[ale] Bellsouth and SMTP

[Bob Toxen]

Most ISPs block (and should block) OUTgoing port 25 traffic, i.e., your
random TCP port number to port 25 of any system on the Internet except
the ISP's outgoing mail server.  This is so their anti-spam software can
detect a dishonest or compromised subscriber sending out lots of spam.

Blocking incoming traffic to your home system's TCP port 25 is just
sleazy blackmail to force you to upgrade to higher priced business
service.  That's also why they block incoming traffic to TCP port 80.
If the FCC wasn't corrupt Mmmmm [Girlfriend applies duct tape to mouth
to stop ranting].

I got tired of the incompetent morons at Comcast (my opinion) screwing
up my outbound email so I just set up a SSH-based VPN from my firewall's
inside port to a server I lease access to.

I suppose that I should do something similar for incoming email but
fetchmail works.

Bob Toxen
bob at verysecurelinux.com               [Please use for email to me]
http://www.verysecurelinux.com        [Network&Linux/Unix security consulting]
http://www.realworldlinuxsecurity.com [My book:"Real World Linux Security 2/e"]
Quality Linux & UNIX security and SysAdmin & software consulting since 1990.

"Microsoft: Unsafe at any clock speed!"
   -- Bob Toxen 10/03/2002

On Sun, Feb 18, 2007 at 06:39:11PM -0500, David Corbin wrote:
> I know that Bellsouth prohibits incoming connections on port 25 for their 
> basic DSL package.  Does anyone know if that is also the case for people with 
> static IPs?

> -- 
> David Corbin
> Abolish the IRS - http://www.fairtax.org
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