I implemented this plugin on a test domain, and it seemed great, but after implementing on my production server, I had too many customers not getting their email because of the 'no reverse lookup' part. For now I have remarked that out and still use the badmailfromhost file. The badmailfromhost file caused one known problem, but after 8 phone calls to Southwestern Bell, that DSL person was able to get a real PTR file for their mail server and has not had any more problems. This person had been having "strange" problems with most mail getting through, but the occasional email not reaching the destination. The "exchange server" was not giving him enough info to troubleshoot effectively. I think he was being denied for the same reason my server denied him, but just could not figure it out.
I have read some of the discussion regarding reverse dns for mail servers, and while I would love to block them all, as an ISP, I can not do that to my clients. I have played with the denysoft_greylist lately, and was considering just greylisting the emails that failed the reverse lookups. I am a newbie at perl programming, but I could blend those two plugins together. My problems as an ISP with each of them has brought about this realization. The 450 DENYSOFT that they both use has a couple of problems in the real world. 1. Some mail servers(possibly Lotus Notes and others) don't queue and retry. 2. The repeated DENYSOFT from check_hostbyrename never allows the message on through. If a greylist was added, then problem 1 kicks in. 3. My customers calling to say that such-and-such email is not getting here can eat up a TREMENDOUS amount of time. I wish I had answers. Sorry I don't. Here is one possible thing that could be done that might somehow allow the "mail to get through", yet help the cause for those of us that try to play by the rules. If there was version of ALLOWSOFT (opposite of DENYSOFT) that would allow the mail to get through, yet send a 'courtesy' message back to the sender and the [EMAIL PROTECTED] that informs them politely of the ignorance of their ways. Something like: "We have accepted this email even though your mail server does not have a reverse dns entry, or has messed up on the 450 reply that we recently sent you. Please fix this problem, as we reserve the right to refuse this mail in the future, and in the fight against spam, more and more servers will be refusing your mail in the future" This might be a subtle way to try to change the ways of the ignorant. Thanks for letting me vent a little. If I was not an ISP, I would not have to worry about it, I would just block it. There are just too many 'broken' mail servers that even a small ISP like myself cannot spend the time to correct other peoples mistakes just so my customers get their mail. Hopefully, this will start the thought processes going on a way to fix this. Thanks. Sam
