> Hi Mark,

Hallo Brian! There is a name i've not seen in many a year...

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Foster" <blakjak@blakjak.net>
> To: <adsl@lists.unixathome.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 3:28 PM
> Subject: FYI: Xtra to close 25/TCP Outbound...
>
>
>> http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3623905a28,00.html
>>
>>
>> About Time!
>
> It's an unwarranted interference and a nuisance. When I use another
> POP/SMTP
> mail server (eg on GMail, Yahoo, or a web space service), I don't want my
> ISP blocking my access to it. I don't want to be dependent solely on
> Xtra's
> mail server for outgoing mail. If another mail service I subscribe to
> provides its own smtp server, I want to be able to use it.
>
> The same applies to any port, service or content, really. An ISP shouldn't
> block it except at my request.

This is unrealistic in the day and age we live in.
Note we're only talking about the blocking of access to port 25 here.
The amount of junk that propogates onto the internet from client-side
machines via direct SMTP connection on port 25 is as you're probably
aware, phenomonal. (I can post some stats from the blakjak.net mx as to
how much stuff is caught by the sorbs dynamic-ip blocklist i'm using, if
required.).

If you want to pop your mail from anywhere, Xtra are not blocking this.
If you want to send mail, theyre requiring that you use smtp.xtra.co.nz.
Given that SMTP is not tied to the place you're getting service from, this
is not a hindrance.
Oh, and I read on newsgroups a few moments ago that Gmails pop3/smtp
service don't use conventional ports, so youd remain unaffected anyway for
that service.

But you should be using your mail providers service for pop3 or imap only.
 Your ISP should be your SMTP service provider. And as a dynamic-ip
(presumably) home-user you shouldn't be doing your own MX lookups anyway.
Tends to get you scored as a spammer or drone straight up.

If its outbound only, eg, to mitigate the affects of virus infections and
spam relay by drones, etc, then I support it fully.

I have put some commentary up @ http://www.blakjak.net - Including the NBR
article which Kerry mentioned (which i'd already located... snap!) that
has some useful comment. Still looking to see how the exceptions would be
handled - theyre offering exceptions at no cost it seems - and still
wanting to confirm that the affects would be outbound-only.

I use Xtra at home, still, and use smtp.xtra.co.nz - and rarely have any
problems. This move will prevent me from using my own MX for SMTP, but I
can always work around that if I have to.

Mark.

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