OT: How do you block servers sending oversize messages?

[Jim Holland]

On Thu, 19 Oct 2006, Scott Silva wrote:

> > Jim Holland wrote:

> >> This is a sendmail problem, but hope it's OK to ask here.
> >>
> >> MANGO has only a 64k connection to the Internet.  We have a major
> >> problem with ISPs (mainly Yahoo and Gmail) that don't implement the
> >> SMTP SIZE extension.  So when they send us a 10 MB message, for
> >> example, we can't reject the message until they have sent us the whole
> >> message.  That is a total and serious waste of bandwidth, particularly
> >> when some idiot sends us half a dozen 10 MB bmp files for example.

. . .

> > Ken A spake the following on 10/19/2006 8:54 AM:
> > Why don't you put a box at some well fed colo somewhere else and filter
> > incoming mail at that point? Given that 80% is spam anyway, you'd
> > probably save quite a bit of bandwidth on your 64k frame. As long as you
> > control the DNS you could switch back to your local box if you needed to.
> > Ken A.
> > Pacific.Net
> >
> If your bandwidth is real expensive, the reduction might even pay for this
> colocated server,or even save some money. But if you can't find one in
> Zimbabwe to your liking or budget, how difficult is it for you to get
> something out of the country?

This option is in fact exactly what we are looking at now, so that will
solve the problem at some time in the near future.  However I still find
the issue very annoying in principle and just wished there was some
solution I could adopt even when we get a colocated server.  I don't
understand why these big guys don't have more consideration.  They would
also save their own bandwidth, and anyone can see how poor Yahoo's
bandwidth is at times.

Regards

Jim Holland
System Administrator
MANGO - Zimbabwe's non-profit e-mail service