re: [LI] Unable to e-mail anyone on my machine from outside

["Smeagol Gollum" <smeagol@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ravi

> Remote-MTA: DNS; rockford.myip.org
> Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 relaying to <ravi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> prohibited 

Fault is not on VSNL's side.  Any good MTA should be configured to 
reject third party relay attempts.  In fact, sendmail 8.9.x is 
configured so that third party relay is not allowed by default.  See 
http://www.sendmail.org/~ca for more information.

A typical smtp transaction would read --

telnet giasmda.vsnl.net.in 25

220 [smtp banner]

helo rockford.myip.org

Hello Rockford.Myip.Org [xxx.xx.xx.x] 

[this returns your dynamic IP #, which VSNL Chennai has allotted to 
you for the current session]

Mail From: ravikant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

sender OK

Rcpt To: ravikant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

550 relaying denied

If the server was an open relay (like say giascla.vsnl.net.in - which 
is a particularly stupid smi/svr4 box, an anonymous open relay) 
then what you would have got would be

message queued [message id]

This is a typical sendmail transaction - and I think you can spot what 
the problem you have run into is.  Instead of giving helo as 
rockford, set the sender field in your mailer as 
ravi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What PINE will do is to generate a header like

> X-Sender: ravikant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

but your mail will be sent with ravi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - that should 
solve your problem.  Or else, use the rockford.myip.org smtp 
server to relay your mails if you have access to it.

Finally, what you can do is to check your vsnl mail via pop3 first, as 
I believe VSNL uses POP before SMTP authentication.  [A VSNL 
person hangs out here on this list I think - perhaps he could confirm]

Hope this helps.  

[slightly diverging off topic]

I know practically nil about Linux but have been a mail admin on 
some NT based systems - and got hit by a spam attack, which led 
me to do a lot of digging, and start the Indian chapter of CAUCE [ 
http://www.cauce.org ] - the Coalition Against Unsolicited EMail.  

Sadly, half of the spam in India is perpetuated not by spammers 
(there are a few Indian spammers too) but by web developers who 
think nothing of sending mass email to all vsnl / satyam users in the 
city advertising a website (what the hell - even Satyam has been 
doing this with impunity, despite repeated requests and flames from 
me)

[end off topic stuff]

---s

Suresh Ramasubramanian
106D, Aditya Enclave, Ameerpet, Hyderabad 500038, India.
Phone: +(91-40)3736553/3745398 | eFax: +(1-603)590-5437
Suresh@xxxxxxxxxxx | Colt.Peacemaker@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.kcircle.com | http://www.angen.net/~pegasus/
    Wise men talk because they have something to say;
    fools, because they have to say something.
            -- Plato


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