Forum Discussion

pure-skill's avatar
pure-skill
On our wavelength
8 months ago

Relay of own email domain names

It appears to be a known issue that as of yesterday, those of us who host our own email servers are no longer able to relay emails from our own domain names through VM smtp servers.

This appears to be since authentication was enabled.

I'll use example.com as my own domain for example purposes:

myemail@example.com > Self hosted email server > smtp.blueyonder.co.uk:25 > recipient gives:

530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401)

Jun 26 13:47:49 un64u postfix/smtp[1282963]: 1A13FBC03AB: to=<person@iwanttoemail.com>, relay=smtp.blueyonder.co.uk[84.116.6.21]:25, delay=1.2, delays=0.07/0.03/0.07/1.1, dsn=5.1.0, status=bounced (host smtp.blueyonder.co.uk[84.116.6.21] said: 530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401) (in reply to MAIL FROM command))

smtp,virginmedia.com the same thing

So I enabled authentication using my old ntlworld.com user account, and generated an email app password.

Authentication succeeds, but because I am not sending email from a @ntlworld.com or @virginmedia.com email address, but rather from me@example.com I now get:

550 5.1.8 Sender Domain Invalid (VM420)

Jun 27 01:16:03 un64u postfix/smtp[1318568]: 5031EBC0552: to=<person@iwanttoemail.com>, relay=smtp.virginmedia.com[84.116.6.19]:587, delay=1.2, delays=0.03/0.02/0.19/0.95, dsn=5.1.8, status=bounced (host smtp.virginmedia.com[84.116.6.19] said: 550 5.1.8 Sender Domain Invalid (VM420) (in reply to MAIL FROM command))

I've been self hosting my own mail servers for 22 years since 2002 first with NTL and then Virgin Media.

How do we relay our own email?

FYI it is not just me - someone has the same issue with the same timing here:

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Virgin-Media-outgoing-SMTP-mail-server-error/td-p/5537167/page/2

  • sjk31's avatar
    sjk31
    Joining in
    8 months ago

    I presume you have the appropriate SPF record set?

  • pure-skill's avatar
    pure-skill
    On our wavelength
    8 months ago

    Hello both.  

    Yes to DMARC and SPF.  Though those are more likely to be a factor at the recipients mail server, as opposed to VMs SMTP servers I'm using as a relay (as they are not the destination)

    And things have been fine for 22 years since 2002, though relay via VM was only needed for part of that.

    Also it was all fine until last few days, when authentication was enabled.

    530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401)

     

    Once that happened, even after relaying with authentication, relay (of own domain) is denied.

    550 5.1.8 Sender Domain Invalid (VM420)

  • pure-skill's avatar
    pure-skill
    On our wavelength
    8 months ago

    FYI I called tech support, and they indicated "Virgin Media does not support sending of third party email addresses".

    He stated this was stopped a week ago, though I was sending them until Tuesday so that's not quite right.

    Assuming he understood what I was talking about, and this was related to SENDING email, not RECEIVING it, then looks like this won't work anymore.

  • asim18's avatar
    asim18
    Rising star
    8 months ago

    I would just switch to a proper hosting provider.

    I'm currently using eukhost. Their most basic shared package is around £60 per year for 10GB and email delay is about ~25 seconds.

    Or you can use another relay service most offer 100-300 emails per day on their free tiers.

    • pure-skill's avatar
      pure-skill
      On our wavelength
      8 months ago

      Looking into Amazon SES or outbound SMTP relay services now.  Not looking for them to actually host anything - and the inbound SMTP to me is fine as it is.

    • pure-skill's avatar
      pure-skill
      On our wavelength
      8 months ago

      I am looking at outbound SMTP relay - do you have any recommendations with that level of free tier?

  • legacy1's avatar
    legacy1
    Alessandro Volta
    8 months ago

    I just tested my virginmedia.com Email as a relay it works here.

    SPF

    smtp.virginmedia.com port 465

    • pure-skill's avatar
      pure-skill
      On our wavelength
      8 months ago

      I assume you are sending using a FROM address ending in a VM domain name.

      Not your own domain name - e.g. Alessandro@Volta.com

      • legacy1's avatar
        legacy1
        Alessandro Volta
        8 months ago

        Yes I'm send from own domain name like admin@bridgemode.bounceme.net  by my virginmedia.com Email

  • squiffs's avatar
    squiffs
    Tuning in
    8 months ago

    Have the same problem too so would be interested in a solution - I don't have a virgin email address to use for auth on smtp.virginmedia.com as I believe they can no longer be created.

    • pure-skill's avatar
      pure-skill
      On our wavelength
      8 months ago

      You can probably log in to the VM web portal to find yours and set email app password.

      But I can tell you that even if you do, you won't be able to send from your own domain name even after authenticating.

      Someone above said they could, but I'm not sure if we are talking the same thing.

      • squiffs's avatar
        squiffs
        Tuning in
        8 months ago

        Tried that other day, comes up with VM "no longer offers the ability for customers to create new" email addresses.
        I have tested smtp2go.com (free) and have observed the following:

        *It re-writes the Return-Path (not from: in the email headers). Only minor but sending to myself, the sendmail log shows from=.... changed on the incoming email - its to do with VERP. VM didn't do that (I can see this being a nightmare trying to get an email admin to determine disposition of sent emails - your sending address won't exist in the log files).
        *They offer IP based auth on port 25 (paid for) - useful for legacy email clients.
        *You have to enter every domain you want to send from in its web admin tool - smtp2go verifies you have control of the domain by making you create 3 unique CNAME entries in your DNS.

    • ravenstar68's avatar
      ravenstar68
      Very Insightful Person
      8 months ago
      squiffs wrote:

      Have the same problem too so would be interested in a solution - I don't have a virgin email address to use for auth on smtp.virginmedia.com as I believe they can no longer be created.

      If you have an valid email address with ANY of the four residential email domains

      blueyondeer.co.uk
      ntlworld.com
      virgin.net
      virginmedia.com

      You can send through the virginmedia.com servers.

      Just use the email address in question and it's associated app password

      I've just amended my own domains SPF record and double checked the email send from my personal domain using smtp.virginmedia.com and it works fine.

      Tim

      PS I've reverted my SPF and my outbound settings as I run my own mail server on a linux VPS using iRedMail - although for novices I would recommend MailInABox as it also manages the domains DNS as well.

      Tim

    • Rawcous's avatar
      Rawcous
      Tuning in
      8 months ago

      Yeah I beliee this to be the case as i had a look at resurrecting my old Virgin address and received a similar message to that effect.

      • Graham_A's avatar
        Graham_A
        Very Insightful Person
        8 months ago

        squiffs Virgin Media stopped allowing new email addresses from being created by new and existing customers in May 2022.

        Rawcous  Not sure if this was the squiffs post that you were referring to.