Beta Test Outgoing SMTP AUTH

[ViRGE]

I've never had an issue having my messages blocked by the PBL for others.

Also, I would like to see you TOS that says you can not use external SMTP servers. I know it is not against my TOS.

It's entirely possible that not too many people are using the PBL, but Comcast's customer netblocks are definitely on the blacklist. Here's one such example.

As for the specific TOS bit, here is what Spamhaus says. Keep in mind they're working with Comcast on this, so they didn't pull it out of thin air:

Outbound Email Policy of Comcast for this IP range:

Email sent by Comcast subscribers using a mail program such as Outlook Express are required to send the email through Comcast

I'd go dredge up Comcast's full TOS, but seeing as how their DNS entries got hijacked and they're still putting things back together, their website is kind of a mess at the moment.

Edit: And actually, while I'm thinking about it, how does the PBL work exactly? My understanding of blacklists is that the source IP address is simply fed to the blacklist to see if said IP is on the list. With the PBL, you're on the list regardless. How does one blacklisting via the PBL know if the email came from a correct source or not?

[Telarin]

The PBL should only ever be checked against the immediately connecting IP address. You should never have a problem with this list when you are sending to an external address. The problem does pop up however when sending to yourself at SpamCop, because the connection goes

Your Home Computer -> SpamCop SMTP server

Since the SpamCop filters check against that connecting IP address for mail delivered locally, it is picking up the IP of your computer as the sending server. At least that is what I assume. Without seeing actual message headers, it would be hard to know exactly what is being done.

The point being, while this is a problem when sending to yourself, it should not be a problem when sending externally, as the recipient server will see the SpamCop SMTP server as the connecting IP, not your home computers IP.

[ViRGE]

The point being, while this is a problem when sending to yourself, it should not be a problem when sending externally, as the recipient server will see the SpamCop SMTP server as the connecting IP, not your home computers IP.

Ahh, that makes sense and makes me feel a lot better. So this doesn't cause problems after all, thanks.

[dkuznick]

I was having problems too:

I had initially been using my iPhone, with port 587 and "Use SSL" turned on. That worked fine.

Next I tried using Thunderbird on my laptop with the same options. That didn't work; I kept getting the message that the server did not support SSL. I tried using port 25, and had the same result.

Wazoo suggested I use TLS, and when I did that in Thunderbird (on port 587) it worked.

So I was confused because the iPhone claimed to be using SSL and it was working. I suspect it's not actually using SSL, or behind my back it tries to, fails, and falls back silently on an unsecured connection. I should look into that more to see what's really going on.

[dbiel]

So I was confused because the iPhone claimed to be using SSL and it was working. I suspect it's not actually using SSL, or behind my back it tries to, fails, and falls back silently on an unsecured connection. I should look into that more to see what's really going on.

TSL is a new version of SSL which is not supported by many older browsers and other software. The iPhone is probably simply using the old name SSL even when it is actually using the new protocol. It should not be considered a problem, unless you want to be sure you are using the newer protocol and not the older SSL protocol.

[efa]

hi,

after many years of free membership, I just registered as a payed account member.

The problem is my ISP SMTP that block all my complaints to host and Registrars and all my spam forwarding to service like Spamcop and Knujon. From some days also Gmail SMTP block many complaints and spam forwarding.

So I want to use the Spamcop SMTP for that pourpose.

While I'm complainting, I receive about 6 spam a day, so this will generate:

6 spams forward a day

18-24 complaints a day

1 - Is it permitted to use this service for this pourpose?

2 - After 3 year and an half this service is still in beta, no official documentation available?

thanks

[Wazoo]

While I'm complainting, I receive about 6 spam a day, so this will generate:

6 spams forward a day

18-24 complaints a day

1 - Is it permitted to use this service for this pourpose?

I can only vaguely remember the days when 6 spams-a-day would be considered 'a lot' of spam.

Documented elsewhere is a threshold of something along the lines of a couple-of-thousand spam-submittals-a-day which would trigger an account flag that would need some dialog to straighten out.

2 - After 3 year and an half this service is still in beta, no official documentation available?

What else is needed for additional documentation?

