Gmail blocking Emails sent from Nildram, Gotadsl etc

[JeffreySmith]

Apparently, Gmail made a change very recently that causes emails to be blocked if the sending domain doesn't have an SPF record.

The error detail is:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at apm-internet.net.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

142.250.27.27 failed after I sent the message.
Remote host said: 550-5.7.26 This message does not have authentication information or fails to
550-5.7.26 pass authentication checks. To best protect our users from spam, the
550-5.7.26 message has been blocked. Please visit
550-5.7.26  https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126#authentication for more
550 5.7.26 information. z21-20020a17090665d500b006d1ddb409bbsi6577603ejn.234 - gsmtp
STARTTLS proto=TLSv1.2; cipher=ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256; subject=/CN=mx.google.com; issuer=/C=US/O=Google Trust Services LLC/CN=GTS CA 1C3;

[Gondola]

I guess the 'Dear customer' bit is simply because you're not an account holding customer with TTB so the process doesn't link to any active TTB account to pick up the customer name. Just a process thing for generating the letter/email.

As for "closing the case" my recommendation would be to reject this proposal and ask that the case remain open until fixed. If all active cases are closed and someone new looks at the issue it might be seen that there are no complaints so nothing to fix.

[Berkoboy]

Just to add : The ticket I raised with TTB has now been closed - the message I got said  "I do apologise for the inconvenience that you have been experience regarding the email issue. We are now currently working on it as well. We will update you once this issue has been fixed. For now, I will closed this case while we are fixing the system. " . It was addressed to Dear Customer -  so all the hallmarks of a computer generated reply and close down.

The Gmail problem still exists ( as at 20th )  - with the  error "This message does not have authentication information or fails to

550-5.7.26 pass authentication checks (SPF or DKIM). "

[JeffreySmith]

Yes - I am dealing with TTB...but there is no TTB Forum so just looking to keep Phil, Berkeboy etc aware of progress (or lack of). Today's missive from Stuart was:

"I apologise for the delay in response, I have been put into contact with our Network systems general mail group and have been escalating this with my manager and the manager of the domains team. I am actively chasing this for you and the moment I hear an update on this I will contact you. I would like to apologise again for the delay in getting this matter resolved for you."

[Gondola]

You should be prosecuting your case via Stewart to push your case up the TalkTalk Business (TTB) tree.

This Community is for TalkTalk Consumer only and the TalkTalk Support team cannot intercede with the resolution of formal complaints; even less so for TTB that has its own complaints handling.

[cookp1]

@JeffreySmith yes, agree with all of that, except, to be fair to Stewart, I never expected him to be technically proficient in this area; he is handling customer complaints and should be coordinating efforts within TTB in order to a) resolve the underlying problem and b) satisfy our complaint about the (lack of) response we have received. Unfortunately there’s no evidence that he has made any progress with a) and we’ve had no sensible communication as to why there has been such a delay. So he seems to have failed on both counts!

[JeffreySmith]

It’s now almost a month since we wrote to TT domain as a last resort, following which we received a telephone call from Stewart Anderson who gave me the distinct impression that he was a technician who had just at that time dealt with a similar problem and therefore knew exactly what our problem was and would be able to fix it in a matter of days.  It is now clear that he has no technical knowledge and, just like Kit before him, has been stringing us along and, despite repeated requests, has provided nothing more than platitudes and has told us absolutely nothing about the problem itself or how it is progressing.

The only positive note from Stewart (and that was as a result of our repeated requests) is that he has escalated our complaint higher up in I presume TTB, but yet again whoever this person is hasn’t even had the courtesy to get in touch to provide an apology or progress report.

As it is nearly 4 months since the Gmail problem arose, we are aware for other people around the country, and we have received nil information as to the problem and how it can be resolved, we will be looking to please pass this matter on to the highest-ranked individual in TTB and ask them to provide us with a full report by return.

[cookp1]

Well yes, DNS management is certainly a key part of domain administration, so you'd think this would be a routine task for the Domain Admin team. That just makes this whole thing more frustrating when such a simple change is taking so long to get implemented!

[Gondola]

The DNS are TalkTalk servers hosting the legacy mail records, I believe. I assume TTB's Domains Management Team know how to access the DNS as that would be in their skill set.

[JeffreySmith]

Just to keep all interested parties that unsurprisingly nothing appears to have been done as yet. Stewart's latest message was:

"Just wanted to let you know we are still attempting to get the access required to get modify your SPF records for the domains. The minute I hear anything on this I will contact you."

