[Resolved] Hosts/Domains, Relaying IPs, wha?

[cmyk 0]

Hi,

I don't really understand what all those "Hosts/Domains" and "Relaying IPs" do in those drop down lists.

And why is it a drop down list? Semantically it should be a table. The menu doesn't perform any function as selection facility. And you have to get to the source to copy anything.

None of those entries are familiar. Wouldn't my mail host appear there as well?

IMHO this whole Mail Hosts System isn't very user friendly also in terms of concise documentation.

Cheers,

Phil

[kamaraju 0]

I completely agree. The documentation is so confusing. I wanted to configure my mail hosts to see if I can report spam mail by forwarding as attachment. But I never was able to figure it out. I tried reading the FAQs and they are equally undecipherable! I finally gave up the whole mailhosts thing and am just reporting the spam through web interface.

[Miss Betsy 0]

I don't really understand what all those "Hosts/Domains" and "Relaying IPs" do in those drop down lists.

And why is it a drop down list? Semantically it should be a table. The menu doesn't perform any function as selection facility. And you have to get to the source to copy anything.

None of those entries are familiar. Wouldn't my mail host appear there as well?

IMHO this whole Mail Hosts System isn't very user friendly also in terms of concise documentation.

Yes, spamcop is for nerds. However, some non-technically fluent people manage to master the concepts (sort of like understanding how your automobile works and what certain noises may mean without actually being a mechanic).

I had no problems setting up my mailhosts and I am technically non-fluent so I am not much help to those who have problems because I didn't encounter them.

However, most email services have more than one server to send email. Depending on what service you are using there may several appear when you enter your email address. Choose them all because you never know when you send email which one you will be using. It is the same thing with the relays - for major services like hotmail, earthlink, there are dozens of relays that can happen internally and that are shown in the headers.

What spamcop is looking for is the email server, not the email address. You can have several hotmail addresses for instance, but all of them use the same set of servers. There are technical exceptions to that where people who own their servers have more than one domain set up on them. That's all explained in the Mailhosts FAQ. There is a simpler version of the Mailhosts FAQ nested in the big red announcement under how to find what you are looking for without tearing your hair out under New SpamCop Users under Typical Questions - if I remember correctly.

Miss Betsy

[dbiel 0]

I don't really understand what all those "Hosts/Domains" and "Relaying IPs" do in those drop down lists.

And why is it a drop down list? Semantically it should be a table. The menu doesn't perform any function as selection facility. And you have to get to the source to copy anything.

Your interpretation is correct, it is actually a table using a drop down list to conserve screen space. There is nothing to select, only a way to view what is in the list

None of those entries are familiar. Wouldn't my mail host appear there as well?

Actually your mailhost does appear there (or at least it should) but what you are probably looking for is the name of the mail server you connect to, to POP mail which is something totally different. Mailhost names are those names that appear in the email headers as received from and/or received by. The way to test to see if your mail host actually appears is to forward an email as attachment to your reporting address and parse it. If it is not in the list, your mail host will be most likely to be identified as the source of spam will all the follow headers being considered as possible forgeries as they are not part of your mailhost and were not received by one of your mailhosts.

IMHO this whole Mail Hosts System isn't very user friendly also in terms of concise documentation.

This is something we are trying to improve. If you could point out specific areas needing improvement it would be helpful.

[StevenUnderwood 0]

And why is it a drop down list? Semantically it should be a table. The menu doesn't perform any function as selection facility. And you have to get to the source to copy anything.

They don't DO anything... they are just a list for the deputies to manipulate if needed. It is likely a drop down list because you don't even need to look at them (they will change as other people use the same entry), so it cuts down on questions (why did the list change) and it takes much less space on the screen.

Also, at least in IE, you do NOT need to get to the source to copy them. I click befopre the pull down and select to after the pulldown and can paste the contents with no problem.

[cmyk 0]

Thanks for the feedback.

Also, at least in IE, you do NOT need to get to the source to copy them. I click befopre the pull down and select to after the pulldown and can paste the contents with no problem.

Denfinitley very hackish. I am not a Windoze guy at all. Neither Firefox nor Safari can do that.

