Outgoing SMTP (port 25) blocked ?

Both NTL dns servers are [currently at least] returning the correct mx records for hotmail.com

[DVS]

Originally Posted by Dooby

even a standard mail program sends email by connecting out on the SMTP port, blocking port 25 would result in noone being able to send email (unless they used a webmail client or something )

NTL could block incoming port 25 to customers and no one, apart from people like myself running their own mail server, would know or care.

Also blocking outgoing port 25 is feasible providing that they undertook some form of packet filtering to allow port 25 traffic to their own mail servers but no where else.

I don't think the NTL network is so advanced as to allow this sort of filtering but if it is then theoretically they could do it without affecting 99% of their customers.

[quadplay]

Any router could potentially block as you suggest, and I'm sure that ntl could do it if they wanted, but they are not. As has been suggested elsewhere, how about a verbatim copy of the error message so we can find out where the problem actually lies?

[DVS]

Sorry Jimbo I wasn't insinuating that NTL was blocking port 25 I was simply trying to correct Dooby's assumption that you couldn't block port 25 and still allow email to flow.

[Stuartbe]

DVS

There are some people that do run there own mail servers. The problem is caused by newbees that set up nice open relays. I agree they need to be stopped !!! but not at the expense of users that are responible and use there mail servers correctly. Most people only run mail servers of there own cos there sick of NTL'S crappy mail servers.

[ntluser]

Might be worth checking your firewall to see if your e-mail is being blocked.

If you have something like SpamPal or Mailwasher it's possible that your firewall is mistakenly blocking that, hence no e-mail.