Re: SMTP-friendly VPS provider where I can also get a BGP feed

[Jim Shankland via NANOG <nanog () nanog org>]

I've been using Linode, also; works fine on the Linode end, but I still 
see occasional rejections based on my Linode IP address (most recently 
from outlook.com). It's nothing my specific IP is doing, but appears to 
be blacklisting of an address range. And gmail randomly puts some 
outgoing mail into recipients' spam folders. Trying to get an address 
unblocked by a major provider works almost as well as howling into the wind.

Maybe I'm being stubborn to insist on continuing to run what's basically 
a family mail server, but it does seem like there's a matter of 
principle there: it should be possible to have an email account without 
having all the emails stored by a third party. If the answer ends up 
being, "Oh, just use gmail, everybody else does!" ... well, so be it, I 
guess, but we should be clear that something got lost in that transition.

Jim Shankland

On 9/26/23 9:10 AM, Jay R. Ashworth wrote:
> I've run a mail server on Linode for 6 or 7 years now; no technical problems.
>
> End-node, Zimbra, postfix.
>
> Cheers,
> -- jra
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jonathan Leist via NANOG" <nanog () nanog org>
> > To: "Daniel Corbe" <daniel () corbe net>
> > Cc: nanog () nanog org
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 10:32:51 AM
> > Subject: Re: SMTP-friendly VPS provider where I can also get a BGP feed
> > Pretty much every popular provider blocks port 25 out by default, and
> > they'll instead try to steer customers to use a smart host. However, some,
> > including Linode, will unblock port 25 by request:
> > https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/running-a-mail-server/#sending-email-on-linode
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 26, 2023 at 6:11 AM Daniel Corbe <daniel () corbe net> wrote:
> >
> > > Hey all,
> > >
> > > I apologize if this isn't the right place to post this; however, I
> > > thought maybe the NANOG community would be able to point me in the right
> > > direction.
> > >
> > > I'm looking for a place that I can host a mailer.  My primary use case
> > > is a Mailman-style technical discussion list; much like NANOG but
> > > software related instead of network related: READ: non-commercial in
> > > nature.
> > >
> > > I'm currently a vultr customer, but they're refusing to unblock port 25
> > > on my account.  I've tried explaining my use case but no matter who I
> > > talk to over there they just keep pointing me to their spam policy.
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > > -Daniel
> >
> > --
> > Jonathan Leist
> > Staff Engineer