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I don’t have much experience dealing with AOL. If someone on a shared IP address at a web hosting service got a bounce like this:

example@aol.com
  host mailin-02.mx.aol.com [64.12.88.163]
  SMTP error from remote mail server after initial connection:
  554 mtaig-mcd04.mx.aol.com ESMTP not accepting connections

They opened a ticket to their web host who wrote back that they (the hosting service) isn’t responsible for the IP address, especially “after use,” which seems like a strange response because it’s a shared IP and obviously has been used a lot and still is being used a lot. Anyway, the hosting provider also said the solution was to get on AOL’s white list, sending a link to apply for it. My understanding was that in situations like this the host owns the IP address and just provisions it to one or more customers, and thus it would be the hosting company that would apply for the whitelist?

The IP address isn’t exactly in great shape. It’s on a few blacklists that don’t seem to be the most important blacklists but nevertheless, they’re evidence the IP address isn’t exactly clean: CASA CBL, OSPAM, and SORBS. Anyway, any thoughts on how to resolve this issue with AOL? Is filling out the whitelist form for this shared IP address the best approach as the hosting service’s tech support suggests?

Thomas
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Neil Anuskiewicz
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    That won't work. The hosting service is supposed to be doing the whitelisting, not their customers. That tech doesn't sound competent, and neither does the hosting service. What the customer should be doing is moving service. – Michael Hampton Mar 03 '18 at 21:55
  • Yes, that’s what I thought. All the advice they’re giving seems explicitly directed at service providers not end users. An article the support rep sent included advice such as shut down spammers who are using your mail server and apply for AOL’s Feedback loop (FBL). All of the advice so far seems wildly inappropriate to the end user of a shared IP address or a dedicated IP address provisioned by a web hosting provide. I suggested that the next step might be to escalate the issue. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 03 '18 at 23:05
  • Wrong. It is your responsibility to get the IP unblocked. This is like saying it’s your ISPs problem if a website blocks your access due to abuse. The hosting provider simply provides a conduit. What people do with that conduit is mostly only subject to the TOS of the service provider, and they certainly aren’t required to enforce anything or try to clean up the mess that other users of the IP address caused. You’re SOL, I’m not even sure how you could be running a full fledged mail service on a shared IP address because it’s not possible, but you’re never getting the IP unblocked. – Appleoddity Mar 04 '18 at 01:53
  • I think you misunderstood the situation. I’m helping a client of mine who has web hosting on a shared IP address who is having trouble with ordinary day to day email. I’m not sure where the full fledged email service idea came from. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 04 '18 at 01:54
  • There is a reason why mail systems block IP addresses like this. Because they are sources of SPAM and no legitimate mail service runs on a shared IP. – Appleoddity Mar 04 '18 at 01:55
  • Then you need to be more specific. Web hosting on a shared IP is not unusual. But running a mail server on a shared IP is not possible. So you must be saying that your client is using a hosted/shared mail service? In that case the hosting provider can and should be controlling spam situations to mitigate blacklisting, but if they don’t there isn’t much you can do because the service will continue to be relisted. Sorry if I misunderstood you. If their service is being abused you probably need to change providers. – Appleoddity Mar 04 '18 at 01:58
  • Sorry I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Again, the IP address is a shared IP address that someone has that came with their web hosting account. Almost all shared web hosting accounts offer the same sort of thing: web and email hosting. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 04 '18 at 01:59
  • I’m afraid you don’t understand my post as what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense in this context. The listings don’t have anything to do with this person’s actions. They’re not sending bulk email at all. I have experienced IP addresses provisioned by hosting services that were listed by RBL’s. It’s a common thing. I was checking on a couple things because there are experts here. I have moved several people to google hosted email when they had trouble with their email hosted by a hosting provider with similar problems and that immediately solved the problem. This client wants to stay. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 04 '18 at 02:09
  • And if you read my post I did not say that the client is running an email server. The only reference to an email server is where I mention the advice the host gave. I come here to help people and occasionally to get help but I respectfully ask that you read someone’s post and understand the problem before trying to offer a solution or your opinion. If you don’t understand then ask for clarification please. It would be re listed if there are current users of the IP address who are abusing the system. It’s their responsibility to make sure there are not. I’ll switch them to google if there are. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 04 '18 at 02:13
  • @Appleoddity I think I was a bit too harsh in my response to you yesterday. I apologize. – Neil Anuskiewicz Mar 04 '18 at 20:29

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Through another source, I found the solution. It turns out that AOL has changed its MX, and the above example was sending via the old mx. The solution was to clear the DNS cache. Here are a couple of AOL blog posts on the changes at AOL:

• http://postmaster-blog.aol.com/2018/01/29/aols-mx-record

• http://postmaster-blog.aol.com/2018/02/08/about-dmarc-reporting-and-fbl

Neil Anuskiewicz
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