I see none of my mail servers liste in that list. I have weird entries of addesses that I do not know:

<option value="blade3.cesmail.net">blade3.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="mailgate.cesmail.net">mailgate.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="bulkmx2.spamcop.net">bulkmx2.spamcop.net</option>
<option value="mx.cesmail.net">mx.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="mx2.cesmail.net">mx2.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="blade5.cesmail.net">blade5.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="blade4.cesmail.net">blade4.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="blade2.cesmail.net">blade2.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="bulkmx1.spamcop.net">bulkmx1.spamcop.net</option>
<option value="blade6.cesmail.net">blade6.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="blade1.cesmail.net">blade1.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="cesmail.net">cesmail.net</option>
<option value="mx53.cesmail.net">mx53.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="spamcop.net">spamcop.net</option>
<option value="c60.cesmail.net">c60.cesmail.net</option>
<option value="mailgate2.cesmail.net">mailgate2.cesmail.net</option>


<option value="204.15.82.24">204.15.82.24</option>
<option value="216.154.195.54">216.154.195.54</option>
<option value="216.154.195.53">216.154.195.53</option>
<option value="216.154.195.49">216.154.195.49</option>
<option value="192.168.18.82">192.168.18.82</option>  <<< private network address?
<option value="216.154.195.44">216.154.195.44</option>
<option value="216.154.195.36">216.154.195.36</option>
<option value="204.15.82.31">204.15.82.31</option>
<option value="216.154.195.50">216.154.195.50</option>
<option value="206.14.107.118">206.14.107.118</option>

[StevenUnderwood 0]

Thanks for the feedback.

Denfinitley very hackish. I am not a Windoze guy at all. Neither Firefox nor Safari can do that.

I see none of my mail servers liste in that list. I have weird entries of addesses that I do not know:

What you pasted was a copy of the mailhosts for a spamcop email address. If that is the only entry you have, then you have not completed the registration for any other email hosts you may have.

[cmyk 0]

What you pasted was a copy of the mailhosts for a spamcop email address. If that is the only entry you have, then you have not completed the registration for any other email hosts you may have.

I thought, I'd completed that registration process.

I deleted my the mailhost and did it again. And I now know where I made the mistake.

I simply replied to the spamcop message instead of pasting the source into a new message and sending it to the mentionend address.

It looked like the procedure to subscribe to a mailing list. My bad. However, I never got an error message the first time.

This time I got a message from the bot with the subject: Spamcop account configuration: error

Although I sent the source to the bot address as described above.

Then I read the FAQ and saw that I have to use the web form...

Did that, worked.

Wonder why the email method didn't, since I only use plain text for emails.

Maybe there should be a warning below that list of spamcop mailhosts, stating that you havn't completed the reg process?

Because that's where I checked afterwards, to see if it worked.

Now I see my mailhost, finally.

What happens if the mailhost changes due to mailserver migration?

Cheers,

Phil

Edited July 21, 2006 by cmyk

[Wazoo 0]

What happens if the mailhost changes due to mailserver migration?

Start with re-reading post #4 in this discussion ... then go back and check the various FAQ entries, Pinned items, other discussion in this Forum section.... the details are in the parse results ....

[turetzsr 0]

<snip>

Then I read the FAQ and saw that I have to use the web form...

Did that, worked.

<snip>

Now I see my mailhost, finally.

...Well done! Thanks for taking the time to post here to let us know the good news! <g>

What happens if the mailhost changes due to mailserver migration?

...You may have to return to the MailHosts configuration page, delete the entry, and start the process over again. However, if the SpamCop parser never offers to report your MSP (e-Mail Service Provider, you do not have to do anything special.

...Good luck!

[dbiel 0]

You may have to return to the MailHosts configuration page, delete the entry, and start the process over again.

Actually there should be no need to delete anything. Simply re-register the same email address and use the listed "Mailhost name" and the system should update the file (it does require responding the the confirmation email that is sent with every MailHost addition/update.

Note: the list also gets updated every time another user registers their address that happens to use the same Mailhost name.