Ihug mail is broken again

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Ihug mail is broken again

PhilM

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Topic # 14355 29-Jun-2007 08:43

This has happened a few times before. Maybe vodafone should get ihug to employ someone who knows what they are doing.

This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

xxx@xxx.com
    SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<xxx@xxx.com>:
    host av3.tnz.myschools.net [125.236.44.17]: 554 Service unavailable; Client host [203.109.136.106] blocked using dul.dnsbl.sorbs.net; Dynamic IP Addresses See:
    http://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml?203.109.136.106

------ This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ------

freitasm

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Reply # 76277 29-Jun-2007 09:08

This tells us that the Paradise server is considered source of spam. The server itself is not broken but the admins need to work to get this flag removed. Mind you the list is maintained by third parties outside of IHUG control.

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PhilM

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Reply # 76280 29-Jun-2007 09:28

The server itself is not broken but the admins need to work to get this flag removed. Mind you the list is maintained by third parties outside of IHUG control.

Yeah, as I understand it they need to use a fix ip address instead of addresses in a dynamic range.
Lots of ISPs seems to manage without this trouble, so why are ihug different ?

freitasm

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Reply # 76281 29-Jun-2007 09:31

Your understand is not completely correct. The "dynamic IP address" problem is relevant for users running SMTP servers from home for example, on an IP range that is configured as dynamic. In this case some lists block those automatically.

The ISPs use static IP addresses for their servers. The lists are populated by submissions of spam samples, and from time to time they block an IP range or a single server, not necessarily only based on an IP being dynamic or not.

There are more factors there you should consider. Sometimes it is something they can't do much...

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PhilM

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Reply # 76284 29-Jun-2007 09:41

...so if a customer needs email from their ISP, IHUG is not the right choice ?

tonyhughes

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Reply # 76291 29-Jun-2007 11:31

PhilM: ...so if a customer needs email from their ISP, IHUG is not the right choice ?

My mail server (shared - US based) is blacklisted on SORBS, and Telecom simply blocks all email from my domain (well.... from my mail servers IP anyway). When I need to send email to Telecom or Gen-i addresses, I have to switch to another account I have set up, with xtras smtp for the outgoing mail.

The problem is not with Telecom, and not with my domain. Its with the Spam Blacklisting organisation blocking my webhosts shared server IP.

Moral of the story: Doesnt matter where the email is served up from, a third party service could cause the blocking, and just about ALL mail systems will have to cope with blocking issues (inbound or outbound) at SOME point....

freitasm

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Reply # 76292 29-Jun-2007 11:34

PhilM: ...so if a customer needs email from their ISP, IHUG is not the right choice ?

As Tony said... At some time in the last few months we saw Xtra, Slingshot, Paradise being blocked. Even if you run your own email server on a static IP address it can be blocked.

It's not the ISP's fault, but the way blocking works, relying on third parties.

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Bung

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Reply # 76303 29-Jun-2007 13:19

freitasm:
It's not the ISP's fault, but the way blocking works, relying on third parties.

The ISPs do have other options. It would be ludicrous if ISPs in NZ are blocking each other based on some 3rd party blacklist.

Ben

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Reply # 76315 29-Jun-2007 15:51

Ludicrous or not, it's what they do.
Years ago I managed to get a company mail server blacklisted by misconfiguring it as an open relay. Even though no spam went through it.

Beyond a complete redesign of SMTP (e.g. verified senders, micropayments) there's not a lot more that can be done. 3rd party blacklists are the best of a crap list of options.