email strange behaviour

[rans6andrew]

we have both been having some difficulties with sending email to any of our friends with hotmail email addresses.

New written emails form us to them don't get through and don't generate a delivery failure message. If we do reply on a mail from the other party, which appears to have exactly the same recipient address info, the message is delivered properly. We use different email tools (Thunderbird and Eudora) on different windows (Vista and XP) machines with different processors (intel and amd) but all mail goes out through the same ISP/mail server.

It is most frustrating as we get no info to suggest a failure to deliver.

Why?

I wonder if it would be better if we open our own hotmail accounts and send through them?

Help.

Rans6.....

[BOAC]

I had a thread a while back about Hotmail/Livemail's totally anal behaviour in classifying most emails as spam. They are causing hosting companies a lot of grief. 10/10 for ideas, 0/10 for application.

[Mike-Bracknell]

It ALL depends upon what you're using yourself for a mail service.

e.g. if you have the correct reverse-DNS PTR (pointer) records in place for your mailserver, and whether they match the forward lookup. If you have SPF records in place. etc etc etc.

I'd hazard a guess you're sending mail out from a DSL originating IP range, to an SMTP server that itself is victim to being marked as a spam sender by the RBLs on a regular basis, and you're sending out mail content that possibly appends dodgy URLs in the signature, or has crap like Incredimail in the body.

How close am I?

[BOAC]

You score 7/10:)

M$ STRONGLY bar "the reverse-DNS PTR records". Definitely not needed on voyage. That is unless I have misunderstood all their emails.

"We reviewed your SPF record and note that it includes the "ptr" or reverse DNS lookup mechanism. The specification for SPF records (RFC 4408) discourages use of "ptr" for performance and reliability reasons. This is especially important for Windows Live Mail, Hotmail and other large ISPs as a result of the very high volume of mail we receive each day. We highly recommend you remove the "ptr" mechanism from your SPF record and, if necessary, replace it with other SPF mechanisms that do not require a reverse DNS lookup"

Actually make that 2/10 - bold is where you are right. I'd hazard a guess you're sending mail out from a DSL originating IP range, to an SMTP server that itself is victim to being marked as a spam sender by the RBLs on a regular basis, and you're sending out mail content that possibly appends dodgy URLs in the signature, or has crap like Incredimail in the body.

[Capetonian]

Can someone explain to me what the point of "crap like Incredimail in the body" is. Someone I used to communicate with used it and 90% of his emails to me went into my email server's spam folder. As soon as I told him to stop using Incredimail, they came through with no problems.

It seems to me all it does is add stupid icons and 'smileys' to the text.

[Mike-Bracknell]

BOAC, my "e.g"s weren't cumulative. The need for PTRs and SPF records are not interlinked. You need a PTR for the A-record relating to the server name, and SPF is just another set of DNS resource records.

Also, I was talking to rans6andrew when I mentioned the list of possibles. It's not exhaustive, neither are the possible blocking mechanisms using it.

[390cruise]

Hi rans6andrew

Nothing arrives in my hotmail account any more, I have even sent it an E mail from hotmail and non hotmail accounts.No delivery failure messages.

This all follows an event when it would appear the account was highjacked, everyone in my address book got an email from me and then the address book disappeared.

I have mentioned this to a number of other people who have all had the same experience.

390

[Mike-Bracknell]

Hi rans6andrew

Nothing arrives in my hotmail account any more, I have even sent it an E mail from hotmail and non hotmail accounts.No delivery failure messages.

This all follows an event when it would appear the account was highjacked, everyone in my address book got an email from me and then the address book disappeared.

I have mentioned this to a number of other people who have all had the same experience.

390

I've fixed this for a few people. Basically, your out-of-office and antispam settings have been changed so that everything gets junked and your contacts get spammed.

To fix this, log into hotmail and go to Options -> More Options, and then review ALL of the options there to ensure you have the settings the way YOU want them. Pay particular attention to the following settings:

- Forward mail to another email account
- Filters and reporting (ensure you have 'standard' and 'report junk' selected)
- Safe and blocked senders
- Personal e-mail signature (ensure there's no spam in there)
- Reply-to address
- Manage rules

I think if you check all these you should find the settings not as you thought you had them. Changing them to what you think is sensible (especially the suggestion on the filters and reporting, and the personal email signature) should have you regain control of your account. Please remember, once you have fully regained control, to reset your password and secret question in order that there's no chance you're compromised again.

Cheers,
Mike.

[390cruise]

Hi M-B

Thanks I will try this and let you know if it works

390