Open Mail Relay Restriction Information
Introduction
CSUS restricts Open Mail Relay services. Open Mail Relay allows e-mail servers to accept and route mail from and to users and networks not associated with the server's domain. In other words, if CSUS had Open Mail Relay services active, the e-mail servers would accept messages from non-CSUS entities and route them to non-CSUS addresses. There is convenience attached to this and until April 30th of 2000, CSUS did not restrict Open Mail Relay services. However, we found that our e-mail servers were used by non-CSUS entities to distribute thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages (spam) to numerous sites on the Internet. Because of this, many organizations stopped accepting all e-mail from CSUS e-mail servers, including all legitimate e-mail. This was an unacceptable limit to our communication outside of the university. Thus, it was decided by a group of campus-wide program center administrators, faculty, and staff representatives that CSUS e-mail servers restrict Open Mail Relay services and only accept outgoing mail originating from or incoming mail addressed to CSUS resources. If you are attached to the CSUS network or dialing in through SacLink services, the Open Mail Relay restriction does not affect your ability to send e-mail through CSUS e-mail servers. However, if you are connected to the Internet via a non-CSUS network or Internet Service Provider, you cannot send e-mail through CSUS e-mail servers. It is important to note that this does not affect your ability to receive e-mail. You can receive CSUS POP enabled mail even while logged in through a non-CSUS service. But, you must send through the e-mail server of the service through which you are connected. Information on how to configure your e-mail client to accomplish this is included in the Where to make the change section.
Does it affect you?
If you do not use campus e-mail from off-campus and your on-campus FROM address ends in csus.edu, you will not be affected. Also, Web-based services such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Excite, etc. will not be affected. However, you will be affected if you have a POP/IMAP client configured with a CSUS e-mail server to route outbound mail and:
the workstation you are using is not currently part of the CSUS domain.
the FROM address you are using does not end in csus.edu.
Your current domain is determined by how you connect to the Internet. For example, a user connecting to the Internet via the CSUS Dial-in services would have a current domain of csus.edu. If that same user, at a later time, connects to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP), for example Pacific Bell, their current domain would then be pacbell.net. Users must configure their POP/IMAP clients to route outbound e-mail through an e-mail server and use a FROM address associated with their current domain. Non-CSUS domain users (users connecting through third party ISPs) should verify that they are not routing outbound e-mail through a server with an address ending in csus.edu. CSUS domain users (both on-campus and connecting through CSUS Dial-in services) should verify that their FROM address ends in csus.edu.
What to Change
If the IP Address Check stated that you connected to campus via a third-party ISP, you must set your outgoing mail host (or SMTP host) to your ISP's e-mail host (e.g. mail.pacbell.net) and your FROM address to your ISP e-mail address (e.g. jsmith@pacbell.net).
If the IP Address Check stated that you can route outbound messages through CSUS e-mail servers but you are using a FROM address that does not end in csus.edu, you must set your FROM address to your CSUS e-mail address (e.g. jsmith@saclink.csus.edu).
If you want e-mail replies sent to an address other than your FROM address, you can set a REPLY address. This will cause e-mail responses to be sent to the REPLY address rather than the FROM address. See the Reply-to Address box on the image below as an example.
While we cannot provide all possible local ISP e-mail hosts, we have developed a list of the more common ISPs in the Sacramento area. If your ISP is not listed, contact their technical support for assistance. If you obtained your ISP e-mail host name from a source other than our list, please e-mail the information to the Help Desk, saclink@csus.edu, so that your ISP can be added to our list.
Once you determine the changes required, edit your e-mail client preferences using the information below.
Where to make the change
Below is a list of common e-mail clients. For a detailed description of how to make any needed changes please click on your e-mail client name.
Troubleshooting
If you are experiencing problems please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
If you have followed the above instructions and gone through the FAQs and are still experiencing problems, please contact the Help Desk at (916) 278-7337 option 1, or send an e-mail message to saclink@csus.edu.
Last Updated: February 17, 2006