[ale] mail headers question

[Joe Steele]

On Friday, August 27, 2004, Geoffrey wrote:
>
> Joe Steele wrote:
>
> > Correct me if I have misunderstood something:
> >
> > You sent an e-mail addressed to a mindspring recipient, using Mozilla
> > as your mua, and using your speedfactory internet connection for
> > transport.
> >
> > Mozilla was configured to forward the e-mail to a 1and1 smtp server
> > known as mrelay.perfora.net (a.k.a. smtp.perfora.net).  The reason
> > you configured Mozilla to do this is because the "From:" address of
> > your message used a domain name which is in some way associated with
> > the 1and1 ISP.
> >
> > The mrelay.perfora.net server accepted the message from you and
> > attempted to forward it on to mindspring.  Mindspring rejected it.
> >
> > If all this is true, then isn't mrelay.perfora.net acting as a open
> > relay by accepting mail from one outside source (speedfactory) and
> > forwarding to another outside source (mindspring)?
> >
> > In any case, have you considered that maybe your message was bounced
> > because mindspring doesn't trust perfora.net (rightly or wrongly),
> > rather than because of your private/NATed address in the header?
>
> All you've noted is accurate.  I assume they bounced the message because
> of the reference to my speedfactory user connection and/or the reference
> to a non-routable ip (which should be hidden by nat).
>
> Your assumption may well be correct though.  Question is, why does it
> get through if I set my smtp server to my local machine?

Why?  Because the message is no longer being forwarded by a server which 
mindspring considers untrustworthy (mrelay.perfora.net).

In an ideal world, mindspring should accept mail from everywhere, as 
long as it is addressed to mindspring recipients.  However, real-
world circumstances force mindspring to reject mail from any source 
they consider untrustworthy.  They have no reason to distrust you 
and/or speedfactory, but they evidently don't trust perfora.net.  
Apparently their distrust is well founded;  IMO, perfora.net should 
not have relayed your message based on the circumstances given above.

-Joe