External Email Relay Blocking Puts HEX on Junk Email Tricks

On November 24, the Computing Center joined many other responsible Internet sites in cracking down on a favorite delivery trick of network junk mail "spammers" by blocking the relay of external email. While this measure doesn't guarantee that campus users will no longer get junk email, it does ensure that the UO's network address will not be usurped by spammers who wish to use it as a relay point for distributing junk email. The block works by stopping all email that neither originates from, nor is sent to, an address with the suffix uoregon.edu. The table below shows how the transmission of email will be affected by relay blocking:

Who's affected?

Note that mail sent either to or from an email address with the suffix uoregon.edu via the UO's mail servers will not be affected by these measures. This means that most UO users will be unaffected by the block. However, those who connect to UOnet via an external Internet service provider may experience difficulties.

The relay block will only affect you if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you don't connect to UOnet via modem or campus Ethernet connection
• you use a national or non-local provider like America Online, Earthlink, or Netcom
• you don't use Telnet with Pine or VMS MAIL to send mail
• your email program (Eudora, Netscape Mail , etc.) is configured to read and send mail through a UO timesharing host, such as GLADSTONE, DARKWING, or OREGON

What if the relay block gives me problems?

• If you connect to UOnet through an external Internet service provider and are adversely affected by the relay block, there are several possible solutions:
• Configure your email client to send mail through your Internet provider's mail server, not the UO's (see examples for Eudora and Netscape at http://micro.uoregon.edu/smtprelayblock/showme.html
• Use a Telnet session (and Pine or VMS MAIL) to read and send your mail.
• Use the email account that your external provider has set up for you instead of your UO account (you can have all UO email automatically forwarded to the external account you use).

Still have questions?

If you still have questions concerning the mail relay blocking measures, contact

• Microcomputer Services (for microcomputer-related questions, such as how to configure an email program like Eudora or Netscape Mail) - 346-4412
• Academic Services (for issues related to timesharing hosts /using Pine) - 346-1758