Reverse DNS configuration (PTR) to abate gmail "550-5.7.1 "

[Koobenhoff]

All,

I am having an issue with a gmail IP blacklist, and I have run up against some issues. I have a shared hosting server set up in my office that I run several sites from. I have 5 zones using the shared IP, then several on Dedicated IPs hosted on the server.

This is my error I get back from the Mailer-Daemon:

    SMTP error from remote mail server after end of data:
    host ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM [173.194.64.27]: 550-5.7.1 [*SERVER_IP Removed*       1] Our system has detected an unusual rate of
    550-5.7.1 unsolicited mail originating from your IP address. To protect our
    550-5.7.1 users from spam, mail sent from your IP address has been blocked.
    550-5.7.1 Please visit http://www.google.com/mail/help/bulk_mail.html to review
    550 5.7.1 our Bulk Email Senders Guidelines. rk9si3223603obb.25 - gsmtp

I have spent nearly 2 weeks doing google searches, cPanel forum searches, etc in an effort to mitigate this problem, but no steps have resolved the problem, to date. I know that a fair amount of information exist about the issue. There are some things I have tried, not in order:

1. "disable ipv6 =true" in Exim Config
2. Added spf and DKIM to all accounts
3. Forced DKIM and spf verification in Exim Config
4. Turned on logging to mainlog in Exim Config (to help determine if spam is being sent from my server)

I have done several other things to enhance the server security, but I don't think anyone is even sending spam.

This leads me to my actual question(s)

I am trying to set up a PTR in WHM, but the instructions here are not really clear.

I will go through my steps so that I can be clear on how I interpreted the instructions.

1. (from my web server console) "dig +nssearch (server-octet-3).(server-octet-2).(server-octet-1).in-addr.arpa"

results:
SOA ns1.maxuptime.com. hostmaster.maxuptime.com. 2011123001 600 600 600 600 from server 66.241.0.20 in 2 ms.

Not really sure why you even have to to step 1. Do I put "ns1.maxuptime.com" as the "NS" record in my PTR zone? (That is not one of my nameservers)

2. in WHM > Add DNS Zone : Entered the IP of my web server and (server-octet-3).(server-octet-2).(server-octet-1).in-addr.arpa to the domain field

3. "removed" A MX and CNAME records. ( I just deleted the info from the fields in "Edit DNS zone" and when I saved they were gone. I assume this works to remove the records.)

4. Added PTR records in "Edit DNS Zone" but this is where I get confused.
I added the host name 2 different ways (my "domain.com" is hosted on "server01.domain.com", but the IP for "domain.com" is different than the IP for "server01.domain.com". Could that be part of the issue?

I tried both "domain.com" and "server01.domain.com" in the host name field and both times when I use the "host" command from my server I get the same thing:

"Host (server-octet-4).(server-octet-3).(server-octet-2).(server-octet-1).in-addr.arpa. not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)"



I need assistance with this process, as the main issue I am trying to resolve is preventing ALL my Exim users from sending to gmail accounts.

 

[kernow]

PTR or reverse DNS cannot be done on your server ( unless you control the IPs) so you should delete any PTR record and ask your datacenter to set up the PTR for you.

 

[cPanelMichael]

Hello

Yes, please contact your data center or hosting provider to have them setup the RDNS record for you. It's likely this ability has not been delegated to your server.

Thank you.

 

[Koobenhoff]

Hello

Yes, please contact your data center or hosting provider to have them setup the RDNS record for you. It's likely this ability has not been delegated to your server.

Thank you.

I am the host. The IPs are external and provided by my ISP. I own the server, the cPanel license, and it is all in my server room. I need other options.

 

[cPanelMichael]

You can contact your ISP to verify you have the ability to assign a RDNS record to these IP addresses. If not, they can set up the records for you.

Thank you.