BT Broadband - Port 25

Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
"intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
infrastructure.

I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've
read about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.

I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could probably
use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to find out
what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP traffic.

Any information gratefully received.

--
Dave N

On 15/02/2011 08:27, Dave N wrote:
> Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
> information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
> "intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
> proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
> infrastructure.
>
> I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
> but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've read
> about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
> instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.
>
> I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
> independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
> receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could probably
> use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to find out
> what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP traffic.
>
> Any information gratefully received.
>

I send stuff using port 25 no problem using my domains own SMTP servers
and I am on Infinity.


--
Robert Maskill - G4PYR - Peterborough Cambridgeshire
Coastal Radio Communications www.coastalradio.org.uk
Orton info community web site www.ortoninfo.co.uk
Nene Valley Railway Pictures www.nvrpics.org.uk

On 15/02/2011 09:32, billy wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:57:15 +0000, RobertM slonged:
>
>> On 15/02/2011 08:27, Dave N wrote:
>>> Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
>>> information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
>>> "intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
>>> proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
>>> infrastructure.
>>>
>>> I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
>>> but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've
>>> read about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
>>> instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.
>>>
>>> I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
>>> independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
>>> receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could probably
>>> use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to find out
>>> what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP traffic.
>>>
>>> Any information gratefully received.
>>>
>>>
>> I send stuff using port 25 no problem using my domains own SMTP servers
>> and I am on Infinity.
>
> And how much of it gets where it's going?
>
> The issue is not as much about BT blocking or restricting port 25
> outbound, but is more fundamental which may give people the impression it
> is blocked. Most BT dynamic address space is listed in the Spamhaus PBL
> {plus other DNS based blocklists} and attempts to connect to anything
> other than hobby/poorly configured mail servers on port 25 is akin to
> pissing in the wind. In fact, some STATIC BT ip address space is also
> listed in SORBS making it very testing for suffering customers of BT.
>
> Then we get to the issue of the DNS PTR records. What chance do you think
> you'll have of getting BT to change the DNS records (even if you have a
> static IP(s)) so the PTR:
> a: does not look dynamic and spammy
> b: matches your forward hostname.
>
> Having had to deal with them for a number of years I don't fancy your
> chances.
>
> The OP would do better to look at IDNET's FTTC. It's a little more costly
> (but you'd be splitting hairs) and you won't get any of the blocking,
> blocklist or DNS issues with them as they know what they are doing.
>
>
To my knowledge no mail at all has been lost, certainly nobody has ever
commented about not receiving anything.

I also have no complaints about the BT service generally, and over the
years I have been with most of the big providers and a few of the small
ones.

--
Robert Maskill - G4PYR - Peterborough Cambridgeshire
Coastal Radio Communications www.coastalradio.org.uk
Orton info community web site www.ortoninfo.co.uk
Nene Valley Railway Pictures www.nvrpics.org.uk

In article <ijdddb$me3$(E-Mail Removed)>,
Dave N <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
>information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
>"intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
>proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
>infrastructure.
>
>I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
>but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've
>read about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
>instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.
>
>I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
>independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
>receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could probably
>use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to find out
>what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP traffic.

You do not need to use BT to provide you with FTTC service. There are
a number of ISPs in addition to BT Retail who can provide this service
over the BT Wholesale network.

Gordon

Dave N wrote:
> Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
> information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
> "intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
> proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
> infrastructure.
>
> I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
> but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've
> read about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
> instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.
>
> I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
> independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
> receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could
> probably use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to
> find out what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP
> traffic.
> Any information gratefully received.

I have my own domain name supplied by 1and1.co.uk (eg. abc.co.uk) and I also
have their 1and1 instant mail (69p/month) so that our email addresses can be
(E-Mail Removed), (E-Mail Removed) etc. I've been using this setup with my BT
broadband package for years without any problems, so I can say it works very
well.

In article <ijdh6j$t8k$(E-Mail Removed)>,
billy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:57:15 +0000, RobertM slonged:
> > I send stuff using port 25 no problem using my domains own SMTP servers
> > and I am on Infinity.
>
> And how much of it gets where it's going?
>
> The issue is not as much about BT blocking or restricting port 25
> outbound, but is more fundamental which may give people the impression it
> is blocked. Most BT dynamic address space is listed in the Spamhaus PBL
> {plus other DNS based blocklists} and attempts to connect to anything
> other than hobby/poorly configured mail servers on port 25 is akin to
> pissing in the wind. In fact, some STATIC BT ip address space is also
> listed in SORBS making it very testing for suffering customers of BT.

