[Resolved] I'm not receiving emails...

[barrydrink]

Hello All,

Over the past week or so I noticed I was not receiving any email. I asked a friend to email me to see if I'd receive it. Turns out his email was blocked by spamcop.

The funny thing is, not all email is blocked - I still get spam (or at least some of it)!

Something coincided with this problem appearing. I took over the role of database controller for a local charity. This involved me having the charity's laptop at home and sending out weekly reports using the Outlook application on the laptop. I've run a full system virus scan which returned no problems.

Today I tried sending an email to the problem address using another of my addresses. This other address soon received the following email:

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:

barrydrink[at]onetel.com

SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<barrydrink[at]onetel.com>:

host mx.onetel.net.uk [212.67.121.123]: 554 Service unavailable; Client host [83.244.130.25] blocked using bl.spamcop.net; Blocked - see http://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml?83.244.130.25

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

Return-path: <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>

Received: from [83.244.130.7] (helo=out-filter2.ai270.net)

by out-mta1.ai270.net with esmtp (Exim 4.63 (FreeBSD))

(envelope-from <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>)

id 1GMn8V-0006M6-4S

for barrydrink[at]onetel.com; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:51:47 +0100

Received: from [83.244.130.13] (helo=forward.lcn.com)

by out-filter2.ai270.net with esmtp (Exim 4.62 (FreeBSD))

(envelope-from <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>)

id 1GMn8J-0003HU-PH

for barrydrink[at]onetel.com; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:51:44 +0100

Received: from pluto.open.ac.uk ([137.108.143.59])

by forward.lcn.com with esmtp (Exim 4.63 (FreeBSD))

(envelope-from <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>)

id 1GMn81-000HQq-D4

for barry[at]indigodream.co.uk; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:51:17 +0100

Received: from halley.open.ac.uk ([137.108.144.49] helo=oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)

by pluto.open.ac.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.62)

(envelope-from <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>)

id 1GMn80-0005m8-Qs

for barry[at]indigodream.co.uk; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:51:17 +0100

Message-id: <fc.004c54010463c0da3b9aca003bc48134.463c0e4[at]oufcnt2.open.ac.uk>

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:51:16 +0100

Subject: Re: email test

X-Mailer: FirstClass 8.2 (build 8.090)

X-FC-Icon-ID: 28614

X-FC-SERVER-TZ: 28837376

To: "Barry Drinkwater" <barry[at]indigodream.co.uk>

From: "Barry J. Drinkwater" <bjd72[at]student.open.ac.uk>

References: <018201c6d5b1$96cd4340$0301a8c0[at]laptop>

In-Reply-To: <018201c6d5b1$96cd4340$0301a8c0[at]laptop>

MIME-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

X-AI-IP: 83.244.130.13

yes - got it.

One other thing - I have my own domain name, purchased from LCN.com. This is set up to forward all mail to my ISP (Onetel) email address. Don't know if this will affect things.

Lastly, I phoned Onetel and told them of the problem and they told me to contact Spamcop to sort the problem out.

I'd appreciate any help - this is the first time I've had email problems and it's a bit beyond me...

Many thanks,

Barry

[Farelf]

Hi Barry,

Where to start? Did you follow that link quoted in the message? - this one http://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml?83.244.130.25

From there you get to Information about the reasons for listing (blocking) your mail server (83.244.130.25) which gives all sorts of information and further links. One of which says reports on this situation went to a responsible party abuse[at]hastwood.net who is apparently associated with ai270.net. It seems onetel is actually blocking mail from you because spam is coming from that server, 83.244.130.25, and ai270.net can supposedly do something about controlling it. One of the other links, SenderBase lookup, currently shows (based on "magnitude") something like a hundred thousand messages a day soming from there. We can assume they aren't all from you.

If your friend was blocked then his IP address is also on the block list and he should have received a similar notice but (presumably) noting a different IP address. That part would be coincidental in that case. And no, the SCBL doesn't catch all spam. And ISPs aren't supposed to use it to reject mail either - but many do because it helps keep down bandwidth costs.

Not sure why your mail dried up - if onetel is blocking spammy servers there would be no reason to suppose the majority of your correspondents are using those. Onetel might have some explaining to do actually. I hope so, I think they have a bit of a cheek actually - they use (strictly speaking, misuse) a SpamCop tool and it works "as advertised" so they tell you to "talk to SpamCop". Maybe I'm missing something here.

[StevenUnderwood]

2 problems seen here:

host mx.onetel.net.uk [212.67.121.123] - You need to contact whoever maintains this address as they are blocking your incoming messages, aparently without your knowledge.

Reporting addresses:

abuse[at]onetel.net.uk

postmaster[at]onetel.net.uk

host 83.244.130.25 = out-mta2.ai270.net - You need to contact whoever maintains this address as they are affecting your outgoing messages by allowing spam to be sent from their servers (see below).

