nothing00
join:2001-06-10
Centereach, NY
| Port 25 INBOUND blocked?
Since early evening 8/20 it appears that port 25 inbound has been blocked in my area.
I've read about port 25 outbound being blocked but this is the first I've hear about an inbound block.
This really really pisses me off if it's true. How do they get away with removing very important services from your internet connection?
Any options? Anyone to appeal to?
--
I want my - I want my - I want my port ayyyeetteee!
(to the tune of "I want my MTV" Money for Nothing) |
|
sickdm
join:2001-11-07
Brooklyn, NY
| I noticed that too, seems like I can't connect to any remote host at port 25 or have anyone connect to me on 25.
The first issue is more important since it means I cant use someone's SMTP server to send mail.
Seems that they want you to use mail.optonline.net, since it is the only thing not blocked:
telnet mail.optonline.net 25
Trying 167.206.112.6...
Connected to s1.optonline.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 mta9.srv.hcvlny.cv.net -- Server ESMTP (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 1.25 (built Mar 3 2004))
This is pretty annoying though - is this really a new policy? |
|
Lex Luthor
Premium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Hicksville, NY
Host:
OptimumOnline
Users Find Hot Deals
Users find Hot Dea..
Requests for Hot D..
| Yes, it's a new policy (at least outbound 25).
»www.optonline.net/portblocking
I am not blocked yet, it's not been applied to everyone.
You could always see if the SMTP server you want to connect to can accept connections on an alternate port. |
|
Bichon
Premium,MVM
join:2002-10-10
Freehold, NJ
| reply to nothing00
said by nothing00  :
I've read about port 25 outbound being blocked but this is the first I've hear about an inbound block.
...
Any options? Anyone to appeal to?
About two years ago, port 25 inbound was blocked for about a week. The block affected everyone, even BOOL customers. Responding to strong pressure that the change had been implimented without warning (and that customers were now losing mail), it was removed. At the time, Cablevision VP Rick Spanbauer indicated that it would likely return at a later time.
Perhaps that time has come, or perhaps the engineer who was attempting to put the outbound block on the router that services your area made a mistake. |
|
IllIlIlllIll
EliteData
Premium
join:2003-07-06
Lindenhurst, NY | reply to nothing00
it wont be long before all vital services are blocked |
|
iamwei
join:2003-10-13
Brooklyn, NY
| reply to nothing00
Fortunately I have been using Godaddy as my registrar and secondary.com as DNS provider (I originally set the MX time-to-live to 60 seconds), so I was able to immediately switch to Godaddy's free e-mail forward (just need to change the Mail Exchange record on DNS to point to Godaddy's mail server)...in a few minutes my e-mails started working again.
I remember Time Warner (in Manhattan) doesn't block SMTP and HTTP ports, are they still allowing?
But I don't blame Cablevision for blocking, it is all spammers' fault (they have successfully installed back-door programs on machines on optonline.net to send out junk mails) |
|
IllIlIlllIll
EliteData
Premium
join:2003-07-06
Lindenhurst, NY | yeah, TW is still allowing, but they watch the traffic. |
|
foobar12342
join:2004-08-22
Huntington, NY | reply to nothing00
I just confirmed with CV that they ARE blocking port 25 inbound and outbound. As usual, they quote the ToS Agreement and the "only option" is to upgrade to BOOL.
Well, that's it. I've had it with OOL. I refuse to be extorted any longer. |
|
Bichon
Premium,MVM
join:2002-10-10
Freehold, NJ
| said by foobar12342 :
Well, that's it. I've had it with OOL. I refuse to be extorted any longer.
extort: to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power
Just exactly how is blocking port 25 extortion? All they have done is made a change in the service they are selling. If you don't want to buy it any more, then call up and cancel. |
|
foobar12342
join:2004-08-22
Huntington, NY | reply to nothing00
Extort: To change the service by reducing capabilities, yet maintaining the same service price. To force a user to "upgrade" to BOOL at twice the price to maintain the same level of service.
Trust me, I plan to cancel. |
|
NS4683
join:2000-08-25
Hoboken, NJ
| I honestly do not know why people are making a big deal out of this. They did this to protect the majority of their customers, most of which have no idea what a mail server is. If you were a business, would you rather benefit the majority or the few? And it does say in the TOS:
In addition to the prohibitions outlined in the Acceptable Use Policy, Residential Optimum Online users may not:
(a) Run any type of server on the system. This includes but is not limited to FTP, IRC, SMTP, POP, HTTP, SOCKS, SQUID, DNS or any multi-user forums;
So you really cannot get mad at them for something you agreed to abide by when you signed up. |
|
foobar12342
join:2004-08-22
Huntington, NY
| reply to nothing00
I signed up years ago when they still had open DHCP and port 80. Throttling/capping was also either non-existant or very open.
Over these last few years, my service has been crippled more and more and I'm paying a higher and higher price. Now they expect me to pay twice as much for the same service I used to have.
They didn't even send out any notifications about this and on the phone choose to play stupid. I had to ask for "someone with a clue" as the original tech certainly didn't have one. |
|
vfpguy
Alias Dotnetguy
join:2001-07-21
Wayne, NJ
| reply to NS4683
said by NS4683 :
In addition to the prohibitions outlined in the Acceptable Use Policy, Residential Optimum Online users may not:
(a) Run any type of server on the system. This includes but is not limited to FTP, IRC, SMTP, POP, HTTP, SOCKS, SQUID, DNS or any multi-user forums;
So you really cannot get mad at them for something you agreed to abide by when you signed up.
