Re: [cobalt-users] RAQ2 - Still Can't send mail to AOL HELP!

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David Lucas wrote:

> I think if you followed the chain, Dan and I both told him he had a lack of
> reverse DNS. This email was asking various questions to ponder as what he
> stated was just not working.

Yes, but I don't think anyone in the chain pointed out that the reverse
DNS can point to anything at all; it just has to exist.  If I missed
that, sorry.  What I'm trying to preach is to not run a reverse dns
record for EVERY domain hosted on the IP#; just ONE.  That's what I was
trying to make clear.  If I missed that from anyone else, I apologize.

> I brought up using the ISP as secondary mainly due to the fact he might not
> have the ips actually assigned to him.

And what does that have to do with it?  We run secondary DNS for
thousands of domains for which we don't have IPs assigned to us.  Or for
that matter, to the people who contract with us for secondary DNS.  What
do you mean?

> My system is set up somewhat the
> same as his.  I do NOT run my own DNS though.  I can send email to AOL via
> various email addresses.

Most likely because whoever has authority for reverse DNS for your IPs
has it properly set up.  Whoever has authority for reverse DNS for your
IP#s decides who runs primary and who runs secondary DNS. Using your ISP
as your secondary will NOT automatically do anything at all to reverse
DNS.  It may or may not be coincidental that your ISP runs secondary for
your domains and for your reverse DNS, but that's all it is,
coincidental.  If you stopped using your ISP for secondary DNS, they'd
still be secondarying your reverse DNS, if in fact that's what they're
doing.  Reverse DNS and forward DNS are in completely differnt
zone-files.  Which is something you probably don't ever see or get to
understand if you use a RaQ <frown>.

I can send email to AOL, too.

> My email is configured to use the SMTP server
> associated with the domain from which I am sending from.

My email isn't.  Coincidentally, when I write from nobaloney.net it is,
but often it isn't as I do own and use other domains.  In fact, whenever
anyone uses a dialup account and their dialup ISP provider's SMTP, but
their own domain name in their return address.

Why do these work?  Because there IS secondary DNS for something.  It
just has to point at something.

> We were spending all our time looking at the DNS.  The only place he was
> having a problems sending to was AOL.  I was begining to wonder if we
> really had a DNS problems or an email configuration problem

Most likely he didn't have proper reverse DNS.  Until that's resolved,
there's nothing else worth checking.  Once that's resolved, buy a good
sendmail book and start doing some troubleshooting; that's what we do
for clients every day.

> Fine, but do you have a real answer as to why he can send email to everyone
> he wants except AOL?

Most likely because he doesn't have proper secondary DNS configuration. 
Second most likely, depending on error messages, either he or someone
who had it before him, got his IP# into one of the spam-block lists that
AOL uses.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484