Optimum Online Webmail Blocked

[smoothcriminal 2]

I have never had any issues with Optimum Online's (part of Cablevision) webmail platform until yesterday.  The website can be accessed and everything except sending mail worked properly when connected to Tejat (184.75.221.195).  I spoke with customer support and they confirmed the cause is that they are blocking that IP address because of a third party spam filter they use.  They provided the following link to show that particular IP was blacklisted by at least two third parties.

 

http://mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx?action=blacklist%3a184.75.221.195&run=toolpage

 

I disconnected and connected to Gorgonea and was able to send email so it might only be limited to a few AirVPN servers, possibly only the one.  I imagine this would mean that there is additional impact for other users of any other email service that uses those same third party spam filters.

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

From Spamhaus PBL:

 

If you are using any normal email software (such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) and you are being blocked by this Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that you need to turn on "SMTP Authentication" in your email program settings.

 

Try this. The IP is not listed on Spamhaus ZEN.

[smoothcriminal 2]

Thank you for the response.  However, as mentioned above this is a webmail platform so it's a site I log into from my browser, not a native program for the OS like Outlook or Thunderbird.  As such, there are no advanced settings like that.

 

I was going to say that I will contact the mail provider to see if they are enabling SMTP authentication but I just realized that can't be the issue since I can send emails from any machine using any IP accept the blacklisted one(s).  I think this is IP specific, probably from someone on AirVPN abusing the service and getting the IP banned for everyone.  What would be the next step?  For AirVPN to contact Spamhaus to get removed?  Fortunately since I can send from other AirVPN servers this isn't an urgent issue for me.  But I was hoping to get it resolved, especially if someone is getting IPs blocked.

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

Oh, well, I assumed having a webmail service means you can also access it via mail clients. It's the standard nowadays. My suggestion is of course not that good, then.

 

Abusing AirVPN's service is when you do something forbidden by Air's ToS, not if some service blocks an IP address because it's listed in some list.

 

If you had asked me two years ago whether to contact Spamhaus about this, I'd say yes. Now I think it would just confirm them that they blocked the IP for the right reason because VPNs are very anonymous, much dangerous, wow. Just.. switch servers. You've got more than 100 to choose from.

 

(Sent via Tapatalk - this generally means I'm not sitting in front of my PC)

[zhang888 1066]

Have you ever considered a solid email provider that does not leak your sender IP in the SMTP headers?

Those "ISP emails" should have been history somewhere in the late 90s, every time I see a person still using them

I automatically remember how that habit is still quite popular unfortunately.

[smoothcriminal 2]

Giganerd - agreed.  I have just been using a different server without any issue.

 

zhang - yes, i have considered an alternate provider, even a pay service to get solid email.  i even considered running my own at home (Clinton style, before it was cool, haha), but decided that running my own was far too much work to do properly.  the reason i haven't made it a priority is that i don't send many emails.  99% are to immediate family and while I realize that it's possible for that message to be snatched up and examined by other parties, at least I will leak AirVPN's IP now.  I've had that email since around '98 so I have a lot of accounts linked to it, which is really the prevailing reason I haven't switched.  If I did a lot more with it, I would be more concerned.  What service(s) do you recommend that I could take a look at?

[zhang888 1066]

If like you say it is for "family" non sensitive emails, you will be much safer even with Gmail.

For a paid solution, you can check Protonmail (which also has a free version).

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

Mr. smoothcriminal, let me point you to a very valuable thread about email providers. There are a few excellent choices and also notable services for the most paranoid among us.

[smoothcriminal 2]

Thanks for the suggestions.  There's no way I am using Gmail under any circumstance, but I had forgotten about ProtonMail.  I heard good stuff about them and meant to check them out but forgot.  I tried Tutanota a while back but it just wasn't for me.

 

I will definitely read over that thread for more ideas on how to proceed.  Thanks again.