PHP direct SMTP mail problem (Hotmail)

[Badal]

Hi Members,

I have a problem while delivering mails directly to hotmail's smtp server.

When I use local mail server for sending mails to hotmail users, it works fine and the mail is delivered to Inbox. But when I deliver the mail directly to hotmail servers bypassing the local mail server it goes to hotmail Junk folder. Why hotmail considers it Junk mail? How can I protect the email from being considered junk?

Yahoo does not treat is as junk, but others servers may think it junk as hotmail does. Why it is so?

I am using Manuel Lemos' SMTP class for direct mailing.

Thanks!

[Badal]

Here is debug output:

---

Resolving SMTP server domain "mx1.hotmail.com"...
Connecting to host address "64.4.50.99"...
Connected to SMTP server "mx1.hotmail.com".
S 220 mc1-f21.hotmail.com Sending unsolicited commercial or bulk e-mail to Microsoft's computer network is prohibited. Other restrictions are found at http://privacy.msn.com/Anti-spam/. Violations will result in use of equipment located in California and other states. Wed, 6 Jul 2005 15:27:22 -0700
C EHLO domain.com
S 250-mc1-f21.hotmail.com (3.0.1.19) Hello [xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx]
S 250-SIZE 29696000
S 250-PIPELINING
S 250-8bitmime
S 250-BINARYMIME
S 250-CHUNKING
S 250-AUTH LOGIN
S 250-AUTH=LOGIN
S 250 OK
C MAIL FROM:<[e-mail]>
C RCPT TO:<username@.com>
C DATA
S 250 [e-mail]....Sender OK
S 250 username@.com
S 354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
C From: username <[e-mail]>
To: username@.com
Subject: Testing SMTP class
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 03:43:26 West Asia Standard Time

C Hello username@.com,

It is just to let you know that your SMTP class is working just fine.

Bye.

C
.
S 250 <[e-mail]> Queued mail for delivery
C QUIT
S 221 mc1-f21.hotmail.com Service closing transmission channel
Disconnected.
Message sent to username@.com OK.

---

[dgrinberg]

Do your from and reply to addresses contain a valid domain name??

[edcellgavin]

i'm not really sure but i think the address from which you sent your mail was treated differently by hotm@il, thus considering it as unsolicited, spam, or whatever.
in my case, i always add a note which is something like this...
'Please add [e-mail] address to your Adress Book White List so that it will not be tagged as spam.'
Perhaps it can help if it is applicable in your system.

[Badal]

Originally posted by dgrinberg
Do your from and reply to addresses contain a valid domain name??

yes from address is valid and on the same domain from which i am sending mail. reply-to address is the same.

[Badal]

Originally posted by edcellgavin
i'm not really sure but i think the address from which you sent your mail was treated differently by hotm@il, thus considering it as unsolicited, spam, or whatever.

no, this is not the case, bcos the same email fom the same address is delivered to inbox, rather than junk box, if sent through local smtp server.

Originally posted by edcellgavin
in my case, i always add a note which is something like this...
'Please add [e-mail] address to your Adress Book White List so that it will not be tagged as spam.'
Perhaps it can help if it is applicable in your system. [/B]

it is possible to add a note like this, but this is not a solution, as the user may have an option set for deleting the junk mails immediately or he may not be checking junk mail folder regularly.