[efa]

for that elsewhere that I'm worrying about. For example infos can be added to the page:

http://www.spamcop.net/ces/setup_pop2.shtml

or a place with all the configurations together (server name, TLS/SSL settings, ports, mails number limit, ...), so new users do not have to read the ancient history (2006) of users tries looking for info in all the forums, and go straight to the working config. Are you of a different idea?

[Wazoo]

for that elsewhere that I'm worrying about. For example infos can be added to the page:

http://www.spamcop.net/ces/setup_pop2.shtml

or a place with all the configurations together (server name, TLS/SSL settings, ports, mails number limit, ...), so new users do not have to read the ancient history (2006) of users tries looking for info in all the forums, and go straight to the working config. Are you of a different idea?

ok, here's the problem with that .... the only folks that have access to that page/server aren't into updating any of the information there. That's the basic background for the attempted single-page-access version of the SpamCop FAQ here, the several other attempts at providing other forms of FAQs and knowledge bases, and then the SpamCop WIKI ..... These pages are accessible from folks other than the 'paid staff' so as changes, updates, and additions can be made there. Unfortunately, so few folks want to get involved enough to help out in this fashion.

In addition, the use of a SpamCop e-mail account is still basically advertised as a spam-handling tool .. meaning that the referenced page for setting up POP (and the IMAP page) are actually sufficient for that purpose. So it's not like those pages are actually deficient .. it's more that the 'official' SMTP link hasn't been created/provided, which woud lead one back to the 'not out of Beta yet' scenario.

[efa]

for sure, I hadn't pay if the service do not provide an IMAP account.

I do not know where I read that, maybe also there miss some official docs

[agsteele]

for sure, I hadn't pay if the service do not provide an IMAP account.

I do not know where I read that, maybe also there miss some official docs

I think, perhaps, you are misunderstanding comments...

The Email service is IMAP.

But you were asking about the SMTP server so comments should be understood relating to that part of the service.

Andrew

[efa]

The Email service is IMAP.

as a user I can see from official documentation linked two post before, email service is POP only

But you were asking about the SMTP server so comments should be understood relating to that part of the service.

this is because I went off thread topic. My posts started asking official documentation for SMTP. Then I wrote that miss official documentation for IMAP too, sorry

[Wazoo]

as a user I can see from official documentation linked two post before, email service is POP only

And at this point, this would lead to yet another question, as it appears that there are yet more pages removed from the Official FAQ. You refernced the e-mail setup - POP page, but I now find that the page that one would find that page linked 'from' is now missing. I have no idea when that page was removed. http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/289.html s now empty.

[agsteele]

as a user I can see from official documentation linked two post before, email service is POP only

I don't know about the documentation but I'm using the Spamcop flat-rate Email service via IMAP everyday.

Andrew

[dbiel]

You will find info a lot faster and easier if you try the SpamCop wiki. See link at the top of every page here in the forum.

[agsteele]

The outgoing SMTP is being listed by AOL.UK as having a bad reputation and all messages are delayed and then bounced back after 72 hours...

Example at: http://postmaster.aol.com/Reputation.php using IP 216.154.195.49 (c60.cesmail.net)

Andrew

[Farelf]

That can't be good. I see from SenderBase that there's been a massive drop (to the extent monitored) in that server's throughput (-62%) - maybe that has some bearing on what was happening and the recovery (hopefully). Have you alerted/queried JT Andrew?

Steve

[agsteele]

Have you alerted/queried JT Andrew?

Yes, and had a very prompt response and request for some additional data.

Andrew

[Farelf]

Presently AOL reputation returns "Undisclosed Reputation" so I suppose something has happened. Apart from a few ancient listings on SORBS (well, one 03 Jun 2011, one 21 May 2011) and st.technovision.dk there's nothing else obvious/public.

[DavidT]

As of November 2012, CES has disabled SMTP access for most users/customers. You have to contact Support in order to get it turned back on for your account.

[dbiel]

As of November 2012, CES has disabled SMTP access for most users/customers. You have to contact Support in order to get it turned back on for your account.

Thanks David, I am going to see if they respond to my request to have it turned back on, otherwise I will simply stop using my SpamCop account.