Don’t understand what Stewart means by getting ‘access’. It suggests TT need outside help, whereas I thought everything was under their control. He’s still telling us nothing and probably doesn’t know any more than a month or so ago.

[Gondola]

Confirms what I said in Message  36.

[JeffreySmith]

I contacted verygoodemail and they entirely absolved themselves of responsibility. Regarding failing test emails from verygoodemail in diagnosing the problem, they say:

"I think that’s because they’ve sent a test using the wrong webmail interface - they've used the one branded for our direct customers, rather than the white label one they should have used. They regularly make this mistake - and have given the verygoodemail.com one out to customers in the past, in error. The problem with SPF Records is entirely with TalkTalk for the domains they own and manage - all they need to add is the SPF Record we have given them - with any additional IP ranges they might be using that don’t route via our network. We have passed this information to TalkTalk support staff on a number of previous occasions."

[Gondola]

Hi JeffreySmith 

The Very Good Email Company is a trading style of APM Internet Limited founded by Andrew Peter Mardlin and yes Mardlin is Nildram spelt in reverse! 

But exactly as Phil says, the email admins looking after apm-internet (they are first class) will not interact with TTB customers only with TTB.  TTB are responsible for managing the vendor relationship with APM to deliver the service to TTB customers. Customers should therefore contact TTB only.

[cookp1]

@JeffreySmith i already contacted VeryGoodEmailCo and although they were sympathetic and understood the problem they said they were unable to do any more than email the domain admin team, in the same way that we have. They claim not to have any escalation process beyond that, which I find rather worrying given they are supposed to be managing the email service of which SPF is clearly becoming a key component,.

[JeffreySmith]

Gondola - Can I clarify that when you refer to apm-internet, this is actually a reference to the verygoodemail.co.uk (originally founded by Andrew Mardlin in 2002 and called Nildram (his reverse surname?)). It may be I will go direct to them as they are the ones who generated a couple of failing test emails using our gotadsl and nildram addresses in the last 3 weeks (though nothing ensued from that)

[cookp1]

@JeffreySmith I had a chat with Stewart yesterday and I’ve received the following from him this morning:-

==============================

Thank you once again for taking my call yesterday, since then I have escalated this to my manager, I have made them completely aware of the situation and what we need to do to fix this issue. I will keep you updated with each step and hopefully we will have an ETA for the fix and as soon as I have this I will contact you. 

As always if you need me to contact you at any point please email me.

==============================

phil

[cookp1]

@Berkoboy I doubt this is related to the settings at your end. I think you’re experiencing the same problems as myself and @JeffreySmith in that Gmail now requires SPF authentication which is implemented by way of an SPF record under the DNS zone of your email domain. In my case that’s a record for cook.f2s.com and in your case probably nildram.com or whatever domain your email originates from. While in some ways it’s good to see more people reporting the same problem (it might start to raise priority within TTB) we should say that we’ve been waiting quite some time for TTB to pull their finger out and actually do something to resolve the issue. Don’t hold your breath 😏

[Berkoboy]

Hi - Yes - a similar message to the one you get 

xxxx@gmail etc 

142.250.102.27 failed after I sent the message.

Remote host said: 550-5.7.26 This message does not have authentication information or fails to

550-5.7.26 pass authentication checks (SPF or DKIM). To best protect our users

550-5.7.26 from spam, the message has been blocked. Please visit

550-5.7.26  https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126#authentication for more

550 5.7.26 information. 7-20020a170906014700b00712018edf25si2053762ejh.687 - gsmtp STARTTLS proto=TLSv1.2; cipher=ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256; subject=/CN=mx.google.com; issuer=/C=US/O=Google Trust Services LLC/CN=GTS CA 1C3;

[JeffreySmith]

Did you get the email reply...

"Hi. This is the qmail-send program at apm-internet.net.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<xxxxxxxx@gmail.com>:
142.250.102.26 failed after I sent the message.
Remote host said: 550-5.7.26 This message does not have authentication information or fails to
550-5.7.26 pass authentication checks. To best protect our users from spam, the..." etc?

[Berkoboy]

Just to add - an email to a Google account failed this morning from my Overssl Nildram setup in Outlook 2019 . I am using the same  mail.overssl.net/465/ SSL - TLS / Outgoing requires authentication   settings as I have been for many months.  

[Gondola]

In my view the liaison is between TalkTalk and the email admins at apm-internet. If experts in email are needed then apm-internet has that resource and I'd be sure they'd be able to confirm the SPF file for the legacy DNS records. 

I just wonder if the TalkTalk expertise is so depleted that the management of any email service within TTB might be seen by senior management as no longer tenable? But don't let that stop you pursuing your chosen course.