# No Email to AOL **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849 "2003-08-17T23:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/1 "2003-08-17T23:51:04Z")
I have a problem with AOL that noone has been able to solve. I cannot send any emails to recipients at AOL. They always come back undeliverable or rejected by AOL. Anyone have this problem or know what is the problem? This problem started in the last month. I was able to send to AOL until then. Oh, I can send email from Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or Excite Mail, but not from Outlook Express using SMPT. Perhaps the problem lies with my ISP, which is [cable.net.co](http://cable.net.co) here in Colombia. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/2 "2003-08-18T00:51:12Z")
Without more info it is hard to tell. Are you getting mailer-daemon replies back? They would run something like : The address some\_schmuck had permanentt fatal errors: User unknown. See [http://postmaster.info.aol.com/mailer.html](http://postmaster.info.aol.com/mailer.html) for more information. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/3 "2003-08-18T00:57:29Z")
Is your ISP blacklisted or anything?? Can you set up another email address through them? If you can, try sending it throught that one. Also, does your ISP let you send mail thorugh something that’s web based (as opposed to through outlook). If nothing works I’d say the problem lies either with your ISP or AOL. If one of the other ways works, then it has something to do with you (most likely). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/4 "2003-08-18T02:16:40Z")
Yeah, that sounds like a blacklist. Your ISP probably allows open relay or something. I’m having a similar problem at the office right now. We’re switching ISP’s in three weeks. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/5 "2003-08-18T13:23:16Z")
I don’t know if my ISP is blacklisted or not, but it is a very important ISP here in Colombia. The message that I get back for non delivery of the email is as follows: This report relates to a message you sent with the following header fields: Return-path: \<[robertmaria@cable.net.co](mailto:robertmaria@cable.net.co)\> Received: from [tcp-daemon.eniac.cable.net.co](http://tcp-daemon.eniac.cable.net.co) by [eniac.cable.net.co](http://eniac.cable.net.co) (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 HotFix 1.13 (built May 25 2003)) id \<[0HJT00H78HCW53@eniac.cable.net.co](mailto:0HJT00H78HCW53@eniac.cable.net.co)\> (original mail from [robertmaria@cable.net.co](mailto:robertmaria@cable.net.co)); Mon, 18 Aug 2003 08:26:57 -0500 (COT) Received: from robertmaria ([200.68.180.230]) by [eniac.cable.net.co](http://eniac.cable.net.co) (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 HotFix 1.13 (built May 25 2003)) with ESMTPA id \<[0HJT008SMHCWDQ@eniac.cable.net.co](mailto:0HJT008SMHCWDQ@eniac.cable.net.co)\> for [DanStevens@aol.com](mailto:DanStevens@aol.com); Mon, 18 Aug 2003 08:26:56 -0500 (COT) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 08:29:20 -0500 From: Carothers Family \<[robertmaria@cable.net.co](mailto:robertmaria@cable.net.co)\> Subject: test To: Dan Stevens \<[DanStevens@aol.com](mailto:DanStevens@aol.com)\> Message-id: \<008101c3658c$bb1f66d0$e6b444c8@robertmaria\> MIME-version: 1.0 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 Content-type: multipart/alternative; boundary=“Boundary\_(ID\_3zcs4tMiWF/HXjJwCTOEdQ)” X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-priority: Normal Your message cannot be delivered to the following recipients: Recipient address: [DanStevens@aol.com](mailto:DanStevens@aol.com) Reason: Rejection greeting returned by server. Diagnostic code: smtp;554-(RLY:B2) The information presently available to AOL indicates this s U A P o Remote system: dns;[mailin-03.mx.aol.com](http://mailin-03.mx.aol.com) ([RLY:B2] The information presently available to AOL indicates this) ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/6 "2003-08-19T07:46:12Z")
My mail server is currently being blocked by AOL also. We don’t have spammers, we don’t have open relay, no known reason. My ISP is working with AOL to try and resolve. All we can figure is that a spammer spoofed the mailserver and AOL fell for it. AOL is becoming very heavy handed to try to shut off spam and making lots of mistakes right now. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/7 "2003-08-19T22:09:08Z")
I don’t understand why they block everyone trying to send email to their own members because one person may have spammed them. It is rather ridiculous! Well, I can send email to AOL if I use a third party email program, but I prefer to use Outlook Express because it is always right there on my screen. I sent emails to their postmaster and webmaster from excite mail, but they have never replied. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/8 "2003-08-19T22:50:36Z")
I have direcway, and I haven’t been able to get an email to an AOL user in 2 weeks – through yahoo, etc., it’s ok… [Twilight zone music] I was just asking as computer friend what in the heck was going on, and she said, she didn’t know…why not try the Straight Dope stuff.[/twilight zone music] I think the problem is AOL – I was sending directly from my direcway email on my eudora server (and people at the other end are getting nowt – REAL fun as I sell on eBay), and then tried mail2web, and was getting the delay/failure emails… Whee! ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/9 "2003-08-19T23:02:42Z")
Excuse my upper case, but “AOL REALLY SUCKS!” ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/10 "2003-08-19T23:17:42Z")
