Correct SPF record when using relay.plus.net?

[#1]

Hi Plusnet,

Can you confirm what the correct SPF record should be when sending outbound mail via relay.plus.net to encompass all the machines that might sit on the outside edge?

I read an old forum post which said to piggyback the madasafish.com records:

v=spf1 include:madasafish.com

Is this still correct? Is there no PlusNet-branded equivalent?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

The Madasafish include will still do the trick.

[#3]

Thanks Bob!

[#4]

What would I use for relay.force9.net ? Same again?

Clarification: the SPF record is for my own domain, hosted elsewhere, which forwards to my Force 9 address.

[#5]

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@orrery wrote:

What would I use for relay.force9.net ? Same again?

Yes.

Clarification: the SPF record is for my own domain, hosted elsewhere, which forwards to my Force 9 address.

SPF specifies what servers should be used when sending email from a particular domain name. If you use the above syntax, then it will assume you always send messages from your domain using Plusnet's/Force9's SMTP servers. If you use third party servers then you'll need to specify those in your SPF record too.

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[#6]

I don't think just entering

v=spf1 include:madasafish.com

Is sufficient. My understanding is this allows everything allowed by madasafish.com but doesn't disallow items disallowed by madasafish.com. You therefore need to add "-a" to the end to fail everything else:

v=spf1 include:madasafish.com -a

Or if you want to 'soft fail', change that to ~a

[#7]

You're spot on, and it is what I did for my records (with -all) but omitted it from the first post for some reason.

[#8]

If I have understood this correctly I set up an SPF record this afternoon with the madasafish info. This verified correctly that it was set up. Tried sending and plusnet SMTP auth sent it out from 62.6.156.250 which is not one of the ones on the list and so it was received as SPF fail! So I have turned off the SPF. Tonight it is using 84.93.230.250 which should be okay. Does madasafish need to be updated with some new IP addresses?

[#9]

That IP belongs to an educational establishment, it isn't one of our mail servers.