Don Xml's Grok This

	Optimum Online Filters Outbound Port 25 (SMTP) I don’t know if you have been affected by this yet, but it seems like the major ISPs have started to block access to 3rd party SMTP servers.  Optimum Online just implemented this in my area.  It is really hard to find in their FAQs, so here’s the link.  The only way around this is to go thru their STMP server, even if you have an email service provider (like WebHosting4Life or GoDaddy).  The idea is to limit spam, but I can’t see how this makes it better.  Shouldn’t that be up to the email service provider and not the internet provider?  It just seems like a scam to get you to upgrade to business class (then they will remove the filter). Sounds like we need to spend some time creating a web service and Outlook plugin to get around this.  We will need to create a secure and encrypted web service, add it to our web host, and have the service send the mail via SMTP.  Then, we need to create a plugin so that Outlook can use the web service.  I’ve always been a little uneasy about connecting to my email thru wi-fi (at a hotel or conference), and so, with the proper security, this could solve 2 issues. Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it! Published Wednesday, September 01, 2004 9:24 AM by donxml Filed under: .Net, XML Comment Notification If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS Comments Ian Ringrose said: It does stop a warm running on a user’s machine from sending out emails, most warms these days connect to the SMTP server for the domain that the email is being sent to. By blocking out going SMTP, apart from the ISP email server, they can then run a virus filter on ALL out going emails, so stopping there users from spreading worms. Also a lot worms these day are used to send spam, without the user knowing it. email service providers just need to provide a SMTP server on a DIFFERENT port, this will let there customers still connect to there SMTP server, while allowing the ISP to block emails sent my worms. ringi at bigfoot dot com September 1, 2004 9:55 AM TrackBack said: September 1, 2004 10:14 AM TrackBack said: September 1, 2004 10:16 AM Tim Danner said: The intended migration path is for SMTP relay service to be offered on port 587, but to require connections coming in on that port to use SMTP authentication (username/password). This allows for legitimate (non-open relay) third-party SMTP service, but protects the world from compromised/zombie home computers spamming. Your email service provider may already be listening on port 587. The relevant RFC (#2476 - http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2476.txt) was approved in 1998. Try pointing Outlook to that port and see if it connects. If it doesn't work, contact the provider's support and refer them to the Anti-Spam Technical Alliance Technology and Policy Proposal (http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/pdf/asta_soi.pdf - PDF, sorry!), which describes this recommendation. September 1, 2004 11:20 AM Shawn C said: Welcome to the club. September 3, 2004 8:07 AM DrFooMod2 said: I don't see Optonline reading anything I send them, espcially one about spam. What I don't understand is why you need anything other than mail-hub.optonline.net? I use that just fine, and then pull down my david at codenoevil dot com from my the SMTP server its hosted at. September 6, 2004 4:00 PM Nicholas Cardi said: port 587 is still working. Who knows for how long though.... September 13, 2004 4:29 PM jk said: Optimum Online is down for me outbound on both 25 and 587 (NY, NY). September 13, 2004 8:45 PM gluefreak said: I'm able to use port 26 with my ISP. Seems to work for now. What a freakin' hassle troubleshooting this! At first I wasn't sure if it was my computer, my router, etc. I went through all kinds of troubleshooting (removing router, trying my laptop with different connections, fixing MTUs, etc) before finally discovering this thread. Between this and some help from my host (the excellent bluewho.com) I managed to determine port 26 was a solution. September 19, 2004 7:54 AM RF Meyer said: I remember Don mentioning this issue at the last NJMSDEV meeting and I kept a watchful eye on my outgoing mail - yet weeks later I am unaffected, which makes no sense at all because I'm in Morristown, a scant 20 minutes from Don's location. September 21, 2004 10:03 PM RF Meyer said: Looks like I wrote too soon - that very night a bunch of my e-mails got blocked. I think someone at Craptimum Offline has their eye on this blog. It also looks like Webhost4Life isn't going to offer up another port because they have a note on their helpdesk article about e-mail problems that directs users to resolve the issue with the isp. September 23, 2004 7:59 AM Steve Lembark said: Use ssh to tunnel port 25 from your local host to someplace that doesn't filter. October 5, 2004 2:08 PM Vitaly said: I'm trying to use my school webmailserver to send e-mail. However, due to the problem with port 25, I can't send anything. They have an option to use my ISP provider information. So, my question uis What is the Optimum Onlines' SMTP server information or name? October 6, 2004 3:25 PM TrackBack said: October 21, 2004 8:28 PM Charles Cinquemani said: hello folks, i am in westchester county and the bastards just got me. tried port 587 and 26, no dice. November 19, 2004 7:49 PM

About donxml

I’m an independent consultant, specializing in .Net solutions architecture, based out of New Jersey who also doubles as an evangelist for XML, Domain Driven Design, enterprise architecture and .Net. I do not work for Microsoft, the W3C or any other big company that you may know of (at least not yet). I’ve been an indie for over ten years, and although I’ve been tempted a couple times to take a job with companies like Microsoft, I’ve haven’t found something better than my current situation. I work mostly with the large pharmaceuticals that are based here in New Jersey, and usually find myself on long term contracts. Definitely not the prototypical indie consultant, but it lets me dedicate time to my non-income generating activities like the developer community stuff, plus financing open source projects like XPathmania and MVP-XML. If you would like to talk to me about doing some contract work, just contact me via the contact page. My rates vary widely, depending on lots of different variables, but mostly distance from Jersey, and type of work. Plus, I’ve been known to donate some of my code for various projects.