Blocked Email and Blackhole List FAQs

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What is the SPAM mailbox in my webmail folders? Check the SPAM mailbox periodically to see if there happens to be any messages you need that were put there inadvertantly. The default settings should not normally falsely indicate spam, but nothing is perfect.

How do I configure the SPAM filters or turn them off? Login to the "Webmail" interface which is a link at the top of the hypercon.net homepage. Then follow the instructions on the "Configration of SPAM filters" page.

Why am I getting an error which says "Non Hypercon users..." when I am a Hypercon user? You need to call tech support and ask them to help you configure your email program to use "SMTP Authentication" or check the "My Server requires Authentication" checkbox in Outlook/Outlook Express.

What do I do if I am NOT a Hypercon user and I have gotten a message saying that my emails are being blocked by a blacklist? You need to reference the information we have listed below, and if your ISP's mail server is listed then email their technical support and let them know which rejection list they are on. They should be able to resolve the problem within 48 hours. If your email if was blocked because you are attempting to run your own personal mail server in Internet address space which is not allowed for that use, you can contact the administrator of the list you are on, but they will most likely not remove your server from that list unless your upstream ISP asks them to allow your address space to house a personal mail server.

Can you explain these "Blacklists" to me?  We use a combination of blacklists to help us determine mail servers who send out all or mostly unsolicited emails. This allows us to stop accepting email from those servers until they fix the problem which is causing the mail abuse. This is a regular occurance for servers hosted overseas or local US servers which are not secure. Many of the blacklists simply look to see if the sending mail server requires its users to give it a password to send mail rather than just letting anyone send through it. Some lists know which ranges of Internet addresses are used for dialup customers or DSL/cable customers, who are residential in nature, and are not allowed to have personal mail servers on their computers. Others list ISPs mail servers who allow users to spam through their network repeatedly. Five of the main lists we use are below:

LIST.DSBL.ORG - The DSBL lists contain the IP addresses of servers which have relayed special test messages to listme@listme.dsbl.org; this can happen if the server is an open relay, an open proxy or has another vulnerability that allows anybody to deliver email to anywhere, through that server. Note that DSBL itself doesn't do any tests; it simply listens for incoming test messages and lists the server that delivers the message to DSBL's mail server.

DNSBL.SORBS.NET - Information in the open proxy and relay databases are statements of fact for a given time and address, by SORBS. All other entries are based upon suspicion and/or opinion of the SORBS administrators, unless otherwise stated. SORBS is of the opinion that all entries created by the SORBS administrators are correct. Any documents sent to the administrators of the service (both paper and electronic) maybe reproduced at the administrators' discretion in any forum, in whole or in part. If you are in the 'spammers' database it is because you, your machine, or a previous user of the address sent Unsolicited mail to one of the admins of SORBS. You will not be removed from the database without a donation to a charity/good cause for the time spent reading and dealing with the email(s).

Many ISPs falsely discredit the SORBS list, please read our stance on the SORBS list here.

RELAYS.ORDB.ORG - ORDB.org is the Open Relay Database. ORDB.org is a non-profit organisation which stores a IP-addresses of verified open SMTP relays. These relays are, or are likely to be, used as conduits for sending unsolicited bulk email, also known as spam. By accessing this list, system administrators are allowed to choose to accept or deny email exchange with servers at these addresses.

BL.SPAMCOP.NET - The goal: To provide a system which will flag the most spam with the least 'collateral damage' (flagging of wanted email). This is a never-ending and difficult task. This system is driven by people (some would say "mob-rule"). As such, it is intelligent but also faulty. People are instructed to report only email which is UBE (Unsolicited Bulk Email). Users being what they are, they may accidentally or maliciously report other email. So the results are fuzzy, but surprisingly accurate and agile (try it yourself - the results speak for themselves).