Problems sending emails to certain addresses using PHP

[Yari]

Hi,

I have a very frustrating and interesting problem with PHP on my WestHost server, using PHP version 4.0.6 (old I know, we are working on upgrading it!)

The problem is sending mail using PHP... mostly its ok, but there are several email addresses that it refuses to send to, or more accurately, it sends, but nothing ever get there, and no bounced emails.

The addresses it won't get to are any email at avantdigital.com (on a different server) or ultimate-nutrition.co.uk (on the same server)...

I tested the same mail sending script on 3 different hosts, two of them work to the above mentioned emails, but not from our WestHost.

Any ideas? I have been hitting my head against a wall for nearly 4 weeks on this!

Yari

[bradgrafelman]

Have you tried contacting your host and giving him the specific email addresses that don't work?

Perhaps certain domains or domain patterns are blocked by your host, in which case you would want to discuss this issue with them, not us.

It seems highly unlikely that PHP would deny certain addresses, while allowing others. I would almost guarenteethat your problem lies at the server-level.

EDIT: Also, do you have shell access (via telnet, SSH, etc.) ? You might try running pine (or mail, or whatever software your host uses to send mail from the box) and sending a message to those addresses yourself.

[Yari]

I have gone down that road, my host keeps saying everything is fine.

Their response:

<i>I checked your email issue, created a test account [e-mail] and I tried sending mails to accounts at yahoo, hotmail etc.. and they were received fine. The mails were received fine at the account avantdigital.com without any issues. If the issue is with mails not sent to only the accounts at ultimate-Nutrition.co.uk, then the problem should be at the other end with pop service as we are able to send and receive mails from all the other accounts. The problem should be at the receiving end, also make sure that an account [e-mail] exists.</i>

The problem is that it doesn't occur when sending from a mail client on a PC or OS X, just from PHP... could it be possible that the emails are being filtered out before they get to my mailbox? If so, how could I test if the emails is being routed, and through who?

I know this is a bit off topic, but I am going crazy as no-one seems to know anything about this issue!

Thank you,

yari

[bradgrafelman]

Perhaps the host has a spam filter? Maybe the filter is finding that your PHP generated e-mails lack certain headers or is not setup in a format that is unlike a spammer's email, and your message is instantly flagged as spam?

Do you have a spam folder on the server or anything of the like? Such as Yahoo's Bulk Mail folder?

[Yari]

Hmm, my host say's there are no Spam Filters of any kind on our server, but I can't help wonder...

Is there any other possibility, such as the mail being filtered by our ISP, or someone who relays the email along?

I.e. does the email pass through other servers to get to avantdigital.com or ultimate-nutrition.co.uk, or does it go direct?

Thanks.

yari

[bradgrafelman]

Well... the actual data hops through different servers to reach the destination server (you don't have a direct line to the host server), but actual mail routing? Um... I think that's done at the destination server's end. I'm not too sure though.

I really am no expert in email stuff... I'm a bit lost as to why your script is failing on certain addresses! Sorry!