4.122 resolves to ananke.wxnz.net.

I spoke to Xnet CS but they didn't know when it would be fixed.

I'm writing hear to let other know about the problem and too see if anyone from Xnet can elaborate any more. It' is really important the issue gets fixed so customers can have reliable email delivery.

Cheers
Andy

Yes I had the same problem with a bounced email from the yahoo mailserver yesterday.
These are ongoing problems with Xtra/Yahoos systems, and these days I tell people who use xtra email address to use another provider, or to provide me with an alternative email address, as Yahoo/Xtras email is so unreliable. If it does get through it often ends up in their junkmail folder anyway. When you contact Xtra, they really don't have an answer, but tell you to fill in a long yahoo hosted form. This may fix the problem for a while, but it them reoccurs. Unfortionatley this is what happens with companies subcontract out their services.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#391325 13-Oct-2010 13:47

andynz: Hey thanks for your reply and clarification. Just got up in a bit of finger pointing this morning and as it appears some mis information on the part of Xtra and Xnet CS first thing today who said there were no problems at all with mail delivery.

Anyway for your reference this was what Xtra said and thanks for your reply on this forum.

**************
I think I may have found the problem.

smtp.xnet.co.nz's A record is 58.28.4.122.
If you look for the reverse DNS for this you get: ananke.wxnz.net

This should be the same, ie it should be smtp.xnet.co.nz..

Try this with smtp.xtra.co.nz and you'll see what I mean.
I have spoken to our security people and they say this is
international best practice for mail server set up.

It is probably not enough to cause a across the board block to all you
email but it is going to lower the "reputation" if your email.

Talk to xnet about this.
***************

Cheers
Andy

You will find that almost all shared hosting is setup in the way xnet has set it up. You should ask them where this so called' best practive 'guideline is posted.

andynz

360 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#391328 13-Oct-2010 13:53

Yes same problem I have had in the past. Filled out the forms etc and was cleared for awhile only to be unlisted at some unknown later date.

It is quite bizarre that our biggest communications company in New Zealand is so effective at stopping reliable communications and is even less effective at addressing reported issues.

I too advise people to use more reliable alternatives for email, hosting and ISP services but we still have a large number of our clients who use xtra email addresses and we often end up calling them to make sure they get our emails. We seem to moving backwards here :)

Cheers
Andy

andynz

360 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#391329 13-Oct-2010 13:55

I was given this link for best practices...it's a yahoo page.

The other thing is to make sure your sending practices match best practice etc.
See this link: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/postmaster/basics/postmaster-15.html

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#391332 13-Oct-2010 14:02

andynz: Yes same problem I have had in the past. Filled out the forms etc and was cleared for awhile only to be unlisted at some unknown later date.

It is quite bizarre that our biggest communications company in New Zealand is so effective at stopping reliable communications and is even less effective at addressing reported issues.

I too advise people to use more reliable alternatives for email, hosting and ISP services but we still have a large number of our clients who use xtra email addresses and we often end up calling them to make sure they get our emails. We seem to moving backwards here :)

Cheers

Andy

What I do is send them two emails, one through outlook via xnets server, and the other through webmail via the web hosts mailserver. At least one will usually get through. A hassle yes, but probably less of a hassle than phoning them.

What I find is bizzare, is that telecom/xtra users usually don't know about the junkmail folder, and Telecom/Xtra doesn't clearly alert their customers that they need to check it regualarly, as it will contain emails that they may not have received. They can only do this by logging into webmail.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

nate

6473 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#391370 13-Oct-2010 15:41

andynz: It is quite bizarre that our biggest communications company in New Zealand is so effective at stopping reliable communications and is even less effective at addressing reported issues.

Not quite true, to quote frio's post:

frio: Mail delays to Xtra are related to some spam sent through our mailserver over the past few days, and Xtra/Yahoo subsequently blacklisting us. That issue has now been resolved, and we should now be removed from that blacklist.

One could argue that it was WxC's fault for letting spam through in the first place. Telecom just blocked them to stop any further spam going through.

It's all been resolved now (I've had this happen to clients before), there's not really anything you can do about it.

andynz

360 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#391377 13-Oct-2010 15:53

Actually my comments about xtra being so effective at stopping communication relates not only to this instance but to multiple problems with xtra's and telecom's services over the last year or so. Spending 4 hours on the phone with Telecom business hub trying to update a clients email name having tried to use the online service which had been "broken" for a couple of weeks. Basic stuff which I am able to perform with other hosting in under a minute. Being given totally different stories from different CS people about what imap services are available on what sort of hosted accounts. Going through the process of getting white listed for yahoo mail then being dropped again for no reason.

My singling out of this event is part of a more general frustration at mis information and lack of help and consistent information from xtra and Telecom CS.

So I apologise nate for not being accurate in my comment but I trust you can understand the underlying feeling.

Often being the biggest does not equate to the best.

Cheers
Andy