mail queue "connection refused" problem

[sime]

Hi

I have the following problem when trying to send email to forwarded addresses. For privacy, I have replaced my customer's domain with "problem.com.au".

Message 1Fhwqq-0006ce-U8 is not frozen
delivering 1Fhwqq-0006ce-U8
Connecting to mx03.iprimus.com.au [210.50.30.77]:25 ... failed: Connection refused
LOG: MAIN
  mx03.iprimus.com.au [210.50.30.77]: Connection refused
LOG: MAIN
  == desmond@iprimus.com.au <desmond@problem.com.au> R=lookuphost T=remote_smtp defer (111): Connection refused

/var/log/exim_mainlog reflects the above.

So, desmond@problem.com.au seems to be correctly forwarded to desmond@iprimus.com.au, but iprimus (an ISP) is rejecting it? Searching for this problem, it seems that DNS is usually the cause, but I have doubled checked the DNS for this domain and it is resolving correctly. I can ping and dig OK.

My gut feeling is that iprimus is trying to determine whether this is a legitimate email and either it is being too nasty about it, or my server is not correctly identifying. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Simon

[kerriritter]

I have found if one of my servers gets a "Connection Refused" when trying to send mail, that is means my servers IP is blocked for some reason, possibly they think it is spam.

I would write to Iprimus or go to their site and look for a form to submit to get your servers IP unblocked. It usually takes about 24 hours.

[sime]

Thanks kerriritter

I think you are right. Am following this line.

So far the ISP are claiming I have to go straight to the blacklister. But that is crazy because I'm sure that I would have got a rejection from the blacklister rather than iprimus' own mail servers.

I've got a bad feeling about this... :-)

[sime]

Just to follow up, yes looks like some sort of block. The ISP are claiming responsibility due to some new "SMTP gateway software" they are trialling.