Best Host for the Job

I’ve been on Linode now for a couple of weeks. In that time I now have had two issues with my IP address considered to be dirty. I was on Vultr for 2 years and this was never an issue. I had issues with other things, but not email delivery.
My most recent one is an encounter with a company called Proofpoint: Cybersecurity Solutions, Services & Training | Proofpoint

I don’t know if they are legit or not, but they prevented an email delivery because of the IP address I am on.

So, any suggestions over who might be a better more reliable host?

Linode are on 2 strikes at the moment, but I don’t really want to pack up and move again.

Is it just the SMTP server address that is the issue here?

Thanks in advance for any clues.

Is this issue on an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address? Is it on the addresses or the blocks?

It’s an IPv4 address and it’s the specific address from what I can understand. I put a “please whitelist me” request in with them.

…and it worked. I am now on their whitelist. Which is nice. They appear to take care of iCloud email protection. I might just be in for a little follow up with some of these services for a little while. At least I know the process works.

If your IP is on proof point, someone reported that IP for spamming.

Whether it was from your MiaB or the user of that IP before you is unknown. Whether the report was intentional or accidental is unknown.

Follow ProofPoints process to get your IP unblocked. Hmm, I see that you have just posted that all is good now.

IP reputation is the main reason that everyone says not to run a mail server. It is the never ending battle that we have to endure sadly.

I never had an issue with reputation for the last couple of years. Only since I moved to Linode. Shame too because everything else seems to be working famously. No error messages. Just update notices in my administration email. I think I can clean things up if I just keep at it. I’ll put it down to settling in time.

I moved from Linode to Vultr for this specific reason (“dirty” IP address on Linode). I initially had an issue on Vultr with Proofpoint because their Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms automatically flagged my IP for some reason, and their whitelist process didn’t work for me (I never received a response). What eventually worked is submitting a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, an idea I got from other forums where people were also having issues with Proofpoint. That got their attention :grinning:.

Besides that, I’ve had no issues with Vultr. After the initial setup, it just runs without intervention.

-cinergi

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I’ve been on Linode for over a year now. Initially I had a problem with MS (hotmail) denying email from my IP. Contacted Linode support and they provided the MS contact information and the flag was lifted from my IP address in a day.

Recently had a problem with IVP6 SLAAC address compatibility with a European mail server. Linode support was timely and, quite frankly, answered technical questions not within their scope of services as a cloud provider.

I am not affiliated with Linode in any way, shape, or form – just an end user. Overall satisfaction on a scale of 1-10, probably about an 8. That’s my experience anyway.

Proofpoint never replied to me. I just checked my IP with them probably about 15 to 20 minutes after I sent an email with the request and it was clear. I didn’t really have any major issues with Vultr except that I had times where access to the server IP was blocked. I had the server set up in their Singapore data centre and accessing it from Australia. I did it at the time because in my mind it made sense in relation to data security. Not sure, if it really makes that much difference, but they were putting the blame on my carrier when the blockage was closer to their data centre (looked like a Japanese router) and I figured it was probably time for a change. Their support was always good with responding to issues.

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I found Linode to be pretty good with their customer support as well. It looks as if things have settled now…I’ll just have to see how it goes.

In the U.S. I have found this to be a really annoying problem with all of the ISPs. Whenever I experience this and contact customer support, they tell me everything on their side is fine go away.

That really annoys me because I am paying to do whatever is necessary to have their servers available to users, including and especially users on residential ISPs, but for some reason they think I’m paying them for a server on a private network or something.

They request that you do a Traceroute to show where the problem might be. It was pretty obvious from the results that the problem was closer to their server than to my personal IP address. I asked them what that meant and they basically pointed the finger at me saying it was my problem and I needed to talk to my provider. So, I went “OK then I’ll find somewhere else to host things” and I did. I’ve had other issues, but the process has actually been very educational and the support at my new hosting seems to be pretty good with things. I just think they were too quick to palm it off at me. They could have said there was an issue in Japan and left it at that…/rant

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Hello! I signed up specially to say how impressed I have been with Linode (and no this is not a paid for post).

A simple e-mail to customer care from me moaning about their IP6 ranges all being blacklisted was my problem. 15 minutes later I got a call back at 11:30 (South Africa time, so I guess thats OK if you’re in US… I digress) at night with someone with a solution.

How I understand it is that they are using IP6 as a tool to regulate “free” network traffic on their arch. So, you get lumped with a pool of addresses and Spamhaus, specifically, will decide that I no longer have a pool of IPv6 (these are huge pools we’re talking about), rather a single one that I can manage the reputation for.

Anyway, I would recommend Linode any day of the week for running mail-in-a-box.I tend to moan lots, but cred where it’s due to the team.

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