Earthlink SMTP (was Re: [TriLUG] kmail cannot send mail)

[Mike Mueller]

On Thursday 19 September 2002 16:35, Mike Johnson wrote:
> Jeremy Portzer [jeremyp at pobox.com] wrote:
> > Actually, your mail configuration doesn't seem to be what you think it
> > is. Your message actually went through mclain.mail.mindspring.net, which
> > is one of Mindspring's mail servers.  See the full headers of your
> > message for details.  I don't use kmail so I can't be certain of the
> > exact problem here.
>
> If I remember correctly, Earthlink uses a transparent proxy for outgoing
> SMTP to redirect their customers through their own servers.
>
> One piece of evidence is your headers, given that you are attempting to
> use SMTP servers that are outside their network:
>
> Received: from moya.trilug.org (moya.trilug.org [64.244.27.141])
>         by fiend.enoch.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4697D817
>         for <mike at enoch.org>; Thu, 19 Sep 2002 16:20:49 -0400 (EDT)
> Received: from moya.trilug.org (unknown [127.0.0.1])
>         by moya.trilug.org (Postfix) with ESMTP
>         id 55489A000E; Thu, 19 Sep 2002 16:12:04 -0400 (EDT)
> Delivered-To: trilug at trilug.org
> Received: from mclean.mail.mindspring.net (mclean.mail.mindspring.net
> +[207.69.200.57])
>         by fatalpha.trilug.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 84B4CE5F6
>         for <trilug at trilug.org>; Thu, 19 Sep 2002 16:11:02 -0400 (EDT)
> Received: from user-0c8h10s.cable.mindspring.com ([24.136.132.28]
> helo=there)
>         by mclean.mail.mindspring.net with smtp (Exim 3.33 #1)
>         id 17s7d8-0000Iz-00
>         for trilug at trilug.org; Thu, 19 Sep 2002 16:11:02 -0400
>
> So, mclean.mail.mindspring.net is receiving your message from
> user-0c8h10s.cable.mindspring.com (your current IP?), no matter what you
> try and use as your outgoing SMTP server.
>
> Mike

I was wondering about "mclean" and sometimes "barry".  I tried to fake them 
out by using smtp.bogus.com and I couldn't get connected.  It seems that I 
have to use a real smtp server.  The second time I tried to use 
smtp.oreilly.com I got busted with a message about not allowing relaying.  
Did smtp.oreilly.com get wise the second time?  Does this "transparent proxy" 
participate in the protocol enchange somehow?  Is there a logging option I 
can use to watch the exchange?  I could get out Ethereal and capture the 
exchange too.

-- 
mueller, mike

The larger purpose of the economic order, including Wall Street, is to 
support the material conditions for human existence, not to undermine and 
destabilize them.

-Editorial, The Nation, August 19, 2002