Mailing List Archive

If you don't "control" or have access to your DNS, and 1and1's mail servers
don't do SPF, then you are SOL. (Seriously Out of Luck)

Putting SPF records in your DNS would help others properly authenticate mail
claiming to come from your domain, but you can't do that. (You could move
the DNS elsewhere, that is fairly portable.)

It would help you some by eliminating some complaints you get about spam or
virii that are spoofing your domain.

But unless your (1and1s) mail server supports SPF, you can't get the full
benefit of SPF, which would be a reduction in spam and a a reduction in
false messages to your subscribers claiming to be from
postmaster@yourdomain.tld or other faked system addresses.

SPF is pretty new and obviously not all servers support it yet. It doesn't
solve all the spam and virii problems but as soon as we installed it, our
spam traps were reduced from 400,000 a day to 80,000 a day. That is 320,000
messages that didn't have to be parsed and quarantined per day.

It also gives you a good idea of how spam is sent. A lot of messages from
places other than where the expected source server is.

A lot of the big ISPs have SPF records in their DNS! That protects them
from spam that claims to come from their domain (because their mail servers
also support SPF) and that is why our level drops as well because all the
spam that illegitamately claims to come from "AOL" is instantly blocked when
it is clear the source server is in "NeverNever.Land", not at AOL.

Cary Fitch



----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom" <tom@enfolded.net>
To: <spf-help@v2.listbox.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 3:27 AM
Subject: [spf-help] SPF for Hosted Domains


> My ISP is charter.net and I use Charter's POP and SMTP servers, but 1and
1.com hosts several of my domains and provides the DNS servers. All incoming
email goes through the mail server (tom@enfolded.net) at 1and1 and is
automatically forwarded to my charter email address (tomnielsen@charter.net)
from whence I retrieve it. When I contacted 1and1 regarding setting up SPF
records for my domains, I received this reply:
>
> > Thank you for contacting 1&1 Internet.
> >Unfortunately, that is not a product we support. Thus, you will be
responsible for >figuring out a solution on your own.
>
> Am I out of luck until 1and1 changes their policy and supports SPF, or is
their a way I can implement SPF for my domains 'on my own'?
>
> -Tom
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------
> Archives at http://archives.listbox.com/spf-help/current/
> Donate! http://spf.pobox.com/donations.html
> To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your
subscription,
> please go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=spf-help@v2.listbox.com
>


-------
Archives at http://archives.listbox.com/spf-help/current/
Donate! http://spf.pobox.com/donations.html
To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription,
please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=spf-help@v2.listbox.com

Cary,

Thanks for a very prompt and clear answer. I'm forwarding your reply to 1and1 for their enlightenment and edification.

-Tom

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 03:49:19 -0500, Cary Fitch <sage@usawide.net> wrote:

> If you don't "control" or have access to your DNS, and 1and1's mail servers
> don't do SPF, then you are SOL. (Seriously Out of Luck)
>
etc...

-------
Archives at http://archives.listbox.com/spf-help/current/
Donate! http://spf.pobox.com/donations.html
To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription,
please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=spf-help@v2.listbox.com

Their mail server software may not support SPF yet. Ours only became
available last week.

However, they should support SPF records in the DNS. It is only a Text
record and it helps you, them and everyone else on the Internet.

Except virii and spammers of course. :-)

Cary


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom" <tom@enfolded.net>
To: <spf-help@v2.listbox.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 4:11 AM
Subject: Re: [spf-help] SPF for Hosted Domains


> Cary,
>
> Thanks for a very prompt and clear answer. I'm forwarding your reply to
1and1 for their enlightenment and edification.
>
> -Tom
>
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 03:49:19 -0500, Cary Fitch <sage@usawide.net> wrote:
>
> > If you don't "control" or have access to your DNS, and 1and1's mail
servers
> > don't do SPF, then you are SOL. (Seriously Out of Luck)
> >
> etc...
>
> -------
> Archives at http://archives.listbox.com/spf-help/current/
> Donate! http://spf.pobox.com/donations.html
> To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your
subscription,
> please go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=spf-help@v2.listbox.com
>


-------
Archives at http://archives.listbox.com/spf-help/current/
Donate! http://spf.pobox.com/donations.html
To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription,
please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=spf-help@v2.listbox.com