Ip address of server is on email blacklist again!

[yorkshiremark]

I was wondering if somebody could look into why the server IP address is blacklisted on Spamhaus http://www.spamhaus.org/query/bl?ip=69.93.129.226

I tried to send email to my work and it cant get through because of the black listing this is the second time this has happend in a month.

[Nashville Guy]

You are most likely sharing a server with more than one other company. Even though there may be 15 or 20 different domain names on your hosted server, they all share the same IP address which is what Spamhaus uses for SBL/XBL blocks. In other words, you are at the mercy of your neighbors best (or worst) practices when it comes to them either (a) sending spam, or (b) running scripts that can get hacked by a third party TO run spam. I think Hostgator is pretty quick about finding and fixing these problems and getting the IP in question delisted. Your shared IP is clear as of my posting this.

As a general rule of thumb, by all means use a hosted solution for web services. Maintaining a secure web server can almost be a full time job in and of itself and it is a fair trade to pay $7.95 (or whatever, depending on your hosting package) to let someone else make sure the entire server isn't hacked.

But when it comes to a mission critical application like email, host it in house. For the price of a DSL line, mail server software with user lisences, and a spam appliance such as a Barracuda you can ensure that your email is as bullet-proof as you make it. Yes, it can be something like a $1,000 to $5,000 initial outlay depending on the size of your company and your requirements, but you control what happens with your IP address and email. Email and web services are really separate issues regardless of what ANY web host decides to promote. This is no knock on Hostgator, it is just how it is.

The bottom line is economies of scale - If email accessibility is critical to your companies success to the point that a 4 or 5 hour blockage costs you too much money, seek an alternative. If your IT budget says that an all-in-one package for $x.95 a month is the way to go, then realize that there will be trade offs.

I know that isn't the best answer in the world, but it is pretty much the only one I am aware of in a situation like this.

[cjnoyes]

Originally Posted by yorkshiremark

I was wondering if somebody could look into why the server IP address is blacklisted on Spamhaus http://www.spamhaus.org/query/bl?ip=69.93.129.226

I tried to send email to my work and it cant get through because of the black listing this is the second time this has happend in a month.

can you ask your work to put you in their whitelist

[iddgroup]

we use to have our email hosted here over dsl, the problem is, most of the main domains (like aol) reject mail coming from a mailserver with a residential IP address