I am able to receive mails but unable to send via my SMTP server?

Question

I have a shared hosting server from hostgator, in which I created an email '[email protected]'. Then I enabled both DKIM and SPF (as I read on a few threads that SPF should be enabled to ensure a trusted SMTP server). I have no idea about configuring the SPF (I did read about it but could not get anywhere).

The issue is, when I login with my '[email protected]' credentials to any mail client (e.g. SquirrelMail), I am able to receive mails on this email address, but when I try to send mail to some email address (e.g. [email protected]), it bounces back the following message.

=================================

This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

  [email protected]
    This message from "support" <[email protected]> [[email protected]], Subject:
    test , with RefID:
str=0001.0A150208.54EB188D.00DF,ss=4,sh,re=0.001,recu=0.000,reip=0.000,cl=4,cld=1,fgs=8
was rejected due to classification as CONFIRMED SPAM.

------ This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ------

Return-path: <[email protected]>
Received: from mailnull by md-in-20.webhostbox.net with sa-checked (Exim 4.84)
        (envelope-from <[email protected]>)
        id 1YPuQv-002m7L-O7
        for [email protected]; Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:56:29 +0000
Received: from localhost ([::1]:49427 helo=mydomain.com)
        by md-in-20.webhostbox.net with esmtpa (Exim 4.84)
        (envelope-from <[email protected]>)
        id 1YPuQv-002m7D-Hx
        for [email protected]; Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:56:29 +0000
Received: from 223.176.159.62 ([223.176.159.62])
        (SquirrelMail authenticated user [email protected])
        by mydomain.com with HTTP;
        Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:56:29 -0000
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:56:29 -0000
Subject: test
From: "support" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.5.2 [SVN]
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-Authenticated_sender: [email protected]
X-OutGoing-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0
X-Spam-Checker-Version: spamc_ctasd client on
        localost
X-Spam-Level: **********
X-Spam-Flag: YES
X-Spam-Status: Yes, score=100.0 required=50.0 tests=SpamClass_Confirmed,
        VirusClass_Unknown autolearn=disabled
        version=1.0.0
X-CTCH-PVer: 0000001
X-CTCH-Spam: Confirmed
X-CTCH-VOD: Unknown
X-CTCH-Flags: 8
X-CTCH-RefID:
str=0001.0A150208.54EB188D.00DF,ss=4,sh,re=0.001,recu=0.000,reip=0.000,cl=4,cld=1,fgs=8
X-CTCH-Score: 0.001
X-CTCH-ScoreCust: 0.000
X-CTCH-Rules: C_4847,
X-CTCH-SenderID: [email protected]
X-CTCH-SenderID-Flags: 8192
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalMessages: 2
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalSpam: 0
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalSuspected: 0
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalConfirmed: 2
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalBulk: 0
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalVirus: 0
X-CTCH-SenderID-TotalRecipients: 0

this is a test mail

=================================

Am I missing something in configuring DKIM or SPF ? Or do I have to wait for some time after configuring SPF ?

I am working with SPF for the first time, so I would be a great help to show me path about how to configure this SPF thing.

Thanks :)

Answer 1

I believe your issue here is SPF. You need to designate your hosting IP as a permitted sender of email for your domain when you have SPF on. You would do this from your domain registrar. Create a new TXT record to add your IP as a permitted sender.

TXT mydomain.com "v=spf1 ip4:192.168.0.x mx -all"

Where the 192.168.0.x is replaced with your hosting IP.

See http://www.openspf.org/SPF_Record_Syntax

Incidentally, your post was probably downvoted (not by me) because this answer is very likely to have been answered already, as most SPAM-related issues have.

UPDATE: Since I can't add a comment (I don't have 50 reputation), I'm glad you got it resolved (and thanks for the upvote). Perhaps the reason the email was deemed suspicious is that your IP isn't a "trusted sender" for the domain. Often, that will add to the SPAM rating if not outright flag the email from some providers. Just a thought in case this happens again. Until you add the IP as a trusted sender, it possible some recipients of your emails will mark them as SPAM as well. Good luck!

Answer 2

I contacted my hosting provider to help me resolve the issue. For those who are seeking answer for similar issue, I suggest to contact their hosting provider. In my case, this was the reply from hostgator (my hosting provider).

"The mails were being blocked due to Commtouch blacklisting as the mail patterns were considered suspcious by Commtouch. We have whitelisted your mail pattern and it may take next one hour to unblock the domain from the blacklist. Please check your mailing service after an hour."

I have no idea what they were talking about, as I am not a server guy, but I got my issue resolved. :)