Spamhaus and PN IP addresses

[#1]

Quote from: Chris

Unfortunately this does happen from time to time, it's the nature of a relay server. If you raise a ticket with the full bounce message on it'll get passed to our networks team to request removal from the blacklist.

None of the IP addresses you have supplied are PN relay servers, have you generated a ticket with a header from a bounce message? Having a IP listed in Spamhaus PBL database is normal for a dynamic address, see below

Quote

Help! My IP address is on the PBL! What should I do? The first thing to know is: THE PBL IS NOT A BLACKLIST. You are not blacklisted for spamming or for anything you have done. The PBL is simply a list of ALL of the world's dynamic broadband IP space, i.e: IP space normally assigned to broadband/ADSL customers. It is perfectly normal for dynamic IP addresses (DSL, DHCP, cable, dialup) to be listed on the PBL. In fact all dynamic IP addresses in the world should be on the PBL. The PBL does not prevent you sending email unless your email program is not authenticating properly when it connects to your ISP or company's mail server. This can happen if you have forgotten to turn on 'Authentication' or if you have switched 'Authentication' off by mistake. If you are using a normal email program, such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and you are being blocked by a Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that YOU NEED TO TURN ON 'SMTP AUTHENTICATION' in your email program's account settings. See: How do I turn on SMTP Authentication?. That will solve the problem for you.

[#2]

Quote from: neilm

When ever we get individual reports of IP's being blacklisted we will request removal without delay.  Often when a block is in place it is only on one or two of the SMTP servers we have, and thus whilst inconvenient it is worth resending the mail as it is likely to hit one of the servers that is not blacklisted more often than not.

In this instance, that won't have any effect as the IP's in question are all PN dynamic address blocks.
Regards .....

[#3]

Quote from: pnuser

It seems that there are large chunks of the PN IP addresses which are blocked and flag up as Spam.

The only addresses that you quote are end user dynamic addresses allocated to customers like you and me when we connect. They are quite properly listed in the Spamhaus PBL since they are not intended to host a mail server.
You say that you don't have any reject messages. In which case how do you know that your mail is rejected? The people that you are trying to send to wouldn't have the 'bounce'!
Without further data from yourself on the reject message there is little more that can be said.

[#4]

@pnuser
My conclusion of your problem is that emails you send can be marked as spam as your IP address is in the PBL database and you are sending without SMTP Authentication. Need PN to confirm this, but does require you to get a copy of a header of one on the failed emails.
Luckily PN a few months ago enabled SMPT authentication so you need to modify you settings for this. If you need help to do this then post back.

[#5]

Quote from: itsme

Luckily PN a few months ago enabled SMPT authentication ...

Really?
I saw no notice of this and have not changed any settings and continue to email at will.
Can we now use the relay's from other networks? That will save a hassle when on the move with laptop.

[#6]

No there was no notice but if you search the forum you will find posting on this.

[#7]

Yes, we enabled authenticated SMPT about 6 months ago or so.
We didn't announce it formally as we wanted to guage any potential detrimental effects on our network.

[#8]

Quote from: MrToast

Quote from: pnuser It seems that there are large chunks of the PN IP addresses which are blocked and flag up as Spam. The only addresses that you quote are end user dynamic addresses allocated to customers like you and me when we connect. They are quite properly listed in the Spamhaus PBL since they are not intended to host a mail server. You say that you don't have any reject messages. In which case how do you know that your mail is rejected?

As I have said, the messages end up is the recipients spam folders and marked as spam.
Why are addresses which are being used by ordinary PN customers set up so that they should be in Spamhaus's black list?
That does not seem sensible?

[#9]

Quote from: itsme

@pnuser My conclusion of your problem is that emails you send can be marked as spam as your IP address is in the PBL database and you are sending without SMTP Authentication. Need PN to confirm this, but does require you to get a copy of a header of one on the failed emails. Luckily PN a few months ago enabled SMPT authentication so you need to modify you settings for this. If you need help to do this then post back.

