This topic

Problem sending email

footloose99 — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 08:42:30 GMT

I use an email address linked to a personal website hosted by a third party company.

After signing up with BT I can no longer send mail. If I try using my websites smtp server I get blocked as my mail is being routed by BT to a BT IP address which does not recognise my address. Consequently it is flagged as spam.

After contacting the BT mail experts one said they have never experienced this problem before, another that there is no problem, yet anlother that I must refer it to the server administrator hosting the website. They deny that BT routes my mail away from the mail server I have specified in my settings despite the screenshot I have from Spamhaus whch confirms that it is being blocked as the mail is orginating from a BT IP address and is not authenticated.

The help desk at the service provider hosting the website merely suggested getting a new broadband service provider.

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 08:57:53 GMT

Your post suggests that you were not previously using your hosts SMTP server for some reason and using your ISP's servers, are you sure you have configured the details correctly if you have moved to using your hosts servers?

I use IONOS and can send with no problem using their SMTP server.

Have you configured an SPF record for your account at your host.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 13:45:12 GMT

SPF record? No I haven't.

That I suspect is the answer I have been looking for from both BT and the support desk at my hosting service provider. What throws me is that neither profess to know the answer or are willing to share.

Previousl;y I was with TalkTalk and merely changed the smtp setting in Outlook. But BT requires authenication and when I selected the check box in Outlook it prevemted me from collecting mail as well.

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:22:03 GMT

If you are using your hosts SMTP server, there was no need to make any changes when you moved from Talk Talk to BT.

BT requires authentication, but if you are using your hosts server you are not using BT.

You can either

(a) Send using your hosts SMTP server, in which case you need their settings

(b) Send using BT SMTP server in which case you need to authenticate using a btinternet email address regardless of sending address.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 06:05:01 GMT

Thanks. But what does SPF stand for?

I have tried using my smtp server and get blocked by Spamhaus. But the IP address that is listed and blocked is not my servers. It is a BT IP address. What I assume is that BT is routing my request to their server irrespective of the settings I have added to Outlook.

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 07:29:16 GMT

SPF is sender policy framework but is probably a red herring in this case. Lack of SPF record shouldn't prevent sending,it can prevent mail being received if the incoming server is picky.

Although the mail is being sent from your SMTP server, the originating IP address will still show as the public IP address of your device.

Try disconnecting your hub from line for 30 minutes or so to get a different public IP address and see if that helps.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 08:43:53 GMT

Still getting the same IP address. This is what I get from Spamhaus. Is it not telling me that BT is the problem?

86.166.17.79 has 1 listing Don’t panic!

The inclusion of your IP address on the Policy Blocklist (PBL) is standard for the vast majority of internet users and is not the result of your actions. Here are some key PBL facts for your understanding:

Being on this list does not mean that you won’t be able to send emails.
You do not need to request removal from the list.
This listing is controlled by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), not Spamhaus.
Your ISP lists ranges of IP addresses that shouldn’t be sending email directly to the internet.
Typically, IPs of broadband or dial-up customers will be included in this list.
This is part of internet best practices enacted to protect all users.

Re: Problem sending email

NeilO — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 09:11:09 GMT

Hi, @footloose99 I'm really sorry to see you're experiencing issues sending email, I've checked your IP address and it appears to be listed on a few spam blacklists which the likely reason for these issues.

I'll send you a private message so you can send over your details to the moderation team and we'll be happy to raise a case with our email experts to get this looked into further. You'll get the private message by clicking on the envelope in the top right of the community website.

Thanks

Neil

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 06:29:38 GMT

@NeilO thanks but the impression I got from Spanhaus is that the IP addresses are BT IP addresses. This I don't understand.

There is no reason why my email address should be listed and if it is being triggered by BT for whatever reason I would expect the Support Desk to explain why it is happening and how to fix it. A solution instead of the "not our problem" response I had when I contacted them.

I have replied to your PM

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 07:24:45 GMT

Yes, its the public IP address of your PC. Did you actually try disconnecting your hub from line in order to get a different IP address? BT, like virtually all ISPs, use dynamic IP addresses for customers rather than giving them individual static addresses.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 09:33:44 GMT

I did and got the same IP address when I tried. I then tried another website adddress and got another IP address.

