Fun new policy at AOL

Thu Aug 28 18:13:31 UTC 2003

I have RCN cable internet in Chicago and they recently implemented
blocking port 25 access outbound. They say that we should just use
their mail servers instead.

I connect with my laptop from 3 or 4 locations to drop off mail to 
my servers. I cannot use their mail servers from other locations other
than when I am connected to them. I have about 2 dozen e-mail 
accounts defined in outlook express and would have to change
the outbound mail server setting for EACH one ever time I move
off the RCN connection to one of the other locations from which I
work and then back again when I get back to RCN. 

More than a few people have this problem. I'm lucky because I run
the mail server myself and can configure it to listen on an alternative
port as well as 25 (authentication is required to relay, though). 

Again, any provider that wants to start blocking ports should do so
only very carefully and should make exceptions for users who need
them AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE USER because
there will be competitors that will treat the customer better. 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michel Py" <michel at arneill-py.sacramento.ca.us>
To: <nanog at merit.edu>
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 12:11
Subject: RE: Fun new policy at AOL

> Matthew Crocker wrote:
> Shouldn't customers that purchase IP services from an ISP
> use the ISPs mail server as a smart host for outbound mail?

Trouble is with some ISPs you get more rejections when using their mail
servers than when havong your own, not to mention theirs eating some
email from no reason, having limits in attachment size, you can't have a
mailing list that way, etc.

Michel.