That's not the point. It has nothing to do with running a server on a residential connection. If you work from home once or twice a week and need to connect to your company's mail server to send mail (so it is addressed as you@yourcompany.com instead of you2@optonline.net) you can't because port 25 is blocked.)
--
"...a great, serene and peaceful future can slip from us quite as irrevocably by neglect, division and inaction, as by spectacular disaster." -- H. Truman, 6/21/56 |
|
RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
| said by vfpguy :
If you work from home once or twice a week and need to connect to your company's mail server to send mail (so it is addressed as you@yourcompany.com instead of you2@optonline.net) you can't because port 25 is blocked.)
Then you simply do what I did.. If your IT dept is worth a hoot, they're well aware of the blocks being imposed to control spam by residential ISPs and will seriously consider opening up an additional port to the SMTP server.. My job simply opened up Port 2525 in addition to 25. Problem solved in less than 24 hours.
Rick
--
"Make it idiot-proof and someone will build a better idiot." |
|
vfpguy
Alias Dotnetguy
join:2001-07-21
Wayne, NJ
| Well yes of course that's exactly what I did. I believe in living up to the terms you agreed to but when someone trots out the TOS's clause about servers when it clearly doesn't totally apply, I'm going to call them on it.
--
"...a great, serene and peaceful future can slip from us quite as irrevocably by neglect, division and inaction, as by spectacular disaster." -- H. Truman, 6/21/56 |
|
nothing00
join:2001-06-10
Centereach, NY
| reply to RickNY
said by RickNY :
Then you simply do what I did.. If your IT dept is worth a hoot, they're well aware of the blocks being imposed to control spam by residential ISPs and will seriously consider opening up an additional port to the SMTP server.. My job simply opened up Port 2525 in addition to 25. Problem solved in less than 24 hours.
While that's a solution for outgoing email unfortunately it's a lot more difficult to get everyone in the world to agree to start sending me email on port xyz.
I run my own email because it's shedloads faster, betterer, and infinitely more spam free. If I have to go to No-IPs relays I will loose many advantages I currently have. Such as the ability to block spam (using sendmail/SpamAssassin) before I even accept delivery.
Sure, go quote the TOS that says no servers. Then I'll tell you how many many of all the services you want broadband for can be classified as a "server".
RickNY, just a general reply not directed towards you. 
I will probably go to Business OOL and then not give a hoot about keeping my usage to a reasonable level. I have several webcams that I'd gleefully crank up the bandwidth on. A web server I can put back online. And a few other things I can't think of at the moment that I've avoided over the years.
I'd switch to DSL if I had the option but alas, I don't.
--
I want my - I want my - I want my port ayyyeetteee!
(to the tune of "I want my MTV" Money for Nothing) |
|
RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
| said by nothing00 :
RickNY, just a general reply not directed towards you.
Nah, I didnt think it was directed towards me.. And I'm not going to quote the TOS either.. My response was just geared towards someone who uses SMTP servers outside of OOL, and a possible solution for those users.. And of course there are people that use much larger companies for their email, such as Yahoo, etc - that cant readily ask for access on an alternate port.
Rick
--
"Make it idiot-proof and someone will build a better idiot." |
|
IllIlIlllIll
EliteData
Premium
join:2003-07-06
Lindenhurst, NY
| reply to nothing00
you know, i wouldnt be one to complain much about OOL blocking common ports, you could always re-assign to a new port.
OOL could just block all the ports, inbound/outbound, except certain ports like outbound 80, etc.
i give you AT&T GPRS wireless service as an example.
they block more common ports than any wireless internet service i have seen.
--
Streaming Radio - Add your files to be played on the air |
|
nothing00
join:2001-06-10
Centereach, NY
| said by IllIlIlllIll :
you know, i wouldnt be one to complain much about OOL blocking common ports, you could always re-assign to a new port.
OOL could just block all the ports, inbound/outbound, except certain ports like outbound 80, etc.
i give you AT&T GPRS wireless service as an example.
they block more common ports than any wireless internet service i have seen.
Well that's sad about ATTWS and another fine reason I don't use them for GPRS. Of course I'm sure almost everything they do block would be worthless over GPRS anyhow and protects the tiny little bit of bandwidth that is available.
How could a real "Internet Service Provider" like OOL be able to get away with that? Provide a service they call "Internet access" and then block access to the very service they claim to provide??
I can't just re-assign to another port. I'd have to get the rest of the world to agree to use it. (And then that would be the port that would be blocked...)
--
I want my - I want my - I want my port ayyyeetteee!
(to the tune of "I want my MTV" Money for Nothing) |
|
IllIlIlllIll
EliteData
Premium
join:2003-07-06
Lindenhurst, NY
| i for one, use a "redirector" service.
example:
requests inbound to port 25 go thru the "redirector" and resolve to a new mapped port, thus indication to users that port 25 is still operable.
[simplest way i can explain this]
--
Streaming Radio - Add your files to be played on the air |
|
