Mail not making it to hotmail account

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 12:21 AM

Ok I think this is the last issue I have with my mail server

For some reason hotmail is discarding mail from my server, as you can see from my log below the mail is accepted but it never makes it to the inbox or the spam folder for that matter. I have set up reverse dns and PTR record so my ip address resolves back to mydomain.com and I have an A record for mydomain.com with the same ip address. I also have a valid postmaster@mydomain.com, I read an another thread that this was necessary but still no luck!

Anyone got any ideas?

Code:

Sep 25 10:17:07 patrickjoy postfix/smtp[31220]: A14F1D62A: to=<paddyjoy@hotmail.com>, relay=mx3.hotmail.com[65.54.244.200], delay=1, status=sent (250  <45171FF7.6030600@pjoy.com> Queued mail for delivery)
Sep 25 10:17:07 patrickjoy postfix/qmgr[31212]: A14F1D62A: removed

bulliver · 09-25-2006, 02:25 AM

Quote:

and I have an A record for mydomain.com

But for mail you want an MX record...

I realize that strict interpretation of the RFC says that if no MX record is found you should use the A record, but that doesn't
mean hotmail sticks to the RFC.

PS: are you getting a bounce message from mx3.hotmail.com, or is it entering a black hole?

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 04:05 AM

Sorry yes I should have explained better, MX records are set up. This problem only exists when sending mail from my server to hotmail not when receiving from hotmail (that works fine).

Yes they just enter a black hole, any ideas?

Paddy

bulliver · 09-25-2006, 04:34 AM

I use Exim, not postfix, so this is just a guess but this: "relay=mx3.hotmail.com"
Does that mean that you are trying to relay the mail to hotmail? Any competent mail server admin
is going to disable allowing their server to be used as a relay. If this is the case then just send
the mail directly.

If I am misunderstanding that, then all I can say is try to contact someone at hotmail.
You server says the mail is sent and you are not getting a bounce, so...???

You can also try mimicing a SMTP session using telnet...might get an error message to shed some light.

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 04:51 AM

I'm not sure what the "relay=mx3.hotmail.com" means but I'm defo not trying to relay through hotmail I'm sending mail directly. I could try and contact them but I doubt I would ever get a response ha ha!

Tried using telnet numerous times, same result, mail is accepted by hotmail but then never makes it to mailbox. After spending a while googling seems like this is just the way hotmail works. It accepts the mail then if it fails their spam filters it gets deleted with no return receipt!

Paddy

bulliver · 09-25-2006, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Tried using telnet numerous times, same result, mail is accepted by hotmail but then never makes it to mailbox.

Yeah, if that is the case I can see nothing that you can do from your end...
Try contacting them, you never know!

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 05:08 AM

Here's a transcript, with my domain name changed!

Code:

[root]# telnet mx3.hotmail.com 25
Trying 64.4.50.179...
telnet: connect to address 64.4.50.179: Connection timed out
Trying 65.54.244.72...
Connected to mx3.hotmail.com (65.54.244.72).
Escape character is '^]'.
220 bay0-mc3-f10.bay0.hotmail.com Sending unsolicited commercial or bulk e-mail to Microsoft's computer network is prohibited. Other restrictions are found at http://privacy.msn.com/Anti-spam/. Violations will result in use of equipment located in California and other states. Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:02:46 -0700
helo patrickjoy.com
250 bay0-mc3-f10.bay0.hotmail.com (3.2.0.9) Hello [64.22.88.123]
mail from: patrick@mydomain.com
250 patrick@mydomain.com....Sender OK
rcpt to: paddyjoy@hotmail.com
250 paddyjoy@hotmail.com
data
354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
Subject: Hello
Testing the connection?
.
250 <BAY0-MC3-F109X0FfzY002721a7@bay0-mc3-f10.bay0.hotmail.com> Queued mail for delivery
quit
221 bay0-mc3-f10.bay0.hotmail.com Service closing transmission channel
Connection closed by foreign host.

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 05:10 AM

I'll try and contact them, last resort I suppose! I'll post any response I get back!

Paddy

NomadX · 09-25-2006, 08:28 AM

Is your IP by any chance dynamic? If so it is likely on one of the many lists such as that maintained by http://www.njabl.org... I could see hotmail blacklisting your mail and simply not telling you about it.. Yahoo I know from personal experience puts it in the spam folder, try a yahoo account and see if thats where its going.

Good Luck,
DrS

Child of Wonder · 09-25-2006, 08:59 AM

MSN and Hotmail have an internal blocklist that can blackhole your email. Go here to get off it.

http://postmaster.msn.com/Troubleshooting.aspx

Click on the nocmail@microsoft.com link in the last paragraph to prepare an email.

Read the 20 questions listed on the postmaster site. Insert the needed information for their 20 question template. Copy any error messages in question 7. Copy the headers from some of the queued messages and attach a text file of those for question 10. Edit other questions as needed.

paddyjoy · 09-25-2006, 05:05 PM

My main mail server IP is static but my backup mail server is dynamic so I have two MX records in my zone:

Code:

mail.mydomain .com statis IP
backup.mydomain.com dynamic IP

I have contacted hotmail about it using the 20 questions and they said that I don't have any SPF records for my domain so i need to figure out how to do this from www.openspf.com.

I will try to get the SPF set up today and see what happens!

Paddy

paddyjoy · 09-28-2006, 12:50 AM

Ok everything is working now that I have added SPF records to all my domains :-)

Paddy