Mailing List Archive: Help setting up SPF record

Help setting up SPF record

Mar 16, 2009, 4:30 PM

Post #1 of 4 (3613 views)

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out the correct SPF string for several domains I
run. I've filled out the self-service form on the web site, but I'm not
sure the result is really what I want. May I run it by you all?

The situation is as follows:
--My domain is slayman.com, with dedicated IP 69.89.26.91
--Web & inbound mail for slayman.com are hosted on box133.bluehost.com,
with IP 69.89.22.133
--Outbound mail is sent via one of several outbound mail servers, with
names like outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com (IP 67.222.38.60).

Typical headers are as follows, with extraneous bits removed:
Received: from 67.222.38.60 (HELO outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com)
(67.22.38.60) by .....
Received: from unknown (HELO box133.bluehost.com) (69.89.22.133) by
backupproxy1.bluehost.com with SMTP; ...
Received: from [69.89.26.91] (helo=[127.0.0.1]) by box133.bluehost.com
with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from
<info@slayman.com>) id...

The self-service form generated the following:
v=spf1 ip4:67.222.38.60 ip4:69.89.22.133 a
a:outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com include:bluehost.com ?all

I note that the IP for slayman.com is not listed in the SPF record. Is
that correct?

Also, my host uses a number of outbound mail servers, and I only listed
one on the form. How do I designate multiple outbound mail servers?

Other than that, is the string above what I need?

Many thanks,
Andrew Slayman

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Re: Help setting up SPF record [ In reply to ]

edi at thinktwice

Mar 16, 2009, 4:51 PM

Post #2 of 4 (3442 views)

Permalink

Andrew Slayman wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm trying to figure out the correct SPF string for several domains I
> run. I've filled out the self-service form on the web site, but I'm
> not sure the result is really what I want. May I run it by you all?
>
> The situation is as follows:
> --My domain is slayman.com, with dedicated IP 69.89.26.91
> --Web & inbound mail for slayman.com are hosted on
> box133.bluehost.com, with IP 69.89.22.133
> --Outbound mail is sent via one of several outbound mail servers, with
> names like outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com (IP 67.222.38.60).
>
> Typical headers are as follows, with extraneous bits removed:
> Received: from 67.222.38.60 (HELO outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com)
> (67.22.38.60) by .....
> Received: from unknown (HELO box133.bluehost.com) (69.89.22.133) by
> backupproxy1.bluehost.com with SMTP; ...
> Received: from [69.89.26.91] (helo=[127.0.0.1]) by box133.bluehost.com
> with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from
> <info@slayman.com>) id...
>
> The self-service form generated the following:
> v=spf1 ip4:67.222.38.60 ip4:69.89.22.133 a
> a:outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com include:bluehost.com ?all
>
> I note that the IP for slayman.com is not listed in the SPF record. Is
> that correct?
>
> Also, my host uses a number of outbound mail servers, and I only
> listed one on the form. How do I designate multiple outbound mail
> servers?
>
> Other than that, is the string above what I need?
>
> Many thanks,
> Andrew Slayman
>
>
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>
you can assign as many outbound servers as you want. first of all you
should include your public ip for domain slayman.com and it will be enough:

v=spf1 ip4:69.89.26.91/32 ip4:69.89.22.133/32 a mx a:slayman.com
mx:slayman.com a:bluehost.com ~all

as far as outbound-mail-<ip>.bluehost.com i think it is best to put
"a:bluehost.com" because are generated dynamically or have reverse zone
defined.

hope that helps :-P

--
Mitrea Eduard
network admin & web developer
edi@thinktwice.ro
www.thinktwice.ro
Tel.: +(40)-745.997.451
Fax: +(40)-348.434.566

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Re: Help setting up SPF record [ In reply to ]

info at artfulmedia

Mar 16, 2009, 10:01 PM

Post #3 of 4 (3462 views)

Permalink

Very helpful. Thank you, Andrew

Edi Mitrea wrote:
> Andrew Slayman wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm trying to figure out the correct SPF string for several domains I
>> run. I've filled out the self-service form on the web site, but I'm
>> not sure the result is really what I want. May I run it by you all?
>>
>> The situation is as follows:
>> --My domain is slayman.com, with dedicated IP 69.89.26.91
>> --Web & inbound mail for slayman.com are hosted on
>> box133.bluehost.com, with IP 69.89.22.133
>> --Outbound mail is sent via one of several outbound mail servers,
>> with names like outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com (IP 67.222.38.60).
>>
>> Typical headers are as follows, with extraneous bits removed:
>> Received: from 67.222.38.60 (HELO outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com)
>> (67.22.38.60) by .....
>> Received: from unknown (HELO box133.bluehost.com) (69.89.22.133) by
>> backupproxy1.bluehost.com with SMTP; ...
>> Received: from [69.89.26.91] (helo=[127.0.0.1]) by
>> box133.bluehost.com with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.69)
>> (envelope-from <info@slayman.com>) id...
>>
>> The self-service form generated the following:
>> v=spf1 ip4:67.222.38.60 ip4:69.89.22.133 a
>> a:outbound-mail-190.bluehost.com include:bluehost.com ?all
>>
>> I note that the IP for slayman.com is not listed in the SPF record.
>> Is that correct?
>>
>> Also, my host uses a number of outbound mail servers, and I only
>> listed one on the form. How do I designate multiple outbound mail
>> servers?
>>
>> Other than that, is the string above what I need?
>>
>> Many thanks,
>> Andrew Slayman
>>
>>
>> -------------------------------------------
>> Sender Policy Framework: http://www.openspf.org
>> Modify Your Subscription: http://www.listbox.com/member/
>> Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/1020/=now
>> RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/1020/
>> Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
>>
> you can assign as many outbound servers as you want. first of all you
> should include your public ip for domain slayman.com and it will be
> enough:
>
> v=spf1 ip4:69.89.26.91/32 ip4:69.89.22.133/32 a mx a:slayman.com
> mx:slayman.com a:bluehost.com ~all
>
> as far as outbound-mail-<ip>.bluehost.com i think it is best to put
> "a:bluehost.com" because are generated dynamically or have reverse
> zone defined.
>
> hope that helps :-P
>

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Re: Help setting up SPF record [ In reply to ]

rob.macgregor at gmail

Mar 17, 2009, 12:33 AM

Post #4 of 4 (3464 views)

Permalink

On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 05:01, Andrew Slayman <info@artfulmedia.net> wrote:
> Very helpful. Thank you, Andrew
>
> Edi Mitrea wrote:
>>>
>> you can assign as many outbound servers as you want. first of all you
>> should include your public ip for domain slayman.com and it will be enough:
>>
>> v=spf1 ip4:69.89.26.91/32 Â ip4:69.89.22.133/32 a mx a:slayman.com
>> mx:slayman.com a:bluehost.com ~all
>>
>> as far as outbound-mail-<ip>.bluehost.com i think it is best to put
>> "a:bluehost.com" because are generated dynamically or have reverse zone
>> defined.

That record is:

a) Not well formed

For domain slayman.com "mx" and "mx:slayman.com" and "a" and
"ip4:69.89.26.91/32" are identical. Listing it 4 times serves no
purpose.

"a:bluehost.com" only allows the host "bluehost.com" (74.220.195.50)
to send email.

b) Unlikely to work for you and will result in all your email being
rejected/marked as spam by SPF aware mail servers

It authorises 3 IPs in total, none of which are the IP seen sending your email.

Far better would be to use the SPF record Bluehost publish:

v=spf1 include:bluehost.com ~all

Even if their record isn't the best either ;)

--
Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
doesn't become a monster. Friedrich Nietzsche

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