[PLUG] Missing emails

Roderick A. Anderson raanders at acm.org
Tue Sep 23 18:46:53 UTC 2008


frank hunt wrote:
> Roderick A. Anderson wrote:
> 
>> Start with your mail server logs.  Typically /var/log/maillog.  See
>> if the connections are even coming in.
>> 
>> I just saw Aaron's post and I'll say I've had many problems with
>> Yahoo. Some of those directly related to DNS issues.  Each mail
>> server Yahoo uses seems to make up it's own mind on what to do with
>> questionable DNS entries.  Get this fixed and as those changes
>> propagate look at the logs.
>> 
>> I just tried a telnet to your server and it responds quickly.  But
>> that made me think of a problem an ISP I worked for had with Yahoo
>> and its groups.  User Quality.  The typical postfix install has a
>> header_checks file that catches Yahoo Groups all the time.  Six (6)
>> of the same character in a row.  Your logs should show this as 'ACL
>> 3' message.
>> 
>> 
>> Rod
> 
> The logs look fine as far as I can tell.  I did find that I was
> blocking some IP's owned by yahoo with IPtables and removed that.

That could explain some of the random-ish delivery.  Different outbound 
SMTP servers for the messages.

> If the "no mx or a records for frankhunt.com" is really the error
> they are seeing (and not a result of a timeout or garbage
> collection), then nothing would ever reach my site since it can't be
> located, right?  If that is the case then I won't see anything in the
> logs.

Some mail server software has been known to attempt to deliver to the 
other hosts or the domain's default IP.

You do have a MX record but your server is replying back with a 
different name so that could cause problems though intermittent delivery 
doesn't seem right.

> There is no entry in header_checks to filter out yahoo.  Spamassassin
> is not catching these emails either.

Well the six-character-in-a-row was what was catching Yahoo Groups mail.

> After getting reinstated, I am receiving mail from the yahoo groups.
> It is interesting that one of the earlier emails from them was the
> one that told me that they couldn't find my mx record.

I've seen that before.  In fact it probably is a Yahoo Group list.

> Other ideas?

Did your logs show a delivery attempt (connection) for hourly emails you 
didn't get?

How about sending to another email account.  Gmail, Yahoo?  See if they 
are having problems.  If you find a good account have it forward to you 
server.  Kludgy but workable.


Rod
-- 




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