Domain can send email, but blocks incoming email (500 error)

fshagan

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Domain: acumenconsultingcompany.com
Test Email address: [email protected]

I can send email from this domain to my Gmail address. However, Gmail cannot send email TO any email address at this domain. The error message I get is:

The response from the remote server was:

550 authentication required

The DNS has an MX record for the domain, and A record for "mail". SPF and DKIM are set up.

I don't see where I can set if the mail server requires authentication to receive email. Other domains on the same server are not having this issue.
 
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), a collection of established rules for sending and receiving emails, is linked to the email error message. As a result, it's often referred to as the SMTP 550 error code. In rare circumstances, an issue on the recipient's end causes email error 550.
Here are some possible causes for email error 550:

  1. Your email address has been compromised, and the recipient's mail server has blocked it.
  2. The email address of the addressee does not exist.
  3. The email address of the addressee is temporarily unavailable or suspended.
  4. The hosting server for the recipient is temporarily unavailable.
  5. Your domain name is either inactive or has been blocked.
  6. A firewall or filtering feature on your internet gateway may have wrongly recognized your email as spam and banned it.
  7. The recipient's mail server incorrectly flags your email as spam.
  8. Your email client is being used from a different IP address.
  9. Your email address was not recognized by the recipient's mail server.
 
Thanks for the response! It gives me a couple of additional items to check.

It's odd because none of the incoming emails are allowed in, but other domains on the same server are not having the problem. As far as I can tell all the MX records, A records, etc. are in place, and spam filtering is not. I haven't found anything that actually addresses the specific error message I am getting, which is "authentication required". I've never seen that as a bounce message sent back to other email addresses that try to send email.
 
Check the mail quota.
Thanks. It looks good, just 1kb or 1000MB used. Also checked the owner of the mail folders which are the username:mail, which is consistent with the other accounts on the server which are working.
 
I did see that McAfee has the domain website blacklisted, so I'm trying to clear that up. But the email is not blocked by anyone according to mxtoolbox.com
 
One thing to check: is 168.235.104.53 the IP-address that is supposed to receive the mail for this domain?
 
One thing to check: is 168.235.104.53 the IP-address that is supposed to receive the mail for this domain?
I have the A records and MX record set to that (see image). Is there another place I should look (within DirectAdmin or something)?dns-acucoco.png
 
I was asking because I thought that it could be a DNS issue.

Maybe this error is given when you try to send an email to a server which does not recognize the domain and thinks you want it to relay the message, thus requiring authentication. That could also have different causes. I haven't seen this issue yet so just guessing here as well.

On the MX record page (url /user/dns/mx-records ), is this box checked? Not sure if that's it but could be worth checking.

1628244931367.png
 
Seems indeed a DNS issue.
If I do a dig -t MX acumentconsultingcompany.com I don't get any ip reply.

So it seems the MX record is not propagated.
 
Seems indeed a DNS issue.
If I do a dig -t MX acumentconsultingcompany.com I don't get any ip reply.

So it seems the MX record is not propagated.
You got a typo in the domain ?

And the mail is reaching the server (I also tried sending an email). But I think the server somehow doesn't register this domain.

Because OP says this is only the problem for 1 domain and not others, I would advice to check everywhere for something that is different than other domains. Such as that MX check box.
 
I was asking because I thought that it could be a DNS issue.

Maybe this error is given when you try to send an email to a server which does not recognize the domain and thinks you want it to relay the message, thus requiring authentication. That could also have different causes. I haven't seen this issue yet so just guessing here as well.

On the MX record page (url /user/dns/mx-records ), is this box checked? Not sure if that's it but could be worth checking.

View attachment 4597

Thanks so much! That was it. How I missed that I'll never know, as it is checked on all the other domains that are receiving mail normally.

And thanks to all the rest of you for your suggestions. I really appreciate it.
 
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