e-mails getting rejected - Page 2

DougLass · 22 Mar 2023, 09:47 PM

Hmmm. That's interesting. I don't know how I ended up with those two SPFs, though functionally they should be equivalent. I'll try replacing both with
v=spf1 +mx +a +ip4:108.167.133.30 +ip4:xxx.x.xxx.xxx +include:sendersrv.com -all
and see if that helps.

DougLass · 22 Mar 2023, 10:37 PM

Geez Louise, I accidentally did -all instead of ~all in my SPFs, and mxtoolbox gave me a hard fail on that SPF. So I changed it back to ~all. Soft fails are better than hard fails, I guess! What's the difference between -all and ~all?

Bamb0 · 22 Mar 2023, 10:39 PM

I tried to email someonme @ logical.net this morning and it was rejected

TenFour · 22 Mar 2023, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Should I use ~all or -all?
When an SPF record includes ~all (softfail qualifier), receiving servers typically accept messages from senders that aren't in your SPF record, but mark them as suspicious.

When an SPF record includes -all (fail qualifier), receiving servers may reject messages from senders that aren't in your SPF record. If your SPF record isn’t set up correctly, the fail qualifier might cause more messages from your domain to be sent to spam.

Tip: To prevent spoofing of domains that don’t send email, use this as the SPF record for the domain: vspf1 ~all

https://support.google.com/a/answer/...topic=10685331

DougLass · 25 Mar 2023, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenFour

https://support.google.com/a/answer/...topic=10685331

I appreciate that. The distinction between "soft-fail" and"fail" was never that clear to me.

Now, here's something screwball. Out of the blue, I get e-mails from Comcast DMARC Report Generator <dmarc-support@alerts.comcast.net> addressed to the e-mail account that is being rejected by many, and that we're referring to here. It includes a zipped xml file that reports (actual IP number redacted)

<row>
<source_ip>xxx.x.xxx.xxx</source_ip>
<count>3</count>
<policy_evaluated>
<disposition>none</disposition>
<dkim>pass</dkim>
<spf>fail</spf>
</policy_evaluated>
</row>

Huh? This seems to be saying that my SPF fails, but both my listserve provider (Sender) and my domain manager (Hostgator) says my SPF is just fine. What is the Comcast DMARC Report Generator, and why is it sending me what seems to be faulty info? Who asked it to send me anything? Oh, the e-mail also says "If you have any questions or concerns about the DMARC report, please reply to this message." I have done so (as of a few days ago), and have not gotten anything back.

Avion · 25 Mar 2023, 10:15 PM

Someone (either you or someone else pretending to be you by using your domain e-mail address) has sent an e-mail to someone else that's using the Comcast e-mail server.

So, Comcast have sent you the DMARC report, presumably an e-mail with a ZIP file attached?

Go to the DMARC XML to Human Converter and upload that ZIP file, then 'View Report'.

Expand all the report, to read the complete report.

That may better explain what's happening.

DougLass · 25 Mar 2023, 10:49 PM

Sorry, but that's nuts. Comcast wants a private concern to verify the problems that it found? I have to log into dmarcian.com, and get set up with a new DMARC record that *specifically* includes dmarcian.com? My DMARC error is that my record doesn't include dmarcian.com? Just nuts.

Avion · 25 Mar 2023, 10:54 PM

The DMARC converter is just a tool to help you understand the reports better.

If you don't want to use it, you don't have to . . .

DougLass · 26 Mar 2023, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avion

The DMARC converter is just a tool to help you understand the reports better.

If you don't want to use it, you don't have to . . .

It wants me to log in, and wants my credit card as well. No thanks. Actually, if you go straight to the site, instead to their DMARC inspector - https://us.dmarcian.com/dmarc-inspector/, it does a free assay on your DMARC, and it found mine to be bad. I complained to Hostgator, and they fixed it. dmarcian.com now likes it.

Now, I don't really understand, though. DMARC is supposed to pertain IF your SPF is wrong. But mine is right. So, in principle, my bad DMARC shouldn't have been relevant. Nevertheless, I suppose I could get blacklisted for not having a good DMARC.

Bamb0 · 26 Mar 2023, 09:51 AM

I dont blame ya for not entering it!!!!!!!

Avion · 26 Mar 2023, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougLass

It wants me to log in, and wants my credit card as well.

I've never had to create a Dmarcian account to use their DMARC converter, and I've never given them any credit card details. I have the link, that I've previously quoted, as a bookmark, and I use it regularly.

