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Until the 1990s, mail servers were commonly intentionally configured as open relays; in fact, this was frequently the installation default setting. [1] The traditional store and forward method of relaying e-mail to its destination required that it was passed from computer to computer (through and beyond the Internet) via modems on telephone lines.
Within the Internet email system, a message transfer agent (MTA), [1] mail transfer agent, [2] or mail relay is software that transfers electronic mail messages from one computer to another using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. [3] In some contexts, the alternative names mail server, mail exchanger, or MX host are used to describe an MTA.
Mail is read either through direct access (shell login) or mailbox protocols like POP and IMAP. Unix-based MTA software largely acts to enhance or replace the respective system's native MTA. Microsoft Windows servers do not natively implement e-mail, thus Windows-based MTAs have to supply all the necessary aspects of e-mail-related functionality.
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When you get a message from a "MAILER-DAEMON" or a "Mail Delivery Subsystem" with a subject similar to "Failed Delivery," this means that an email you sent was undeliverable and has been bounced back to you. These messages are sent automatically and often include the reason for the delivery failure.
A smart host or smarthost is an email server via which third parties can send emails and have them forwarded on to the email recipients' email servers. [1]Smarthosts were originally open mail relays, [1] but most providers now require authentication from the sender, to verify that the sender is authorised [1] – for example, an ISP might run a smarthost for their paying customers only.
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Typically, spammers test a mail server for open relaying by simply sending themselves an email message. If the spammer receives the email message, the mail server obviously allows open relaying. Honeypot operators, however, can use the relay test to thwart spammers.