What I am not understanding is what is being blocked and by whom? I am trying to send mail using my hosts smtp server. Spamhaus is blocking it. They say this is perfectly normal but it is damned frustrating.

I would reason that if I attempt to send mail from my smtp server and they don't recognise my IP they would block it. Why does Spanhaus get involved?

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 06:36:39 GMT

What is bothering me is that there do not appear to answers to what should be a simple problem.

I believe that it has everything to do with BT and what I find difficult to understand is that despite all the expertise no one can identify what the issue is.

It appears to me as if BT can only facilitate clients using a BT mail address. But that is crazy. It can't be. There is no ways I am the only BT user trying to send mail from a third party host. Furthermore I doubt I am the only client hosting with Jolt who uses BT as an ISP.

How far does the process get before it is flagged as spam? Being a little simple, I assume the instruction to Send is being interogated at source (on BTs servers) and is being blocked before it gets out into the wild.

But this is denied.

BT are pointing to the Jolt smtp server, claiming the fact that Spamhaus refers to a BT Retail IP address as perfectly normal. It is my public IP address but when does Spanhaus intercept it? How does Spamhaus get involved before the mail is even sent? Again being simple minded I assume that when a BT user presses Send the instruction should get routed to the smtp server and authenticated. If as I have been instructed, it is routed to a third party, I assume Spahaus blocks it because it is coming from an IP address that BT have listed and it never gets out of the starting gates.

This makes sense to me. But BT deny it and there does not appear to be anyone at Jolt who is prepared to confirm or deny. Why is it so complicated?

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 07:21:27 GMT

It is not complicated, thousands of customers, myself included, send mail via third party SMTP servers.

You have said that your public IP address didn't change when you disconnected your hub from line, how long did you disconnect for? If you leave your hub disconnected from line for half an hour or so it should be long enough for you to get a different public IP address.

How are you checking what your public IP address is?

Without revealing any personal details, can you post edited screenshots of your settings.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:26:30 GMT

@licquorice I accept that I have a BT public IP address which is being blocked by Spanhaus. But I question at what stage and what triggers the block?

There should be a simple answer to this.

I assume you have a BT mail address. Do you use it? Do you use Outlook as a reader?

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:46:19 GMT

I have multiple email addresses, btinternet ones, Gmail, hotmail and own domain. I use outlook 2010 to deal with them all. I have various test accounts where I send own domain mail using both BT and hosts SMTP server.

Have you actually tried to obtain a different public IP address?

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 10:23:22 GMT

It won't be Spamhaus per se checking your IP address, it will be the SMTP server you are using checking that the sending address (i.e your public IP address) isn't on a block list.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 06:21:40 GMT

The penny is beginning to drop.

My send mail request is being sent to my hosts smtp server. It is interrogating Spamhaus which records that the request is coming from a BT user account. So the solution lies with the hosting service provider who should white list/authenticate the request?

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 07:51:39 GMT

Not entirely sure why your host is rejecting your mail though, virtually all ISP dynamic IP addresses are listed simply because they are dynamic and have previously been used by spammers.

My public IP address gives the same warning when checked at Spamhaus but my host doesn't prevent me sending mail.

Are you sure you have ticked the 'server requires authentication' box in Outlook?

Re: Problem sending email

licquorice — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:01:50 GMT

Are you sure you are not making 2+2=5?

Are you presuming the reason your mail isnt sending because of when checking your IP address with Spamhaus you get the message that the address is on block list rather than because of misconfiguration of Outlook.

As I said at the start of this thread, there should have been no need to change any settings in outlook just because you changed ISPs if you were using your host's SMTP server. The ISP is just providing a pipe.

As previously requested, if you it screenshots of your config with personal information munged, we can check if it is correct.

Re: Problem sending email

footloose99 — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 10:22:23 GMT

I am making it up as I go, guessing at every turn. Just wish I could get to five. When contacting either Help Desk it should be "This is the way it works", "This is where it is going wrong", "This is the solution". Instead what I am getting from Jolt in particular is the 'not our problem' response.

When I try to send, Outlook gives me error message pointing to Spamhaus and the BT IP address. This is why I assume that the Jolt smtp server checks Spamhaus before processing the request. Am using the standard server setting mail.mydomain.xx without authentication.

I did try changing ports, opting for ssl/tls and mangling everything to the point where I could no longer collect mail either. So it is back to beginning.