As its a dynamic IP address system there are many addresses which are involved.
I will try and get one, but bearing in mind my customers are generally just ordinary folks, this is not stuff they should be dealing with.
It puts people off if things are in spam boxes and marked as spam. It reflects on me, when it should be reflecting on you.
I would appreciate the advice on changing my settings to see if it helps.
thank you

[#10]

Quote from: road

Quote from: neilm When ever we get individual reports of IP's being blacklisted we will request removal without delay.  Often when a block is in place it is only on one or two of the SMTP servers we have, and thus whilst inconvenient it is worth resending the mail as it is likely to hit one of the servers that is not blacklisted more often than not. In this instance, that won't have any effect as the IP's in question are all PN dynamic address blocks. Regards .....

So will the new system work for all of us on dynamic IP addresses or not?
The powers that be may notice that I have just changed my IP address -- again. That is the third one in this thread. All blocked according to Spamhaus.
I normally do not bother to turn off the router or computer, its a pain, but did it to show the PN folks the changing IP address as that message did not seem to get across somehow.

[#11]

From a previous posting I'm assuming you are using Outlokk Express so go here Your Username and password are the same you use to log on to PN portal.

[#12]

Sorry to interject at this point, but having read over this conversation, I think many of us are trying to look at the situation as if the cause of the problem has already been identified as being the PBL.
pnuser.
PlusNets Dynamic IP addresses have always been listed in the PBL, as have almost all providers in the UK.
You have have your IP delisted automatically and the list that the PBL uses is not one provided by PlusNet (though it could have been), but rather one taken from the Ripe records.
If your messages have suddenly started going to a spam folder, it is not going to be the PBL, as they will always have been doing this.
The listing in the PBL is intended and doing the designed function. If an IP is removed from the PBL, it to is doing as it is designed. Intentional listing or not, the designed purpose is correct.
Further reading into the whole conversation seems to have picked up that just because the IP is listed on the PBL, it means this is the cause of the messages going to the spam folder. Is this not just a case that having found an RBL listing, we are saying this is the sole cause?
What nobody seems to have put consideration to, is that it is not the PBL but some other cause. The messages are after all being delivered to the destination recipient, though to their spam folders instead of their inboxes.
pnuser.
What anti-spam solution do the recipients use?
Do you know if it is desktop software based or some form of server solution provided by their email suppliers?
What sort of content are you sending?
Often HTML emails will be captured if they are small in content, but heavy of things such as HTML (colours, bold formating or images) signatures.
Have you tried switching to a plain text content message to see if this assists in any way?

[#13]

Quote from: pnuser

Quote from: road Quote from: neilm When ever we get individual reports of IP's being blacklisted we will request removal without delay.  Often when a block is in place it is only on one or two of the SMTP servers we have, and thus whilst inconvenient it is worth resending the mail as it is likely to hit one of the servers that is not blacklisted more often than not. In this instance, that won't have any effect as the IP's in question are all PN dynamic address blocks. Regards ..... So will the new system work for all of us on dynamic IP addresses or not?

What new system ?
Regards .....

[#14]

Quote from: P

You have have your IP delisted automatically

I have various IP addresses as given to me by you

Quote from: P

If your messages have suddenly started going to a spam folder,

Its not suddenly but its getting to be much more noticeable from extracated emails and those who do tell you.

Quote from: P

Further reading into the whole conversation seems to have picked up that just because the IP is listed on the PBL, it means this is the cause of the messages going to the spam folder. Is this not just a case that having found an RBL listing, we are saying this is the sole cause?

Its what the more technical of my customers are telling me -- and its getting to be quite a few now, I sort of shrugged off one or two.
Most of my customers are joe-bloggs, a few are computor nerds as well.
When the topic KEEPS reappearing about this problem and they are all independantly pointing to PN, then one starts to take notice.

Quote from: P

pnuser. What anti-spam solution do the recipients use?

Lots of different people; lots of different ISP's  - so presumably lots of solutions.
Our conversation is not about what should be a simple method of communication, its about our products and services which are completely non IT related.

Quote from: P

What sort of content are you sending?

Simple text format emails discussing their requirements for our products and how we can help them.

Quote from: P

Have you tried switching to a plain text content message to see if this assists in any way?

I have never used anything else.

[#15]

Quote from: road

What new system ? Regards .....

The new SMTP system