My fight against Microsoft Outlook hotmail etc email blocking

[exxos]

I am still battling this in the background about Microsoft rejecting emails from my server...

The thing is, my server IP address changed a few months ago with the server upgrade but the new IP address also seems to be blocked by Microsoft :roll:

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:shrug:


I found this page which is a good read and left a comment as well..

https://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/index ... blems.html

[exxos]

Looks like my test emails are starting to get though now!

Looking at what I get in the delivery report...

SPF / DKIM

Code: Select all

Authentication-Results: spf=pass (sender IP is 185.52.2.172)
 smtp.mailfrom=exxoshost.co.uk; dkim=none (message not signed)
 header.d=none;dmarc=pass action=none
 header.from=exxoshost.co.uk;compauth=pass reason=100
Received-SPF: Pass (protection.outlook.com: domain of exxoshost.co.uk
 designates 185.52.2.172 as permitted sender) receiver=protection.outlook.com;
 client-ip=185.52.2.172; helo=exxosforum.co.uk; pr=C

Code: Select all

X-MS-Exchange-Organization-Auth-DmarcStatus: Pass
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-Antispam-AuthResults:
    {"SpfDomain":"exxoshost.co.uk","SpfAuthStatus":"Pass","DkimAuthStatus":"None","DkimSubStatus":"None","DmarcAuthStatus":"Pass","DmarcAction":"None","ArcAuthStatus":"0","ArcSubStatus":"0"}

Doesn't seem anything wrong there to me really..

I asked Microsoft if they could give me a reason for banning.. Went like I thought..

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I will keep testing my server over the next few days on Microsoft accounts to see if the mail ends up blacklisted again..

For forum currently uses IDnet's mailserver, Mails don't seem to get blocked with that. But its not ideal for me having to run different email servers. So ultimately I want to just pipe all emails via my server again.

[exxos]

In light of my bitcoin spam problem viewtopic.php?f=90&t=6943

I was telling my girlfriend about it as she was having error messages in sending store receipts. She said maybe it was that causing Microsoft emails to bounce. While my spam filter is for incoming mail, it can actually block outgoing for some odd reason. But that isn't the same problem as Microsoft blocking my IP... BUT..

It's possible that if my own spam filter is tripping up on order numbers looking like bitcoin address, it's possible Microsoft blocking rules may think I'm sending loads of bitcoin spam each year. I'm not talking millions of emails, but we don't know how their algorithm works..

I did think on the old server it was because spammers were using one of my old (but still in use) email addresses as a bounce address. That could have got me black listed. I don't think SPF verifies return addresses ? But that's what I think might have happened originally.

The new server went online not long ago with a new IP address and that was blocked right from the start. The thing is, it could have been blocked by the person who had that IP address before I even started using it.

So it's possible I'm not doing anything wrong at all, and just a victim of circumstance. Very difficult to deal with factors beyond my control :roll:

[stephen_usher]

SPF, DMARC and DKIM only verify that the server sending the e-mail is the who they say they are in the DNS and that the e-mail hasn't been modified. All these things can be easily set-up automatically by spam bot networks so that the bot machines pass all these tests. The spam bot controllers merely need a friendly (or hacked) DNS registrar or server.

Requiring these "verifiers" only makes life a tiny bit more difficult for the malicious people and impacts non-malicious, small e-mail sites greater.

It comes under that same sort of thinking as in the political sphere, "Something must be done about *problem*. This is something, therefore we must do it!" even if the "something" has little, no or detrimental effect.

As for DMARC, it's surprising that this has been dragged out of the grave. It was abandoned soon after it was first released as it didn't really have any effect and DKIM did everything it did and better.

[exxos]

Sounds about right.

[exxos]

Andddddddd banned again!

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[exxos]

Back to Micro$oft...

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My final reply.

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All I am doing is ground around in circles with copy/paste scripted replies.

When I get chance I will see if I can do a email test page. Then people can check they get a test email before registering on the forum or doing store orders etc I will also "black list" microsoft email addresses in the store. Though not simple when other domains use MS email servers.. but only so much I can. Clearly trying to find some resolution to this problem is a waste of my time.. still..

So the bottom line is (still), don't use hotmail, outlook, live related email addresses. Best to get rid, as if you end up on their block list for no reason , good luck.

[Badwolf]

They really don't care.

We're a large email sending company and we run into their 300lb gorilla tactics too.

Basically they're taking the view they're big enough to do what they want and you'll have to bend to their will. If there will is 'stop using small, independent suppliers' that's what will eventually happen unless someone starts regulating them.

Google are better -- they're strict too but tend to stick to published standards -- but just this morning an email I sent got rejected as my IP has a 'poor reputation'.

Soon it'll only be those two running everyones' email and they'll be duking it out with each other and datamining their hearts out.

There's a line in there about who the canary is, but I've not come up with it yet. Do your own punchline. :P

BW

[rubber_jonnie]

When I used to run my own email server I used a service called authsmtp.

It was quite inexpensive and I relayed all my email via them and never had a problem.

Before that I was always getting banned for one reason or another

[exxos]

Google are better -- they're strict too but tend to stick to published standards -- but just this morning an email I sent got rejected as my IP has a 'poor reputation'.

Soon it'll only be those two running everyones' email and they'll be duking it out with each other and datamining their hearts out.

Yep. I've been saying the same. There will just be those 2 email providers and they likely won't talk to eachother. They all just want you locked into their own ecosystem and stuff everyone else.