Reporting addresses:

abuse[at]hastwood.net

Report History:

Display UUBE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 7:04:26 AM -0400: 
regional Agent Wanted. 
1916891139 ( 83.244.130.25 ) To: abuse[at]hastwood.net 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 8:18:47 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1907851917 ( 83.244.130.25 ) To: abuse[at]hastwood.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:14:59 PM -0400: 
Project Mail !! 
1879339291 ( [url="http://www.sedb.com/"]http://www.sedb.com/[/url] ) To: abuse#equinix.com[at]devnull.spamcop.net 
1879339278 ( 83.244.130.25 ) To: relays[at]admin.spamcop.net 
1879339270 ( 69.36.167.183 ) To: spamcop[at]imaphost.com 
1879339261 ( 69.36.167.183 ) To: abuse[at]westhost.com 

Report History: 

Don't Display UUBE
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 2:25:06 PM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1917461712 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 12:14:22 PM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1917306959 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 10:24:55 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1917150540 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 7:41:18 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1916930748 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 7:04:26 AM -0400: 
regional Agent Wanted. 
1916891139 ( 83.244.130.25 ) To: abuse[at]hastwood.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 5:46:43 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1916804215 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 4:58:30 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1916754263 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 4:32:22 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1916725617 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Monday, September 11, 2006 12:03:19 AM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1916468876 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted: Sunday, September 10, 2006 3:00:25 PM -0400: 
Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender 
1915998310 ( 83.244.130.25 ) ( UUBE ) To: uube[at]devnull.spamcop.net

[barrydrink]

Thanks both, that's very helpful.

Barry

[barrydrink]

2 problems seen here:

host mx.onetel.net.uk [212.67.121.123] - You need to contact whoever maintains this address as they are blocking your incoming messages, aparently without your knowledge.

Reporting addresses:

abuse[at]onetel.net.uk

postmaster[at]onetel.net.uk

host 83.244.130.25 = out-mta2.ai270.net - You need to contact whoever maintains this address as they are affecting your outgoing messages by allowing spam to be sent from their servers (see below).

Reporting addresses:

abuse[at]hastwood.net

Hastewood.net have replied to my email saying the server in question is owned by one of their customers - LCN.com. This is who I bought my domain name off and who forward my emails to my ISP email address.

Not had a reply from onetel yet...

Barry

[barrydrink]

Hastewood.net have replied to my email saying the server in question is owned by one of their customers - LCN.com. This is who I bought my domain name off and who forward my emails to my ISP email address.

Not had a reply from onetel yet...

Onetel say their server is not blocked.

LCN say they have freed their server from the spamcop black list.

Thanks very much for your help,

Barry

[Wazoo]

Onetel say their server is not blocked.

LCN say they have freed their server from the spamcop black list.

Certainly a strange way of saying "we fixed something and the automatic part of the SpamCopDNSBL kicked in, delisting the IP address in question" ..... or maybe there's too much credit given even saying it this way????

On the other hand it would have been nice to have seen your words saying something like "it works now" ... "I'm getting e-mail" .. something ... marking it Resolved anyway ... thanks for the feedback.

[barrydrink]

On the other hand it would have been nice to have seen your words saying something like "it works now" ... "I'm getting e-mail" .. something ... marking it Resolved anyway ... thanks for the feedback.

I was actully giving it a few days to see if everything was fine - I've been sending out emails to people on my contacts list asking them to reply to see if I could indeed receive emails again. This doesn't happen instantly - I'm still receiving replies today. I even have the URL for this page as a bookmark so I can quickly keep those that helped up to date. OK? :-)

I've not had any reports of problems since I sent out those test emails so, I am happy to announce, (clears throat) It works now, I'm getting email. Issue is resolved. :-^

Thanks you all.

Barry

[allegbb]

Just a heads up, in a few days it will happen again.

[barrydrink]

Just a heads up, in a few days it will happen again.

How do you know?

Barry

[allegbb]

I have been blocked by spamcop before. and released. and blocked. they are a joke.

[StevenUnderwood]

I have been blocked by spamcop before. and released. and blocked. they are a joke.

Being listed is completely dependent on your ISP or mail administrator. Most servers are never listed. Some servers are listed once or twice, the admin fixes the problem, and are never listed again. Some people like to blame spamcop for their problems and keep getting re-listed, and often get added to more BL's because of their system configuration.

If you would provide details about your situation, we might be able to explain why you are being listed so you can contact the appropriate party.

[Wazoo]

I have been blocked by spamcop before. and released. and blocked. they are a joke.

This is actually demonstrating the automatic listing/de-listing of an IP address thats meets / does not meet the requirements for a SpamCopDNSBL listing as described in the SpamCop FAQ entrey titled "What is on the List?" .. found from links placed at the top of this very page.