Another case of Emails from domain name to Gmail addresses rejected

[#1]

Hi

We have exactly the same issue. with error return:

Reporting-MTA: dns; avasout-peh-004 [212.159.14.20]
Received-From-MTA: dns; [192.168.1.102] [212.159.102.145]
Arrival-Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:11:54 +0100

Final-recipient: rfc822; XXXX@gmail.com
Diagnostic-Code: smtp; 550-5.7.26 This mail is unauthenticated, which poses a security risk to the

Last-attempt-Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:11:54 +0100

It looks to me that this return is from plusnet and never reached gmail.  Can some wizard confirm.

Notes:

1) The emails often go OK after being resent.

2) Does only seem to be gmail.com addresses, but it's not specific addresses it's all of them - but at random times.  E.g. sent a group email to 100 addresses and all 20 gmail ones failed.

3) Our email domain is hosted by plusnet and has been for about twenty years (interestingly was also transferred in from freenetname).  This is only an issue this year.

4) It seems worse when sending from Outlook, but that might be coincidence (we moved to Outlook 365 last year).  We have always sent via smtp.

So, admins do you need any further information?

It doesn't seem possible to raise an incident so I guess the next step is a complaint.

Steve

[#2]

@swestlake 

No, you have a different problem - "This mail is unauthenticated"

Your SMTP connection needs to be authenticated using the same details as the incoming server.  Plusnet's email set up guide which suggests that this is not necessary only serves only to create confusion.  Whilst it is not essential (technically) if accessing the SMTP servers whilst on the Plusnet network, it will cause issues with third party email services (such a Gmail) throwing the rule book around playground ... and also if (for example with a portable device) connecting from a different network.

Try setting "my SMTP server requires authentication" and see if the problem goes away.

[#3]

@swestlake just to echo what Towman has rightly mentioned it looks like you just need to set your mail client to use SMTP authentication. 

As your post flagged up as a complaint I tried calling but there was no answer. I'll give you a try again tomorrow so please let me know if there might be a good time between 08:00 and 16:30. 

Adam

[#4]

Moderators Note

Split off from an unrelated one into it's own topic and re-titled

[#5]

Picking over the details of the first post (now it is in its own thread) you state that sometimes it works and others it does not.

Do the rejections all come from the same SMTP server (AVSOUT)?

Are you always connected on the Plusnet network or are you sometimes on a mobile or third part WiFi network?

Gmail have imposed some non-mandatory practices (SPPF and DKIM) on emails sent to their FREE Gmail accounts.  There is empirical evidence that those checks are enforced some of the time but not all of the time, which gives rise to this problem appearing to be variable.

@adamwalker can SPF records be generated on freenetname domain names similar to those for domain names hosted on Plusnet? 

[#6]

---

@Townman wrote:

...can SPF records be generated on freenetname domain names similar to those for domain names hosted on Plusnet? 

---

@Gandalf  suggests not: https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Emails-from-domain-name-to-Gmail-addresses-rejected/m-p/1923487#...

[#7]

Hi.

I'm not sure that this is a different problem to the one GRM_ reported.  His report also showed 'This mail is unauthenticated, which poses a security risk to the'.

Anyway, I already had 'My outgoing (SMTP) server requires authentication' set in Outlook.  I have now also set 'Require SPA' but it's not helping so far.

All the error returns today have been 'Reporting-MTA: dns; avasout-peh-003 [212.159.14.19]'.   Last week we were seeing avasout-ptp.### [84.93.230.*].   Today no successful sends so far.

Yes, these are all connections directly to plusnet - and from our fixed IP.

P.S. Although I mentioned we transferred from freenetname our domain registrar is Plusnet Plc [Tag = FORCE9]

[#8]

Hi @swestlake Cheers for replying back, I'd definitely check you've got SMTP authentication set up, let us know how you get on. 

[#9]

@adamwalker  i think that might be in the wrong thread, try this one https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Another-case-of-Emails-from-domain-name-to-Gmail-addresses/m-p/1...

[#10 · Accepted solution]

@swestlake if you have your domain hosted on a Plusnet account ( as opposed to a Freenetname or Madasafish ) then you can try adding an SPF record as described here https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Replies-to-Gmail-accounts-being-rejected/m-p/1914861#M42628

[#11]

@MisterW Nope, it's in relation to my reply at 10:08 on this thread today. 

[#12]

@adamwalker but your first post here was only 49 minutes ago and @swestlake has never posted in this thread

[#13]

@MisterW 

They did - they piggy backed in here with an issue which to them was the same, but this involves third party hosting, whereas their does not.

I suspect that @adamwalker has an old link probably from within the KSR (was LSR) service.

[#14]

Ah! makes sense now, but doesnt that mean Adam's post needs moving ?

[#15]

Yes, adding an 'MX please-add-spf-records' worked smoothly.

I now have an SPF record and everything seems to be working nicely.

Thanks, All.