Windows Live Hotmail rejecting forwarded emails from ZoneEdit

It’s just come to my attention that emails sent to my wife’s address via our domain hosted on ZoneEdit are now being bounced by Hotmail as suspect spam. I wonder if this is something to do with the new Windows Live Hotmail service.

Of course they’re not spam, and this threw me for a bit.

The bounced emails contain a link to various resources about how to fix the problem.

A quick search of Google on “hotmail zoneedit” hinted that it might be possible to add extra detail to DNS to placate hotmail.

I then found Microsoft’s Sender ID Framework SPF Record Wizard, which builds a SPF record for your domain.

In Step 1, I entered my domain - gardiner.net.au

In Step 2, it confirmed that A and MX records are available but no SPF record was found.

In Step 3, I checked the following options:

• Domain’s inbound servers may send mail(and checked both email servers listed)
• All addresses listed in A records may send mail (and checked both IP addresses)
• Discouraged; mail may legitimately originate from IP addresses not identified above, however, use of such IP addresses is discouraged and may not be permitted in the future.
• Scope: Both

I’m not completely sure that this is correct, but it seems the best choices at first glance. I de-selected the “All addresses listed in A records may send mail” option, as as far as I can tell, the IP addresses in the A records for gardiner.net.au don’t resolve back to the email servers.

Step 4 then generates the SPF record, which you copy to the clipboard.

Back in ZoneEdit, you can add a TXT record to contain the SPF data via the Advanced Records heading.

So now, I sit back and wait and see if Hotmail is any happier.

Speaking at ADNUG - Unit testing with MbUnit

I’ve just been asked by Peter Griffith if I could fill in as speaker this month at the Adelaide Dotnet User Group.

I’d already been in contact with Peter regarding the forthcoming CodeCampSA with some ideas for topics:

• Continuous integration with CruiseControl.NET
• Writing a Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget
• Unit testing with MbUnit

Looks like I’ll be getting the content for the unit testing talk ready ahead of schedule :-)

Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1

An updated version of Windows Mobile Device Center - the ActiveSync equivalent for Windows Vista.

• 32-bit
• 64-bit

According to the overview on the download page, the following updates are included:

• Windows Mobile 6 feature support

• Information Rights Management activation - Automatically configure the Windows Mobile 6 device to open IRM-protected documents and files
• HTML mail – Set up your Windows Mobile 6 device to sync HTML-formatted mail
• Certificate Enrollment - Acquire certificates through the PC the Windows Mobile 6 device is currently connected to
• Allow data connections on the Windows Mobile 6 device when connected to the PC

• File synchronization for smartphones – Synchronize files with your Windows Mobile 6 devices, including both touch screen and non-touch screen devices

• Automatic device authentication - Connect the Windows Mobile device to the PC without the need to enter the device-lock PIN every time upon connect
• Product Registration - Register your Windows Mobile device and get connected to information and offers available for your device