AOL SMPT Refusing Mail

visibleman · 20 Jan 2012 at 17:14

Hi all,
Have just setup an SBS 2008 box on a static line and all is working hunky dory, except AOL SMTP servers are refusing to accept emails form my IP address and they are just getting bounced back (works fine on every other email domain I’ve tried).

It was originally throwing an AOL '554 RTR:RD' error, which according to their error pages (http://postmaster.aol.com/Postmaster.Errors.php) is a mismatch in the RDNS, but after getting that changed to 'remote.mydomain.com' (email headers showed that as being the hostname) and applying for a FBL (feedback loop; did it for extra measures) it's now throwing a '554 RTR:SC' error - 'a block due to successive dynamic blocks issued against your IP address'.

Have checked spam block lists, specifically Spamhaus PBL which AOL use, and the IP isn't listed and have also received acknowledgements from AOL for the apparent 'unblock' of the IP address and the FBL. But I just appear to be going in circles

Has anyone got any ideas what could be causing this?

Obvious answer would be to use an SMTP server but I haven't got access to one unfortunately. Alternatively has anyone managed to use their cPanel hosting, on the same domain, as a SMTP relay?

Cheers for any help

droyden · 20 Jan 2012 at 17:36

Have you tried to contact AOL support?

visibleman · 20 Jan 2012 at 18:00

droyden said:
Have you tried to contact AOL support?

Did originally when sorting the FBL and rDNS and have sent a few more since but just get acknowledgement emails.

Knubje · 20 Jan 2012 at 22:31

I assume you are on AOL as an ISP? I know some companies/providers don't appreciate handling SMTP traffic from people who aren't on their subnet.

Thats the only thing I can think of, should be easy enough to route through some where else?

Rob7865 · 21 Jan 2012 at 11:29

Best and really only way would be to setup a Smarthost connection to your ISP and route aol emails over that... AOL is notorious for refusing emails from SBS boxes

Rob

visibleman · 22 Jan 2012 at 16:09

Rob7865 said:
Best and really only way would be to setup a Smarthost connection to your ISP and route aol emails over that... AOL is notorious for refusing emails from SBS boxes

Rob

I'm starting to get the feeling that using a smarthost is going to be the only option. But as mentioned I haven't got access to one directly via my ISP. However I do have a cPanel Tsohost VPS (will double check T&Cs) on the same domain that is used for the website which could potentially act as the SMTP relay and have just done a few tests via telnet and all seems ok but is there any potentially issues of using the VPS as the smarthost?

Knubje - Nope this is a BT line, but isn't directly supplied by them so don't have access to the BTConnect SMTP's, and mail sent to AOL servers is getting blocked.