Are Plusnet mail servers blacklisted?

[#1]

Afternoon all,

I'm new around here and wondering if anyone could help with issues sending email via Plusnet servers using GMail? Until recently I was able to send email via GMail without issue but of late I'm getting delivery failure messages with containing 'The response from the remote server was: 554 avasout-peh-002 smtp ESMTP server not available (blacklisted by local policy)' etc..

I've done some checking and it would appear that at time of writing a number of Plusnet SMTP servers are on SORBS SPAM Blacklist (avasout-peh-002.plus.net, avasout-peh-003.plus.net, avasout-peh-004.plus.net), there are many more which aren't blacklisted.

Is anyone else having this issue?

Does this only affect users of relay.force9.net?

Is there anything I can do?

Are Plusnet aware of this? 

Yours hoping for a fix or intervention before too long. 

[#2]

Hi, @Fixxxer I'm sorry for the late response, we're not aware of anything like this.

Is this still an issue? 

[#3]

@ClaudiaG23 

See here - Network Tools: DNS,IP,Email (mxtoolbox.com)

Sorbs Spam Reports Sources Of Spam

Spam-based Blacklists are those that will list either single IP Addresses or entire ranges that have actually received Spam, i.e. Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE) in their Spamtraps from an IP-Address. This could be a result of a compromised email account, an Open Relay, or simply sending mass emails / marketing and not following best practices according to the "CAN-SPAM Act of 2003" (ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN-SPAM_Act_of_2003)

The blacklisting of a Plusnet SMTP server is probably consequent to a Plusnet user's account having being compromised and abused.

This probably needs to go to the security team for review.

[#4]

From SORBUS itself...

Summary information for 212.159.14.18

Note: Times shown are for the latest entry only! Found 2 network entries and 0 host/domain entries.   Problem Entries, (listings will cause email problems.) 30 "Spam" entries [12:03:56 27 Mar 2023 GMT-04].   212.159.14.18 - 30 entries [12:03:56 27 Mar 2023 GMT-04].   2 "Virus" entries [00:44:10 09 Feb 2016 GMT-05].     Usage classification (only important if you run your own mailserver.) Note: Active "exDUHL" entries mean that the IP/Network has been unblocked for some or all IPs from the DUHL.   Problem hostnames/domains (could cause email problems.) 14 "Spamvertised" entries [12:03:56 27 Mar 2023 GMT-04].   Note:These entries are for URLs or email domains, the IPs that may show up as 'spamvertised' only indicate where the URL/Host was seen being sent from. Listings for IPs that are 'spamvertised' will not usually cause blocking problems unless the email contains the IP address as a URL Note: For a more detailed view you have to be registered and logged in

[#5]

I started getting the same thing the other day with my static ip address, I'm having to use a vpn to get my mail now

[#6]

@ClaudiaG23 Yes, this is still an issue all servers in my original post ae still on SORBS Blacklist.

[#7]

@Townman 

Thanks for your contribution. 

[#8]

@Auntystatic 

I too am using a static IP address and while sending via Webmail seems to negate this issue (or maybe I was just getting lucky and some mail was travelling via the non blacklisted servers) it's a bit clunky, I never thought of using a VPN.

[#9]

@Townman 

This is a little off topic but could you advise can anyone add tags to a post? 

I am not responsible for this one which has appears on mine.

[#10]

Yes anyone can tag a post.

That is bizarre though - I have flagged it to the mods.

[#11]

@Fixxxer I'm getting this raised to the relevant team to investigate this. I don't have a timescale but once I get a response back I'll get back in touch. 

[#12]

I am also new to this forum.  I was just about to post.  I am getting a number of mail undeliverable messages such as this:-

Reason: A message that you sent to the following recipient could not be delivered due to a permanent error. ** The remote server ?? responded with: ** xxxxxxxxxx ??:?? This message was created automatically by mail delivery software on the server

gmail

hotmail

a company domain

I receive emails OK but if I click reply it fails.

I find if I manually type in the email address it generally works.  I use Outlook and never had previously.  This has been happening for a few weeks now.

Does this mean that these servers are rejecting my email as Spam?  Our email address is our own domain name, not gmail or other generic providers.

[#13]

As far as I can tell, the Plusnet mail servers are down.  I am neither receiving nor able to send via Plusnet, and cannot even ping the mail server.  

It would help if Plusnet hadn't hidden or removed the Status page from Help & Support...  

[#14]

This is unlikely to be a blacklisting issue. You should have started your own topic. I will ask the mods to split off your piggyback post.

Your own domain name - is that hosted by Plusnet or is it hosted elsewhere and you are forwarding mail to Plusnet? If the latter you should be using the email hosting service’s SMTP server for sending emails. Otherwise in some places you will fall foul of not having an optional SPF rule for permitted SMPT services for the domain.

[#15]

@iainmackay

That’s a bit of a rash statement. There are no widespread reports of general issues with the mail service, but there are a multitude of considerations which might present an issue for you as an individual. You would be best helped by creating your own post reporting exactly what you are experiencing and what you are using … rather than speculating what might be wrong. Whatever, not being able to access email has nothing to do with the subject of this post - blacklisted SMTP servers.