Reject email to deleted accounts

[gretchendv]

How do I configure the server to reject email addressed to accounts that no longer exist?

[rob]

This should happen by default, at least to external incoming mail that is. If you want to refuse mail to local users (such as yourself), you should ensure the domain option 'Do Not Try to Relay to Non-existant Users' is enabled.

[gretchendv]

Does the spam or content filter override the default setting? I am using the Bayesian filter to refuse delivery of anything with a score of 70 or higher. I also have a content filter that redirects emails with a score between 45 and 69 to an unused email account which I monitor daily. Many of the emails that are redirected to the account I monitor are addressed to user accounts that have been deleted. I would like for emails addressed to deleted users to be refused before the spam or content filters are executed. Is there a way to accomplish this? thanks for your help!

[rob]

This depends on your settings. Basically in a normal setup where relaying access is only permitted to verified users (either by authentcation or IP, which is controlled by the relaying access settings in the SMTP service), trying to deliver a mail to a non existant user should result in a refusel with the error message "Relaying not permitted." This happens at the SMTP before content filtering can have any effect. However, if the client which is delivering these mails is authenticated (either by your settings allow relaying access to all or by the mails being delivered by authenticated users), then your content filtering rules will indeed pick htese mails up. What I can recommend is ensure your server is setup so users require SMTP authetncation to send mails to external accounts, if this is already setup then one of your users may be abusing your system by trying to deliver SPAM (I would recommend tracing the mails by examinig the headers, obtainig the sending IP, then search for this IP in the SMTP logs).

[gretchendv]

SMTP Authentication was already enabled. Also, "Safe IFs: Always Allowed Relaying" was enabled with a list of safe ip addresses. I enabled IP Range Control and added the same list of IP addresses. This change seems to have solved the problem, however another one arose this morning. I have remote users in the UK who are unable to reply to or forward email. I will get their IP addresses and add them to the safe list, but how can I ensure users who are travelling will have full email functionality? Won't they be restricted once their IP address changes to one that is not on my safe list? Thanks for the help!

[rob]

Because you are you using the IP Range Control feature of SMTP, only those IP's entered can send mail through the system. Although this has solved your previous issue, any IP's not on the list will suffer. I would recommend trying to tackle your original problem, and the easiest way may be for your to send me your smtp.ini to rob@code-crafters.com, and perhaps you could even send me a log trascript from the SMTP log showing a connection not getting refused. I will then check your settings. I should note other potential causes could be a catch-all account on the domain.