[vox-tech] Anyone running a mail server on a dynamic IP?

[ketralnis at softhome.net]

I run a non-production server from my home DSL that I use as my primary 
outgoing mail server while at home. Somewhere between five and ten percent 
of servers reject my mail on the basis of being a dynamic IP address (for 
example, LUGOD's mailing lists...), so I have to open up a web-based client 
to use a free mail service, which is a pain in the butt :) And it's not like 
they advertise it, I don't know until my mail gets bounced back to me, which 
means that if I need an email somewhere in five minutes I don't know if it's 
going to get there or not if it's an unknown server. AOL, softhome, almost 
any governmental agency, to name a few, block my mail. My school used to, 
but I complained to them and they fixed it. They now use a server-side 
beyesian-type system for filtering (an ad-hoc perl version of an 
underpowered bogofilter).
    Despite this, I admit that if I myself were not on a dynamic IP, I would 
block servers that were in an attempt to stop spam. I've set up clients with 
their web sites on dynamic IPs using services like DynDNS.org's Custom DNS 
service or easydns.net's similar service. Small businesses with DSL that 
can't afford or don't want hosting services are usually targets for this. 
And they have to use a free service such as Y! mail or softhome whenever 
they get blocked by a mail server. For more political reasons, I think that 
blocking the "poor" mail servers would be akin to tax breaks for the rich 
and stealing from the poor. But again; to be honest, I'd do it too. 

 -- 

Seems like most of the spam that I (and thus LUGOD) are not
successfully filtering out these days is from dynamic IPs -
dialup, cable modem, and dynamic DSL. 

So I'm wondering if it's reasonable to refuse mail from
servers that connect directly from a dynamic IP.  Is anyone
here running such a server?  And if you are, are you finding
that many sites are refusing your mail? 

Please reply off-list unless you think that what you have to
say is of general interest.  Also if you're not sure if your
IP is considered dynamic, you can check it at
"http://www.dnsbl.us.sorbs.net/cgi-bin/lookup?IP=". 

Thanks, 

 -- Rod