Re: [Pengfork-devel] AOL seems to intercept all SMTP connections

[Jean-Charles Salzeber]

On Mon, Sep 30, 2002 at 12:55, Jim Peters wrote:
> Using PengAOL in the UK, I've just noticed that AOL's servers redirect
> all attempts to connect to external internet SMTP servers to their own
> mail servers.  This means that even if I try to send my E-mail via an
> SMTP AUTH connection to my mail-provider at smtp.uklinux.net, it ends
> up going out via AOL's mail servers.
> 

Yes, it's a known issue.
It works with non-existing IP too, try 
telnet 1.2.3.4 25
for example!

> This is very unfortunate, as I've noticed that some messages get
> bounced back because AOL's IP addresses are on spam-block lists.
> Apart from the AOL server names in the Received: headers, there is
> also an X-Apparently-From: header which gives the AOL login name.
> 
> I've tried to think of a way around this, but I can find no solution.
> Unless uklinux.net, for instance, runs an SMTP server on an unusual
> port, there is nothing I can think of doing that can avoid getting
> redirected to AOL's servers.
> 
> Has anyone else come across this problem, or found a solution ?
> 

We can't act at this level, it's AOL firewall that do this.
The solution, I have found is to use a non standard port for SMTP as you
say.
The other one is to implement the L2TP protocol, AOL do not filter SMTP
with this protocol.

Now, there is another very recent issue. AOL filter all incoming
connections so you can't run any server on your computer or use ftp in
active mode. They also filter some UDP traffic (all but DNS?)!
AOL become more and more dictatorial... 
It's valid in France so you should have the problem in UK too.

> Cheers --
> 
> Jim
> 
> P.S.  This message was sent whilst dialed-in through AOL, so you
> should be able to see what I'm talking about in the headers of this
> message.

JC

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