You're talking about problems with doing direct-to-MX delivery from
dynamic addresses. I understood RobertM to be saying that he relays via
his own external SMTP servers that host the domains he is sending from.
Which is fine, and the Right Way to do it.

Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: (E-Mail Removed) - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: (E-Mail Removed) - http://tony.mountifield.org

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:57:15 +0000, RobertM wrote:

> On 15/02/2011 08:27, Dave N wrote:
>> Can I please ask if anyone can direct me towards current definitive
>> information about whether BT Broadband intercepts port 25 traffic. By
>> "intercepts" I mean whether BT blocks, redirects or transparently
>> proxies outgoing port 25 connections destined for servers beyond BT's
>> infrastructure.
>>
>> I've done the usual searches of Google and BT's help pages and forum,
>> but I haven't found the definitive answer so far. All comments I've
>> read about port 25 on BT Broadband seem only to boil down to advice or
>> instructions to connect to BT's own SMTP service.
>>
>> I am considering migrating to BT Infinity but I would want to use an
>> independent mail service provider (for sending email as well as
>> receiving) rather than BT's mail servers. I know that I could probably
>> use an alternative port, or use webmail, but I am trying to find out
>> what BT's policy actually is concerning outbound SMTP traffic.
>>
>> Any information gratefully received.
>>
>>
> I send stuff using port 25 no problem using my domains own SMTP servers
> and I am on Infinity.

And is it transparently proxied? THAT is the question...

If you have no problems, then it probably isn't being proxied, or most of
your mail would never get there due to blacklisting.


--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

RobertM wrote, on 15/02/2011 08:57:
[..]
>> Any information gratefully received.
>>
>
> I send stuff using port 25 no problem using my domains own SMTP servers
> and I am on Infinity.

Many thanks. I assume that you use a 3rd party SMTP server rather than
you own homebrew server. I have no wish to run my own servers from a BT
dynamic IP address. I am aware of alternative FTTC providers, such as
Idnet and AAISP. BT Broadband's information seems to make the
assumption that end-users will only use BT's mail servers from their
home connections, or via BT Fon/Openzone, and provides no concessions to
different customer needs.

My question was intended to be very specific about BT. I am simply
trying to find out BT Broadband's policy and practice re: SMTP traffic.
Your helpful answer indicates that there is currently no blocking, etc.

--
Dave N

Manticore wrote, on 15/02/2011 11:05:
> Dave N wrote:
[...]
>> Any information gratefully received.
>
> I have my own domain name supplied by 1and1.co.uk (eg. abc.co.uk) and I also
> have their 1and1 instant mail (69p/month) so that our email addresses can be
> (E-Mail Removed), (E-Mail Removed) etc. I've been using this setup with my BT
> broadband package for years without any problems, so I can say it works very
> well.

Thanks. If I may be pedantic can I assume that you send mail via 1and1,
by-passing BT's SMTP servers?

--
Dave N

On 15/02/11 09:32, billy wrote:

> The issue is not as much about BT blocking or restricting port 25
> outbound, but is more fundamental which may give people the impression it
> is blocked. Most BT dynamic address space is listed in the Spamhaus PBL
> {plus other DNS based blocklists} and attempts to connect to anything
> other than hobby/poorly configured mail servers on port 25 is akin to
> pissing in the wind. In fact, some STATIC BT ip address space is also
> listed in SORBS making it very testing for suffering customers of BT.
>
> Then we get to the issue of the DNS PTR records. What chance do you think
> you'll have of getting BT to change the DNS records (even if you have a
> static IP(s)) so the PTR:
> a: does not look dynamic and spammy
> b: matches your forward hostname.
>
> Having had to deal with them for a number of years I don't fancy your
> chances.
>
> The OP would do better to look at IDNET's FTTC. It's a little more costly
> (but you'd be splitting hairs) and you won't get any of the blocking,
> blocklist or DNS issues with them as they know what they are doing.

What a load of rubbish.

If you read the OPs post, you would see that he wishes to use a mail
provider who he has an account with that will accept his traffic on port 25.

So all the twaddle about spam blocklists is irrelevant.

Rgds

Denis McMahon