ISP Users Experiencing Problems Sending E-mails

[injenn]

FYI: I figured out why I've been getting a number of problems sending email using MS Outlook (not Outlook Express). Apparently, from an earlier thread, the Cox.net users from the East Coast, U.S. have been having difficulty because Cox.net has been blocking ports or reserving them for spam assasins and what-not.

If you're receiving an error regarding your OUTGOING mail server that has to do with SMTP items, and you use Cox.net to access the internet, then make you outgoing mail server point to this address: smtp.west.cox.net. This applies to Southern Californian Cox.net residents only! So contact your local Cox.net provider if you are not in this area!

Your incoming mail server should be directed to your usual mail server - mail.YOURDOMAIN.com.

[patrick24601]

Uh OK. Why was this posted in a cpanel forum?

[dave9000]

This is actually nice information to know, a lot of providers are starting to block port 25 to only allow smtp to their mail servers which can cause cpanel end users and server admins a lot of grief trying to solve e-mail issues with the end customer.

[rpmws]

this has been the case for about 3-4 years now ..it's only a few ISPs left that don't block and those are being forced to because all the spammers are flocking to their systems.

[dave9000]

Sure makes it fun too when your trying to do tech support remotely with a end user thats not the britest bulb in the string

[richy]

Same with Freeserve (Wanadoo) in the UK.

That's why we've enabled Exim on port 26.

[dgbaker]

Enabling port 26 is good, but I see a problem coming, ISP will start blocking it as well. We've actually been doing a random port and then letting our clients know about it in the welcome e-mail.

[chirpy]

We usually tell our customers to use the ISP's SMTP server. That reduces bandwidth and usually speeds up their sending and keeps the ISP happy. It also lessens your risk of being blackholed due to a customers PC getting infected with a worm and subsequently used for spamming.

Forgot to add: We don't run SMTP on any port other than 25. The issue, for us, is between the client and their ISP.

[richy]

Some ISPs also actually block outbound email from their SMTP servers if the From: address isn't the email address they provider (IIRC, Virgin.net is one of these ISPs).

[chirpy]

Indeed, which is a disgrace - that's when the advice shifts to finding a new ISP

[injenn]

Many port-blocking threads have been thrown into the forum quite frequently and I also agree that it's not going to get any better.

As a matter of fact, a client of mine purchased an office suite from a building which shares one ISP and one routing server. When I tried to configure the outgoing mail server, I had to randomly select a port because the building's tech department did not want to disclose or open a port which would allow my client to send outgoing mail. So, in addition to the blocks occuring at the ISP level, the building was also blocking ports! Sooner or later, we're not going to be able to use our own servers to send mail, rather, become subject to the tyranny of the "big" ISP's empire!

[dave9000]

I would like to see this made sticky so new hosters and resellers can be aware of this, might help a new comer out and save them some customers and some headaches

[injenn]

I'm not sure as to how to go about making this topic a sticky, but if somebody would hand me some advice on doing that, I'd be happy to do so!

[chirpy]

PM dgbaker and he should be able to do that

[dgbaker]

I've stuck it and made the title reflect more ISP generic as this obviously goes beyond Cox.net only.