Outlook read receipt = relaying?

Peter_Stanley · 18-03-2005, 18:42

A number of times recently people have sent me email with a read receipt, which I've agreed to send back to the originator. However, the read receipt is rejected by NTL's email server giving a '550 relaying mail to <domain> is not allowed' - image attached.

I've tried sending myself an email with a read receipt request, and its processed and sent back without error, so this only appears to be a problem with requests external to NTL.

Has anyone come across this problem and worked out how to fix it?

TIA.

danielf · 18-03-2005, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Stanley

A number of times recently people have sent me email with a read receipt, which I've agreed to send back to the originator. However, the read receipt is rejected by NTL's email server giving a '550 relaying mail to <domain> is not allowed' - image attached.

I've tried sending myself an email with a read receipt request, and its processed and sent back without error, so this only appears to be a problem with requests external to NTL.

Has anyone come across this problem and worked out how to fix it?

TIA.

I'm not sure if this is what's going on, but it looks like it is trying to route the read receipt though another domain (.ac.uk). Are you reading email from that account through your ntl account?

Edit: what I'm trying to say is that it looks like imperial.ac.uk is refusing the read receipt

Peter_Stanley · 18-03-2005, 18:57

No, imperial.ac.uk is the domain for the email address of the originator who requested the read receipt. As far as I can work out, Outlook is trying to send the mail via the normal mail server, smtp.ntlworld.com to xxx@imperial.ac.uk. I'm at a loss as to why the mail server doesn't treat it as it would any other piece of mail...

greencreeper · 18-03-2005, 22:58

Weird. Looking at the error message, NTL's SMTP server is preventing the read receipt being sent because it thinks you're relaying the email - i.e. you're external to NTL and trying to route the email through NTL to the academic domain. I guess this is NTL's email servers for you. I know that you can't use Spampal to send email because you get the same "relaying denied" error.

danielf · 18-03-2005, 23:03

I had a look on the web, and the only thing I can find is something on experts exchange. I have found that site helpful in the past, but unfortunately they've moved to a subscription service.

On the off chance that someone actually subscribes:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Appl..._20280303.html

fireman328 · 18-03-2005, 23:30

I have this problem at work and our IT people tell me that big organisations (ac.uk would appear to be a college or uni) receive the external e-mails and then the local server distributes them to recipients so that when they are opened the receipt cannot be sent as there is no address to send it to. They also said that as we do not use MS Mail that also prevents a receipt.
Mind you, our IT are prone to Bulls**t

geminian68 · 19-03-2005, 00:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielf

I had a look on the web, and the only thing I can find is something on experts exchange. I have found that site helpful in the past, but unfortunately they've moved to a subscription service.

On the off chance that someone actually subscribes:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Appl..._20280303.html

Solution Title: Read receipt sending fails with relay error
Author: awestrope
Points: 50 Grade: A
Date: 03/22/2002 04:13AM PST

I am using Outlook 2000 on Win2000.
When I receive an email with a read receipt request the read recipt appears in my outbox as exepected but failes to send. The error is 550 relaying prohibited by administrator. If I receie an email from someone who domain is managed by that smtp server the read receipt sends fine.

So obviously the problem is with the smtp server prohibiting me sending to people outside my domain. Well no! If i just send someone a message it goes fine, it is only automated read receipts that don't go. I know that the SMTP server we use does require that the reply address of a messgages has to be a valid user. I presume that Outlook sets this for read receipts? If it doesn't can I make it?

Accepted Answer from starl
Date: 03/22/2002 09:56AM PST

your server administrator has configured the server to prevent read receipts from going out over the internet. Not much you can do about it except ask him/her to allow it or to manually send the receipt in your name as a normal message.

Author Comment from awestrope
Date: 03/22/2002 10:35AM PST

The smtp server is a commercial one. Would they really prevent read receipts to domains they don't host and allow them for ones they do?

Comment from starl
Date: 03/22/2002 10:45AM PST

does the receipt sit in your outbox?