DougLass · 26 Mar 2023, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avion

I've never had to create a Dmarcian account to use their DMARC converter, and I've never given them any credit card details. I have the link, that I've previously quoted, as a bookmark, and I use it regularly.

I tried it again, and I admit that I may have got tangled up in their for-profit service earlier. But it doesn't matter. The xml report from the Comcast DMARC Report Generator uploads to Dmarcian with an "Invalid XML File" error. For what it's worth, that xml file strangely can't be opened in a modern browser, because it doesn't have any style information associated with it. Somewhat of a defective file, I guess. Laughably, the file is delivered zipped, which is kinda dumb, considering that it is an 8Kb file! But hey, save space! So while the DMARC converter in Dmarcian doesn't work for me, their DMARC inspector does work. Not clear where Comcast is coming from here. Aside from its defectiveness, I guess it's possible that the Comcast DMARC Report Generator seemed to have a result that "failed" my SPF because my DMARC was crapified. One would like to believe that once the revised DMARC is propagated, the next DMARC report will be more positive.

SideshowBob · 27 Mar 2023, 04:41 AM

The obvious reason why SPF might fail is that you are sending to an address that is forwarded to an address at comcast.

DougLass · 27 Mar 2023, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideshowBob

The obvious reason why SPF might fail is that you are sending to an address that is forwarded to an address at comcast.

Um, some of my recipients have Comcast e-mails, which is why I might be getting this message from Comcast, but no, that doesn't have anything to do with an SPF failure. SPF is about authorization, and sending to Comcast doesn't invalidate anyone's authorization records.

DougLass · 27 Mar 2023, 09:39 PM

Wow, now I'm getting these same (zipped, browser unreadable XML) reports from noreply-dmarc-support@google.com. They seem to say the same thing as the ones from Comcast, that my SPF is bad. But my gmail recipients have no trouble getting these e-mails. As I said, both my e-mail host and my domain host swear that my SPF is fine. Weirder and weirder.

22 Mar 2023, 09:47 PM	#16
DougLass Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 56	Hmmm. That's interesting. I don't know how I ended up with those two SPFs, though functionally they should be equivalent. I'll try replacing both with v=spf1 +mx +a +ip4:108.167.133.30 +ip4:xxx.x.xxx.xxx +include:sendersrv.com -all and see if that helps. Last edited by DougLass : 22 Mar 2023 at 09:57 PM.

22 Mar 2023, 10:37 PM	#17
DougLass Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 56	Geez Louise, I accidentally did -all instead of ~all in my SPFs, and mxtoolbox gave me a hard fail on that SPF. So I changed it back to ~all. Soft fails are better than hard fails, I guess! What's the difference between -all and ~all?

22 Mar 2023, 10:39 PM	#18
Bamb0 Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 1,977	I tried to email someonme @ logical.net this morning and it was rejected

25 Mar 2023, 10:15 PM	#21
Avion Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2022 Posts: 134	Someone (either you or someone else pretending to be you by using your domain e-mail address) has sent an e-mail to someone else that's using the Comcast e-mail server. So, Comcast have sent you the DMARC report, presumably an e-mail with a ZIP file attached? Go to the DMARC XML to Human Converter and upload that ZIP file, then 'View Report'. Expand all the report, to read the complete report. That may better explain what's happening.

25 Mar 2023, 10:49 PM	#22
DougLass Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 56	Sorry, but that's nuts. Comcast wants a private concern to verify the problems that it found? I have to log into dmarcian.com, and get set up with a new DMARC record that specifically includes dmarcian.com? My DMARC error is that my record doesn't include dmarcian.com? Just nuts.

25 Mar 2023, 10:54 PM	#23
Avion Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2022 Posts: 134	The DMARC converter is just a tool to help you understand the reports better. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to . . .

26 Mar 2023, 09:51 AM	#25
Bamb0 Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 1,977	I dont blame ya for not entering it!!!!!!!

27 Mar 2023, 04:41 AM	#28
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 303	The obvious reason why SPF might fail is that you are sending to an address that is forwarded to an address at comcast.

27 Mar 2023, 09:39 PM	#30
DougLass Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 56	Wow, now I'm getting these same (zipped, browser unreadable XML) reports from noreply-dmarc-support@google.com. They seem to say the same thing as the ones from Comcast, that my SPF is bad. But my gmail recipients have no trouble getting these e-mails. As I said, both my e-mail host and my domain host swear that my SPF is fine. Weirder and weirder.