User profile for user: stannard
stannard Author
User level: Level 1
33 points

Blocked IP Address?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this - but can't think of any other.

My outgoing mail is being blocked by some kind of spam protection website. Whenever I try and send from Mail, I get a message saying that "...the client host (IP Address) is blocked". Then there is an address to the site for more info.

The problem is that the IP Address which is being blocked is not my IP Address.

I connect to the web through a shared Airport. Could it be that this IP Address belongs to one of the other computers using this Airport? What can I do about it?

Any suggestions welcome.

PB 17" 1.6, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 12, 2009 8:46 PM

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13 replies
User profile for user: stannard
stannard Author
User level: Level 1
33 points

May 12, 2009 10:02 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi BDAqua - thanks for your quick reply.

I'm not sure if you are suggesting I check My IP Address or the IP Address listed in the error message. They are different.

When I check the website listed in the error message (as described in my original post), it shows some recent history of the IP Address being removed and then re-listed, with dates when this activity was supposed to happen. I know for a fact (because I have been travelling) that I was not using my laptop on those dates... or anywhere near the dates.

In your opinion, does this look like a clear case of mistaken identity? That another computer on the Airport is at fault?

BTW - I have a second e-mail account in my Mail program, and that one has no problem sending.
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User profile for user: j.v.
j.v.
User level: Level 5
4,155 points

May 13, 2009 7:00 AM in response to stannard

Is this happening to you for ALL emails that you try to send? Or just emails to recipients at one specific domain, e.g., *.rr.com? Who owns the spam protection website? Your ISP?

What is your home network topology? Do you have a router that assigns devices on your home network a local 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x IP address? It's not clear to me what IP address you were you talking about, and whether you are saying that the reportedly blocked IP address is not your internal LAN (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) IP address (applicable if you have a router that performs NAT), or your external WAN (go to http://checkip.dyndns.com to see your WAN IPA) (your computer will assume this address if you have a transparent modem and no router).

My home network topology is like the former, a combo modem/router that uses network address translation. And I have a dynamically assigned (by my ISP) external WAN IPA. When I have run across a problem like this (I only experienced it when sending email to recipients at, generally, one specific domain), I just power cycled my modem/router so it would be assigned a new external WAN IPA by my ISP and then the problem went away.
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User profile for user: stannard
stannard Author
User level: Level 1
33 points

May 13, 2009 7:19 PM in response to j.v.

Hi there JV. I am sure this is all very helpful, but unfortunately for me it is way over my head.

I am renting a studio apartment and share my landlord's Airport - as do other tenants. I have had this problem since I moved in and it effects every e-mail I try to send from a particular account.

I checked the IP Address listed in the error message (I get when sending an e-mail) against the IP Address listed in my network systems preferences and they are different. Which leads me to believe that it is in fact an other computer at fault.

If you can give me a tip (in layman's terms) on what I can do to rectify the problem I would be grateful.

BTW - My landlord is a friend so I have access to the modem/router if need be.
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User profile for user: j.v.
j.v.
User level: Level 5
4,155 points

May 13, 2009 9:13 PM in response to stannard

You answered a lot about your topology when you said that you are sharing your landlord's wireless as do the other tenants.

When you visit http://checkip.dyndns.com, does it display the same IP address as the one that the "client host (IP Address) is blocked" nastygram is giving you? If it is, ask your landlord to power down his modem for about a minute, then turn it back on.

http://checkip.dyndns.com shows the internet address of your landlord's network, that the rest of the world sees you (all) as. The router does what is known as network address translation, enabling multiple users to share this one externally visible IP address. Most routers assign local computers an address starting with 192.168.x.x or with 10.x.x.x. Some assign an address in the range of 172.16.x.x through 172.31.x.x. These addresses only have meaning on the landlord's local network. Yours is visible to you in System Preferences, Network, TCP/IP. The landlord's router keeps track of the details of playing traffic cop for the internet traffic of all his tenants, directing it to and from the correct computer, and you all share the one single externally visible IP address. It is likely that this address (the one seen by the outside world) is assigned dynamically by his internet provider, and cycling the power as described would likely assign a different address, that the outside world sees you (all) as. With a new externally visible address, that would likely clear up the problem of you not being able to send mail because the current IP address (the one seen by the outside world) was blacklisted as being a spammer on some list that your email provider for this specific account checks, and a different address likely would not be blacklisted (unless the landlord's ISP's entire domain is blacklisted - in which case, your landlord needs to advise his ISP about this).
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User profile for user: stannard
stannard Author
User level: Level 1
33 points

May 14, 2009 4:57 AM in response to j.v.

Hi J.V - and thank you for your clear explanation.

I have used the checkip link you provided and it shows a different IP Address from my mail's error message (and of course, different from my network systems preferences).

I have been here (and had this problem) for about six months. I've lived with it because I frequently travel. We have an unstable power supply with the occasional outages - so the modem & router have had several power outs/restarts in the time I've been here.

From your explanation I feel I have a better understanding of how it all works... so I guess I'll think on it for a while - unless you have any other suggestions. Thanks again!
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User profile for user: Gallomimia
Gallomimia
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 14, 2009 10:35 AM in response to stannard

Try this. Get your outgoing mail server name from the mail preferences. It's probably something like smtp.myISP.com or mail.myISP.com or it could be an alias like mine which is simply shawmail no dots or any top level domain.

Open a terminal. type in: *host smtp.myISP.com*
make sure to use that server you just found in mail.

Does that return an IP that is the same as the one in your error message?

Also, try running host with that exact IP from your error message. It should give you a .com or something similar. It should shed some light on the situation.

Message was edited by: Gallomimia
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Blocked IP Address?

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