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Old 05-12-2003, 09:46 PM   #1
SForsgren
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Registered: Apr 2003
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Problems with Sendmail and AOL


I am running RedHat 9 and trying to sendmail from PHP to email addresses on AOL and get:

550-The IP address you are using to connect to AOL is either open to
550-the free relaying of e-mail, is serving as an open proxy, or is a
550-dynamic (residential) IP address. AOL cannot accept further e-mail
550-transactions from your server until either your server is closed to
550-free relaying/proxy, or your ISP removes your IP address from their
550-list of dynamic IP addresses. For additional information,
550-please visit http://postmaster.info.aol.com.
550 Goodbye

So it will not allow me to send any email to people on AOL. I tried changing the sendmail SMART_HOST to my ISP smtp.comcast.net. Though the maillog shows it was sent OK, the mail never arrived.

How can I configure my home Linux box which sits behind a Lunix router using Cable Modem from Comcast to be able to send email to AOL? Do I need to relay it somehow?

Thanks!
 
Old 05-13-2003, 02:43 AM   #2
mcleodnine
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If it's being sent via your ISP's mail server and they are in good standing in regards to spam hosting (as in not doing it) then there's no reason to believe that the email is not being sent. How much time has lapsed since you sent the message?
 
Old 05-13-2003, 09:18 AM   #3
SForsgren
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It has been about 16 hours. Email sent via Ximian Evolution on the same box was received by AOL in less than a minute. How do I ensure that sendmail is properly configured to use smtp.comcast.net? I also normally have to provide a user ID and password to get to my mail account. Do I need anything similar to send mail through this SMTP server? Thanks
 
Old 05-13-2003, 10:42 AM   #4
KennyK
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Many ISP's often do what is called an open proxy search to see if a certain IP address is an open relay for mail services. It is possible that your IP was scanned and seen as an open relay. Spammers also look for these open relays and use the proxies to send their spam so it looks as if it coming from you. Go look at that link that you posted and it might direct you to search a database to see if you are in there. This might not be the problem, but it is worth looking into.

Regards
 
Old 05-13-2003, 02:38 PM   #5
SForsgren
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What I am looking for is how I should be configuring sendmail. Should I configure it to go to smtp.comcast.net? I am not clear on what configuration I am missing to get mail delivered from my machine to AOL via smtp.comcast.net (assuming that is needed to get me around the AOL restrictions?).

Thanks
 
Old 05-13-2003, 03:00 PM   #6
TheDot
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Post

Actually, I just recently started getting that error message you originally posted with, myself. I think they just recently changed it, because I looked up my IP address on that link they provide and it doesn't come up as open relay.

One of my users is on AOL, and I used to be able to send to his AOL box from my box all the time, and it was only within the past couple weeks that I started getting that error. However, my IP address is dynamic, even though it has a VERY long lease time since I'm on RoadRunner's cable service. I changed to sending to him using my ISP's smtp, and everything went ok, and he even responded back, so I knew he got it, so don't think that the mail didn't get to who you sent it to, unless you're mailing it to your own AOL account and it didn't show up, then I'd start worrying.

Maybe they just haven't responded back yet. I usually check my mail only once, maybe twice, a day, so that very well could be the case.

I'm still learning all there is to sendmail myself, so good luck!
 
Old 05-13-2003, 05:18 PM   #7
mcleodnine
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Quote:
Originally posted by SForsgren
It has been about 16 hours. Email sent via Ximian Evolution on the same box was received by AOL in less than a minute. How do I ensure that sendmail is properly configured to use smtp.comcast.net? I also normally have to provide a user ID and password to get to my mail account. Do I need anything similar to send mail through this SMTP server? Thanks
So I'm guessing that your Ximian Evolution is using your ISP's smtp server for your outgoing mail.(?)
 
Old 05-13-2003, 10:55 PM   #8
SForsgren
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Ximian is setup with smtp.comcast.net but I also have to login. So, isn't that the difference of an open relay vs. not? Sendmail is not using any authentication to connect to smtp.comcast.net. Is there a way I can configure Sendmail on my Linux box to use the same authentication info like the Ximian client?

As to the other question above, I was sending the mail to myself on AOL so I know that they did not arrive.

Thanks!
 
Old 05-14-2003, 10:50 PM   #9
WorldBuilder
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Hello SForsgren,

Unfortunately, I think I have your answer... I can see that you are a customer of Comcast. I am also. They recently took over AT@T here in the northeastern US. I have come to find out through some research that Comcast supplied AOL with either a FULL list of the IP addresses they distribute to their customers (residential IP addressess), or a partial list of these IP addresses. That's why you are getting the error you are getting when trying to e-mail someone who uses AOL. AOL has BLOCKED all of the IP addresses on this list in hopes to cut down on spam! Trust me when I tell you that it has nothing to do with sendmail, but everything to do with Comcast and AOL. I have yelled at both companies, but both claim no responsibility. Call them and complain and inform as many people as you can. The more people fight, the more of a chance we have to get this resolved. I'm hoping someone presses a class action lawsuit against them for stopping the exchange of e-mail. I swear to you that this is all true. Do some digging if you like! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!!!

Chris
 
Old 05-14-2003, 11:00 PM   #10
SForsgren
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This doesn't sound right. If that's true why can I send mail from my comcast.net account via Ximian Evolution to AOL and it arrives just fine?
 
Old 05-20-2003, 04:59 AM   #11
TheDot
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My ISP is actually RoadRunner, and I get that same error...

This is really weird, considering the people who distribute RoadRunner, are none other than AOL-TimeWarner, themselves!!

In fact, I went to that link that's in the error, did the dial-up list search (which is supposed to search for ANY dynamic IP), used the block that my IP address comes from, and guess what? Here's the results:

Search for: 24.0.0
List of Matches Found: [ 0 Total ]



Copyright 2001-2002, AOL Time Warner, Inc.

Trying 24.1.1:

Search for: 24.1.1
List of Matches Found: [ 0 Total ]



Copyright 2001-2002, AOL Time Warner, Inc.

Actual IP address block:

Search for: 24.198.56
List of Matches Found: [ 0 Total ]



Copyright 2001-2002, AOL Time Warner, Inc.

Umm... OK... If it's not coming up at all, why can't I send? The answer to this mystery lies in the hands of AOHell... even though I prefer to think of them as simply Time Warner, still. Stupid move they did merging, because TW's stocks have even dropped wayyy down since the merge.

Anywho, mainly posting just for food for thought. I'm really considering calling AOL NOC and bitching them out...
 
  


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