Comment from starl
Date: 03/22/2002 10:47AM PST

If the reciept sits in your outbox, it's because the server is outdated.. not much you can do about that except inform your ISP.

is there more to the error? actual text? message header?

Author Comment from awestrope
Date: 03/22/2002 10:57AM PST

Just sits in the outbox, am waiting on response from ISP. No more to error, 550 relaying prohibited by administrator.

Comment from starl
Date: 03/22/2002 11:12AM PST

here is the ms article - if you want to relay it to your isp.

http://support.microsoft.com/search/...;en-us;Q218231

Author Comment from awestrope
Date: 03/22/2002 11:31AM PST

I have relayed it to my ISP - their first response (before I sent them the link) was the sender of the read recipt is blocking them!! I have explained this is pretty unlikely as the message doesn't even get out my outbox! I will persue it with them.
I will leave this question open until I have resolved it with my ISP and if what is described in the MS article is the case I will award you the points.

Comment from starl
Date: 03/22/2002 11:55AM PST

no prob - and if I am wrong, please let me know what you found out.

Comment from Moondancer
Date: 03/30/2002 05:31PM PST

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Comment from starl
Date: 03/30/2002 08:35PM PST

thanks moon - I had forgotten about this question!
awestrope - did your ISP admit the problem?

Comment from bruintje
Date: 07/07/2002 01:11AM PDT

time to clean up

-no feedback from the asker
-if not stated otherwise

my recom will be
-PAQ
-points to starl
-this will be finalized with no further update (14.07.2002)

PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS COMMENT AS ANSWER

HAGD:O)Bruintje

Author Comment from awestrope
Date: 07/08/2002 02:21AM PDT

No resolution from ISP, they are still blaming Outlook.

Comment from ComTech
Date: 07/16/2002 04:02PM PDT

This question has been accepted by:.

Regards,

ComTech
Community Support Administrator
Experts-Exchange

Peter_Stanley · 19-03-2005, 09:05

Thanks danielf & geminian68.
From the MS knowledgebase page, http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;218231 :The SMTP mail server does not have the ability to process the header item, Mail From: <> because it is based on an outdated RFC821 that used a conflicting programming example. You will only see this on old SMTP servers.
Looks like this is a problem with NTL outdated smtp servers (didn't they just upgrade a few months back, or was that just the hardware?). I'll raise it with NTL tech support, although I won't hold my breath...

geminian68 · 19-03-2005, 13:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Stanley

Thanks danielf & geminian68.
From the MS knowledgebase page, http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;218231 :The SMTP mail server does not have the ability to process the header item, Mail From: <> because it is based on an outdated RFC821 that used a conflicting programming example. You will only see this on old SMTP servers.
Looks like this is a problem with NTL outdated smtp servers (didn't they just upgrade a few months back, or was that just the hardware?). I'll raise it with NTL tech support, although I won't hold my breath...

You're welcome glad to be of help

, Thanks danielf for the rep

simbr · 04-04-2005, 23:19

What seems to be happening is that, when sending the read receipt it is using an address other than yours for some reason.
When sending mail through the ntlworld mail server it checks the sending address against the list of known email addresses and if it does not match or is blank, you get 500 relaying denied unless you are sending to a valid ntlworld.com email address (which is why you could send the read receipt back to yourself) as you can see below (I've masked my own email address)

220 ESMTP server ready
helo ntlworld.com
250 aamta05-winn.mailhost.ntl.com
mail from:<****@ntlworld.com>
250 Sender <****@ntlworld.com> Ok
rcpt to:<test@imperial.ac.uk>
250 Recipient <test@imperial.ac.uk> Ok
rset
250 Ok resetting state
mail from:<>
250 Sender <> Ok
rcpt to:<test@imperial.ac.uk>
550 relaying mail to imperial.ac.uk is not allowed
rcpt to:<****@ntlworld.com>
250 Recipient <****@ntlworld.com> Ok