OK. It looks like AOL is confusing your IP address with that of the ISP. Since you appear to be on cable, you’ve got a dynamic IP address and AOL is rejecting the dynamic addresses from your ISP in an effort to block spammers. This line: Received: from [tcp-daemon.eniac.cable.net.co](http://tcp-daemon.eniac.cable.net.co) by [eniac.cable.net.co](http://eniac.cable.net.co) should have the IP of your service provider in it. It isn’t there, so AOL gets this one instead: Received: from robertmaria ([**200.68.180.230**]) This address is probably known by AOL to belong to the dynamic address block of your provider. It is also possible that AOL is having a damned hard time reconciling your IP address with your ISP’s address. As best I can tell, the 200 address is managed by LACNIC and the address of the ISP mail server ([eniac.cable.net.co](http://eniac.cable.net.co) 196.27.25.66) is managed by ARIN - requiring AOL to do two whois lookups to verify who you are and what you are doing. The problem is between your ISP and AOL. AOL has started getting really boogery about spam and has probably recently changed something that used to work just fine. The other mail services you mentioned would naturally work just fine. Those don’t even need you to access SMTP, so the whole thing with the addresses is done with a different set of addresses than you are using - and probably American servers to boot. Contact your ISP and send them a copy of what you posted here - and make sure not to cut off the end of the lines about “diagnostic code.” ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/11 "2003-08-19T23:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ms Boods \* > \*\*I have direcway, and I haven’t been able to get an email to an AOL user in 2 weeks – through yahoo, etc., it’s ok… > > [Twilight zone music] I was just asking as computer friend what in the heck was going on, and she said, she didn’t know…why not try the Straight Dope stuff.[/twilight zone music] > > I think the problem is AOL – I was sending directly from my direcway email on my eudora server (and people at the other end are getting nowt – REAL fun as I sell on eBay), and then tried mail2web, and was getting the delay/failure emails… > > Whee! \*\* This is what I was talking about. You are using your own mail server on a DSL or Cable connection (or an address that AOL thinks belongs to one of the above) which AOL rates as something a spammer would do. This is stupid, but that is what AOL is doing these days. To get around this, try these things: First, try having your SMTP server pass your mail through your ISP’s SMTP server. This might do it, although AOL might still see your IP and throw a fit. Second, if the first doesn’t do it, then try sending your mail from you email program straight to the smtp server from your ISP. This will probably be inconvenient, as most folks don’t setup their own smtp server without good reason. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/12 "2003-08-19T23:25:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robcaro \* > \*\*I don’t understand why they block everyone trying to send email to their own members because one person may have spammed them. It is rather ridiculous! Well, I can send email to AOL if I use a third party email program, but I prefer to use Outlook Express because it is always right there on my screen. I sent emails to their postmaster and webmaster from excite mail, but they have never replied. \*\* I worked at AOL and the amount of spam sent cost the company millions of dollars. I didn’t work in the department that dealt with spam but AOL basically blocks ISP’s that are being used by spammers. To get unblocked the ISP needs to talk to AOL and make sure that their system is secure. Throw in some IP spoofing and it can get really tricky. Don’t blame AOL, blame the spammers. Spam costs alot of money. ISP’s pay for the bandwidth spam takes up so it isn’t as though spam is just a harmless annoyance. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/13 "2003-08-19T23:48:32Z")
Almost forgot: Third, jump on your ISP’s ass and see if they can get off of AOL’s blacklist. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/14 "2003-08-19T23:51:27Z")
This all sounds a little complicated. I have written to my ISP and they told me that they would investigate, but have never responded again. I am still waiting. Perhaps I should lite a fire under them to get them to wake up again. Here in Colombia, things don’t get done quickly, and the thing to do is wait, wait, wait. Ho Hum! ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/15 "2003-08-20T00:11:16Z")
Mort Furd - thanks for the advice! Direcway is the only game in town where I live, unless I use the 24kps dial up (true fact: the phone relay system in this area has not been updated since the 1930s! Mobile/cell phone use here is the norm cos people don’t want to go on a party line.) I believe they are a subsidiary of Satan – trying to contact them to discuss this problem will be a joy… When I send direct from eudora, nowt happens, the email doesn’t get through, and I have no way of knowing. If I route my direcway address through mail2web, I get the bounceback. I can’t go on to DW’s site and send email through them, as they don’t offer this service (they don’t even offer a brick wall against which to bang my head.) I will try ringing them in the morning, but I will say this, and I promise you, I am not kidding: I once rang them to ask why, for the 14th consecutive day, I could not get a satellite connection until the comp had been on for at least 2 hours (and no, I don’t have an old Philco that has to warm up). I was very polite. Just baffled. The guy at the other end told me that the reason my stuff wasn’t working was cos the main office in Maryland had been destroyed by a meteorite. :eek: Er, no, but points for creativity! ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/16 "2003-08-20T10:36:01Z")
AOL finally allows me to send email to their members. I guess they decided that I am not really spam. Maybe my emails to them from excite mail made an impression. I was quite hard with them. Anyway, consider this post closed. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-email-to-aol/195849/17 "2003-08-20T21:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > The guy at the other end told me that the reason my stuff wasn’t working was cos the main office in Maryland had been destroyed by a meteorite. Does anyone else think that someone got ahold of the BOFH’s excuse calendar?