Where is our email going missing?

[So]

Currently we have one main domain name that we use for most email. It has a forwarder from TSO Host to our main BT email address. We use a catch all and issue unique email addresses to everyone. So Fred Blogs Ltd will be [e-mail].

It used to work fine, but lately I would estimate that 20% of main isn't arriving.

Can anyone hazard a guess as to where the problem lies please? TSO or BT or both?

[JamieBeeston]

I've seen a fair few posts saying TSO is on spam black lists, so likely the mail is being rejected due to IP Reputation fails.

[So]

JamieBeeston said:

I've seen a fair few posts saying TSO is on spam black lists, so likely the mail is being rejected due to IP Reputation fails.

Thanks.

So BT would be blocking forwarded mail from companies new to us?

That makes sense because it seems to be recent new contacts that are affected.

[JamieBeeston]

So said:

JamieBeeston said:

I've seen a fair few posts saying TSO is on spam black lists, so likely the mail is being rejected due to IP Reputation fails.

Thanks.

So BT would be blocking forwarded mail from companies new to us?

That makes sense because it seems to be recent new contacts that are affected.

More likely they would be blocking / limiting mail from some / all of the mail server IPs TSO host use if its like the reports I read.

[feef]

When I read the title, I thought "I'll bet BT mail is involved" and it is.

I've had various issues with emails to BT managed accounts vanishing, mainly after they outsourced their email service provision to a third party.

[anonymous-user]

Bin BT and use your own server thus avoiding blocks,catchments by others

[bitchstewie]

Possibly a bit of both.

The difficulty is you're basically doing things on the cheap.

If it were me I'd be transferring the domain to Google and using their included mail forwarding and using it to forward to a Gmail account.

You'll get better security and it's much more independent than an email address that's tied to you using BT Internet.

[anonymous-user]

bhstewie said:

Possibly a bit of both.

The difficulty is you're basically doing things on the cheap.

If it were me I'd be transferring the domain to Google and using their included mail forwarding and using it to forward to a Gmail account.

You'll get better security and it's much more independent than an email address that's tied to you using BT Internet.

Probably the way forward keeping the costs down

[The Mad Monk]

So said:

We use a catch all and issue unique email addresses to everyone.

Why?

[So]

mgsontour said:

bhstewie said:

Possibly a bit of both.

The difficulty is you're basically doing things on the cheap.

If it were me I'd be transferring the domain to Google and using their included mail forwarding and using it to forward to a Gmail account.

You'll get better security and it's much more independent than an email address that's tied to you using BT Internet.

Probably the way forward keeping the costs down

I am going to look into this.

[So]

May have made some progress with this.

I emailed one of our regular suppliers earlier in the week, he replied and we did not receive it.

I've just spoken to BT who tell me that Microsoft blocked it as spam. The BT woman did not know how I influence what BT blocks as spam and what it does not.

It makes me wonder what other important stuff resides in Microsoft's spam folder, which I don't have access to as far as I know.

[bitchstewie]

I'd be surprised if there isn't a way to check the spam folder.

One of the golden rules of email filtering is delete, quarantine, reject, but make sure the sender or recipient knows you've done it.

Try the webmail interface.

[So]

bhstewie said:

I'd be surprised if there isn't a way to check the spam folder.

One of the golden rules of email filtering is delete, quarantine, reject, but make sure the sender or recipient knows you've done it.

Try the webmail interface.

I've been in there and cannot find anything. There is "spam email reporting" which has "ask me before sending a report" ticked, but I can see no way of seeing what has been blocked as spam.

[Bikerjon]

Most likely the connection is dropped/rejected before the message even has the chance to make it to the spam folder. Had a similar issue with one of my domains and found one of the TSO mail servers was on a blacklist.

[So]

Bikerjon said:

Most likely the connection is dropped/rejected before the message even has the chance to make it to the spam folder. Had a similar issue with one of my domains and found one of the TSO mail servers was on a blacklist.

The email I referred to above didn't go via TSO.

Though I am quite prepared to believe that TSO may also be causing us problems.

[dazmanultra]

Unfortunately, using a catch-all forwarder in this way is probably going to result in lost email using any provider. The only way a catch-all can really work is if you collect the email from the server doing the "catching", or if you fully control the server where the email is being forwarded to (you can then whitelist the email coming through). The particular issue with catch-all mailboxes is that a sender doesn't need to know your email address in order to send you spam - thus, you tend to get a lot more of it coming through (probably an order of magnitude). Then, because the TSO server is being told to forward all of that mail to BT, BT are then seeing TSO's server as the source of the spam unfortunately.

[So]

dazmanultra said:

Unfortunately, using a catch-all forwarder in this way is probably going to result in lost email using any provider. The only way a catch-all can really work is if you collect the email from the server doing the "catching", or if you fully control the server where the email is being forwarded to (you can then whitelist the email coming through). The particular issue with catch-all mailboxes is that a sender doesn't need to know your email address in order to send you spam - thus, you tend to get a lot more of it coming through (probably an order of magnitude). Then, because the TSO server is being told to forward all of that mail to BT, BT are then seeing TSO's server as the source of the spam unfortunately.

That's interesting thank you.

[TonyRPH]

dazmanultra said:

Good stuff

This is indeed an issue.

I run my own mail server, and my reputation is good, however one of my sons wanted all of his email forwarded to Gmail - and guess what - Gmail would frequently bounce the emails because they were forwarded and Gmail didn't 'like' the fact that the originating domain of the email was not from it's original server (i.e. it had been forwarded by my server).

Their filtering is quite intelligent when combined with verification such as OpenDKIM, SPF etc.

You can get around this with some rewriting rules on the forwarding server, to change the originating domain of the forwarded email to match that of the (new) sending server - however this screws up many things, and is not recommended.

Edited by TonyRPH on Monday 1st April 13:22