Vortech Inc. .::. 6/22/2003 IMPORTANT: Mail Server Changes

We have decided to go ahead and switch exclusively to the "SMTP AUTH". Both "POP-before-SMTP" and "SMTP AUTH" authentication methods will work until July 8, 2003. At that time, we will be removing POP-before-SMTP support from the mail servers.

The change should solve the "Outlook" password prompt problem being experienced by many of you. The reason POP-before-SMTP causes this problem is because when you check your mail, a file is written that records your IP address and allows you to relay. If many people check mail at the same time, the program may attempt to write the file at the same time, returning the "File System Busy" error.

Also, SMTP AUTH will allow us to track down spammers that affect the delivery of your mail.

To enable SMTP AUTH:

Outlook Express
1) Select 'Tools' -> 'Accounts' from the menu
2) Highlight your account
3) Click on the "Servers" tab
4) Check the box that says "My Server Requires Authentication" for the "Outgoing Mailserver"
5) Click "Settings" and ensure "Same as Incoming" is selected.

Eudora:
1) Select 'Tools' -> 'Options' from the menu
2) Select "Sending Mail"
3) Check "Allow Authentication"

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Regarding the other mail server changes made:

The following things were implemented/fixed:
+ MAIL FROM DNS Check: MAIL FROM domain address must resolve; This helps stop bounces in the system, which keeps the queue clear for your mail.

+ MAIL FROM Locality check: You can only relay mail with a MAIL FROM address of your domain; This helps us to crack down on spammers so they do not overwhelm the mailservers and prevent your mail from getting through.

I do not anticipate any more bugs, as I have tested the changes
extensively. If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please post here. If you experience any problems, please submit a support ticket, and we'll get the problems fixxed ASAP.

Also, I will be closing all other mail server related threads. Please post here if you experience problems or have questions regarding the changes.

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Error message descriptions:

"553 sorry, you have not authenticated for relay and <xxx@xxx.com> is not a local address. (#5.7.1)"
This means that you do not have permission to relay email. This can result from either failure to authenticate - you have not turned on SMTP AUTH. If this is received in a bounced message, then it means that you tried to send an email to the server for a domain that doesn't exist on the server - this can result from misconfigured MX entries.


"552 sorry, wrong MAIL FROM address specified (#5.7.1)"
This means that your MAIL FROM: address does not match the domain you used to authenticate. If your email address is bob@example.com, then your MAIL FROM address MUST be from the domain example.com. If you have multiple email accounts on different domains, then you shouldn't have a problem as long as you have each account setup to use the same settings for Incoming and Outgoing.

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Matt Houston
Vortech, Inc.
http://www.vortechhosting.com
http://www.matrixreseller.com
http://www.rapidcolo.com

[javier011]

I am testing sending email to myself, 1 hour left, and messages are still missing..

Are they on delay?

[MEELAN]

I tested with SMTP AUTH through mail1 and came in a few minutes to my local ISP.

I used Outlook Express.

Thanks

[Brangwyn]

Quick question, I have a domain which is hosted on vortech but has not got the mail service enabled becuase I'm using a custom MX record to point to my own SMTP servers.

Should this work still with the changes to DNS lookup etc being made ? I'm asking becuase I've just had one person say that when they were trying to send mail to me via vortech server that it was getting a good ole "553 sorry, that domain isn't in my list of allowed rcpthosts"

I just tried the SMTP AUTH on OE6...still getting the password prompt a couple of times....

[admin]

orvals, you will still get the password issue till we disable pop-before-smtp. Once we turn that off it will go away. We wanted to give everyone time to switch over before going and making the switch all at once.

[admin]

Originally posted by Brangwyn
Quick question, I have a domain which is hosted on vortech but has not got the mail service enabled becuase I'm using a custom MX record to point to my own SMTP servers.

Should this work still with the changes to DNS lookup etc being made ? I'm asking becuase I've just had one person say that when they were trying to send mail to me via vortech server that it was getting a good ole "553 sorry, that domain isn't in my list of allowed rcpthosts"

If you have a MX setup and mail off on our systems then you should not get that error, unless the person sending to you is also on our systems and just does not have there from address set right.. If they have the from wrong they just need to set there from address as one we host on the mail server they are using.

Ok...thanks....

[somereseller]

Kudos for the improvement, we did get an email and enough time to warn our users.

I hope the transition will go smoothly on the 8th.

[L_P]

Ok, with this change should I tell all my clients to switch to auth for sending mail? or will both ways work?
-L_P

[admin]

both ways work right NOW. After the 8th only the smtp auth will work and all the pop-up messages for the passwords will go away. You can go ahead and email all your customers to let them know to switch and how to switch.

[dwhite]

Brad,
I tried the SMTP AUTH method as suggested from Eudora. It fails to authorize. It was with a sponsored version of Eudora sending to a secondary domain email account of my reseller domain. The Eudora version info given is:

Platform: Windows 2000
Machine Type: Intel
System Version: 5.01.2600
Processor: 586
Physical RAM Installed: 785952 Kb
Eudora: Version 5.2.0.9
Mode: Sponsored Mode
MSHTML Version: 6.00
WININET Version: 6.00

UPDATE: Whenever I try the SMTP AUTH method, Eudora fails to send, and crashes. Just tried it on the webmaster account for the main domain name and the same thing happens.

[admin]

Eudora is a little picky.. I will play around with it tonight and see what setting will work for smtp auth.

[dwhite]

Woah, hehe, your response time on that surprised me, SCARY! :lol:

[dwhite]

Brad,
I just checked and there is a newer version of Eudora - 5.2.1 Reading the Release News for it, I see some of the following regarding SMTP:

• 
  By default SMTP now follows the POP/IMAP setting for Kerberos 5. Users can switch back to the previous behavior (prefering the strongest authentication mechanism) by setting the SmtpAuthK5INI option to 0.
  
  Fixed a bug that would cause Eudora to crash if you disallowed all of the SMTP authentication mechanisms offered by the server.
  
  SMTP GSSAPI authentication now works in cases where the user does not explicitly specify an SMTP server name.

Does any of this sound like it might solve the problem I described?

EDIT: Here's the URL for the Release Notes:
http://www.eudora.com/download/eudor...1/RelNotes.txt