Re: [Exim] Redirecting SMTP session to different server base…

Hi James, on Sun, 26 Jan 2003 13:15:48 -0500 you wrote:

> > I want to see if it is possible to redirect an SMTP communication from
> > one MTA to another based on RCPT address.
> I don't know of any MTA that can do what you ask, directly. HOWEVER, I
> don't think it is impossible.
<snip discussion of some theoretical SMTP proxying>

This still wouldn't do what the original poster wants, since the SMTP
connection would appear to the dest server to be from the HQ server,
preventing use of RBL's etc. And besides, if they were going to invest the
time to install some weird SMTP proxy, they could invest the time to
install a better MTA or add RBL checkinge etc.

To the original poster (sorry, I've deleted the original post and lost
your name): to the best of my knowledge, what you want is not possible. It
would require a response within the SMTP protocol itself which would allow
referral to another server (e.g. "789 Redirect to MX blah.foo"). Without
re-reading the relevant RFCs, I'm pretty confident there's nothing even
vaguely like that.

I'm afraid you're going to have to either:

1. Live with the spam, or
2. Get your HQ to install spam filters etc.

Failing that, you'll have to:

3. Explain to your company that staff time wasted through dealing with
spam etc. is significant, and that refusal to allow one of the available
methods that you suggested (subdomain sectioning/better MTA at HQ) to
reduce the amount of spam is costing the company money in terms of lost
resources etc.


Tim