What Am I to Make Of This Email 'Send' Conundrum?

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Further to my periodic exasperation - re. attempting to send e-mail to AOL addresses - today produced a puzzling development.

Experiencing increased problems in this area (completely impossible the last twenty-four hours) I resorted to alternative methods.

I normally use Outlook 2003 and mail sent to AOL addresses is continually bouncing back (no problems with other ISP's). Today in desperation I resorted to Webmail (1&1); the e-mail was sent and received. I then experimented with ThunderbirdPortable (installed on a flash drive); likewise sent and received. Encouraged, I experimented with all three; each time the Outlook 2003 failed, but the other two succeeded (all three from the same computer).

Anyone any bright ideas why this may be; particularly what it is about Outlook 2003 that may finger it as the culprit? I considered a possible Port 25 issue (i.e., AOL not keen on traffic sent from such, but ThunderbirdPortable is working via 25)

[NB: Internet connection via T-Mobile 3G; if relevant]

Thanks in anticipation; driving me mad.

[Bushfiva]

If it's truly bouncing back, AOL will insert a line in the headers telling you why it was bounced. In Outlook, you can look at the headers by clicking on View, Options. The headers are displayed at the bottom. You'll be able to scroll through the headers and identify the point, and possible reason, it was bounced.

[IO540]

This could be due to IP blocking / blacklists. This is a huge problem these days, and many emails are simply dumped by stupid systems that use spamcop etc IP blacklists.

An email sent using a webmail facility originates from the ISP owning the facility. If you live in the UK and are travelling, the email will appear to be coming from that UK ISP (whose website you are logging into for the webmail).

However an email sent via a GPRS/3G connection will originate from the GSM network provider (I am assuming that you have configured their SMTP server in your email software). Some of these providers are routinely blacklisted, especially some in the 3rd world where GSM data is so cheap (15p per MB for example in South Africa, Vodacom) that spammers can use it.

However if you are logging into an authenticating SMTP server (corporate users tend to use them) then you can be on GSM and the above para doesn't apply...

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Bushfiva.....

There's a generic explanation (via link) from AOL each time, covering everything from possibly too many email's from my IP address to AOL (two a day, average) to non disclosed servers within ISP's network. But this doesn't explain why Outlook is not working at all now to AOL addresses, yet ThunderbirdPortable is. Both are working from the same laptop on the same SMTP settings (?).

IO540.....

I realise why Webmail is a separate issue.

I am using an authenticated SMTP server; 1and1 being my third party email host, via T-Mobile 3G.

Thanks to both; still puzzled by Outlook/ThunderbirdPortable discrepency.

[Keef]

My experience with Outlook and Outlook Express has been that there are many strange things hidden in there that make them do stranger things.

I gave up on both about ten years ago, and use Thunderbird. It just works. No regrets!

[Saab Dastard]

Possibly something to do with MIME encoding? Outlook / Express allow html and rich text which may be being rejected by AOL - try sending as plain text / ASCII?

SD

[bradfordboy]

Just had the same problem. All my messages to AOL users were being rejected or delayed. Looked on Google and found out that my IP had been selected by AOL for this treatment due to alleged high spam levels. My IP hosts over 700,000 web sites so you can see the scale of the problem.
Think it only happens for a period of time because it is now working again.
Thankfully I have very few contacts who are with AOL.

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

SD.....

Thanks for suggestion, but little improvement.

That said, ThunderbirdPortable using HTML with no problem. In fact still no problem one hundred per cent of the time with this program; almost dead opposite with Outlook.

As before, very bizarre this discrepency from same laptop/IP address/third partry e-mail host.

Thanks again.