Email Header - Forged Helo & MIME Probs

[kissels]

Wasn't sure where to post this, but I do need help. I run a small home-based business and am having a TON of trouble keeping in touch with my clients because they don't get my emails! I actually lose advertisers and especially potential advertisers because they don't get payment reminders, replies to their requests for advertising info, etc.... This is a HUGE problem. I found out yesterday that the problem has to do w/ my email headers. A client emailed me his SpamAssassin report:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Content analysis details: (3.3 points, 3.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- -------- ---
2.5 FORGED_RCVD_HELO Received: contains a forged HELO
-2.6 BAYES_00 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 0 to 1%
[score: 0.0000]
0.4 HTML_30_40 BODY: Message is 30% to 40% HTML
0.2 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message
2.9 MIME_HTML_ONLY BODY: Message only has text/html MIME parts
-0.1 AWL AWL: From: address is in the auto white- list

The original message was not completely plain text, and may be
unsafe to
open with some email clients; in particular, it may contain a virus,
or confirm that your address can receive spam. If you wish to view
it, it may be safer to save it to a file and open it with an editor.

<mime-attachment.eml>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the full header for that email (I just resent the same email to myself to get the full header):

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return-Path: <kim.kissel@chicagolandwedding.com>
Received: (ConcentricHost mdeliver 3.0 filtering [VuRuA] on [desperate.cnchost.com]);
with ESMTP id C694D16F0BC for <kissels@chicagolandwedding.com>; Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:51:07 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from tonnant.cnchost.com (tonnant.cnchost.com [207.155.248.72])
by desperate.cnchost.com (ConcentricHost(4.0.r14127) MX) with ESMTP id C694D16F0BC.0PEF7NRG5L00
for <kim.kissel@chicagolandwedding.com>;
Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:51:08 -0400 (EDT)
Received: (ConcentricHost relay 1.2);
with ESMTP id 5DA4342D87; Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:51:07 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from D6NBLG11.chicagolandwedding.com (c-24-15-125-11.hsd1.il.comcast.net [24.15.125.11])
(Authenticated sender: kissels@chicagolandwedding.com)
by tonnant.cnchost.com (ConcentricHost(2.70) Relay) with ESMTP id 5DA4342D87
for <kim.kissel@chicagolandwedding.com>; Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:51:07 -0400 (EDT)
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.1.0.9
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:53:14 -0500
To: kim.kissel@chicagolandwedding.com
From: Kim Kissel - Chicagoland Wedding Directory <kim.kissel@chicagolandwedding.com>
Subject: CWD Listing & Payment Confirmation: Multi-Ad Campaign
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Message-Id: <20081004165107.5DA4342D87@tonnant.cnchost.com>
X-Concentric-MX-Info: s=0PEF7NRG5L00:1 ts=0 td=0 dt=0 tro=1 tra=1 trb=0 sro=1 sra=1 ic=0
X-Concentric-DKIM: SigStatus="No signature", PolSusp="No", PolTest="No", Policy="none", Handling="none"
X-AllowList: Yes
X-UIDL: 76674
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obviously, the two problems are the "2.5 FORGED_RCVD_HELO Received: contains a forged HELO" and "2.9 MIME_HTML_ONLY BODY: Message only has text/html MIME parts"

I contacted my website host company about the first item (forged HELO) to see if that's something they can fix on their end (not sure if that was right) but I don't understand the MIME problem and I don't see anything in my email program's (Eudora 7.0) to help me... it apparently has something to do with text/plain versus text/html. When I sent a blank email, it said "text/plain" in the line, but when I had info in the body, it said "text/html" which is supposedly the problem?

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kim

[Katt]

Definitely have the hosting company fix the forged helo problem.

As far as the MIME_HTML_ONLY BODY this is because you're sending a 2part text/html message but only including html (although it seems like the score of 2.9 might be high for that - check some other headers, are they all that high?) Most personal email clients only send html or text but not both at the same time. Get a program designed for mass-emailing and it should include support for 2part text/html. I use GroupMail - they have a free version here Download GroupMail today! but I haven't tried it.

[LuckyCharms]

Are you relaying your email through your hosting account's SMTP server ? The reason I ask is because your DNS is a mess and the reverse lookups aren't resolving correctly which is probably why SpamAssasin is throwing a fit over forged headers.

Maybe you should try relaying your mail through your ISP's SMTP server instead of your hosting account?

[jmedinger]

Alternatively send your email via a dedicated SMTP provider such as AuthSMTP. They provide a faultless and incredibly simple solution to sending email without a problem wherever you are in the world.

[Peopleunit]

Whats my Ip Address, DNS Lookup Tool, Reverse DNS Look up Tools - HostName IPaddress mapping

Here you can perform reverse DNS - your email routing probably has some problems with the servers not authenticating properly (IP number doesn't match the server name).

[Clay Martin]

If you are using Eudora, under Tools-Options-Styled Text there are options to send your mail as styled only, text only, and both. This should effect the mime type.

[barbiepurl]

email headers are really useful but still more clear explanations can be given so that it will be useful.

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by barbiepurl

email headers are really useful but still more clear explanations can be given so that it will be useful.

Elaborate.