BigPond manages the use of port 25 to send emails to prevent spammers sending unsolicited email using our network. We're committed to providing the best mail service possible for our Members, and managing the use of this port will help ensure we can provide the same efficient delivery of your BigPond email that you’ve come to expect, as well as blocking spammers from clogging up mailboxes worldwide.

What’s a port?
When you connect to the internet, your computer sends and receives data through a series of ports. When two computers are interacting over the internet, they need to be listening for and sending information on the same port, otherwise they won’t hear each other. The IANA (Internet Assigned Names Authority) has assigned certain port numbers for internet applications so that your computer automatically knows where to look when you want to use the internet for certain things. E.g. web browsing usually occurs over port 80, email usually occurs over port 25.

Are other ISPs taking similar steps?
A number of Australian, European and US-based ISPs have deployed similar systems to ours. The changes we’re making have already been proven to prevent some types of spam activity, enabling us to send and receive BigPond Member email much more efficiently. While this measure isn’t 100% ‘bullet proof’, it’s an essential step in BigPond’s spam and security strategy.

What does this mean for me?
If you have set up your email application (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) to send email using our BigPond mail server (mail.bigpond.com), you use WebMail, or use a third party web-based email service (e.g. Hotmail), you won’t be affected.

If you have set up your email application to send email using an alternate provider or you run your own mail server, you won’t be able to send email using port 25 unless you are exempted.

Who is exempted?
Only Members with a BigPond Static IP service, including BigPond Satellite, are not affected.

For more information about our Static IP solutions:

• BigPond Static IP for ADSL
• BigPond Business Executive

For a simple dial-up solution, any of the BigPond Business Dial-Up plans will be appropriate:

• BigPond Business

Does BigPond block both inbound and outbound traffic through Port 25?
The blocking occurs on outbound traffic only.

How long has BigPond blocked Port 25?
BigPond introduced the blocking measure in April 2004. Queensland Members may have been exempt intermittently from February 2005 due to network changes, but this was reinstated at the end of June 2005.

I am receiving a Port 25 Error. What does this mean and how can I fix it?
You may receive one of these following errors if you do not have the correct email settings.

Typical Error message from Outlook Express and Outlook 2000:

Typical Error message from Outlook 2002 and 2003:

If you’re receiving one of the above errors, you need to ensure that your software is set up to send mail through the BigPond host mail servers:

Outlook Express

Step 1 of 4: In Outlook Express, click on Tools and Accounts
Step 2 of 4: Select the default mail account setting and click Properties

Step 3 of 4: Make sure the Outgoing mail (SMTP) setting is mail.bigpond.com

Step 4 of 4: Click on OK to save the settings if you’ve changed them, otherwise click Cancel to go back to Outlook Express

Outlook 2000

Step 1 of 4: In Outlook 2000, click on Tools and then Accounts
Step 2 of 4: Select your default mail account and click Properties

Step 3 of 4: Check and make sure the Outgoing mail (SMTP) setting is mail.bigpond.com
Step 4 of 4: Click OK to save the settings if you’ve them, otherwise click Cancel to go back to Outlook 2000

Outlook 2002 and 2003

Step 1 of 5: In Outlook 2002 or 2003, click on Tools and Email Accounts
Step 2 of 5: Select View or change existing e-mail accounts and click on Next

Step 3 of 4: Select the default mail account and click Change

Step 4 of 5: Check and make sure the Outgoing mail server (SMTP) setting is mail.bigpond.com

Step 5 of 5: Click on OK to save the settings if you’ve updated them, otherwise click Cancel to go back to Outlook

A Static IP solution is unsuitable, can I Smart Host instead?
For those customers that do not want to take up a Static IP service, but still want to run their own mail server, you are required to set up your mail servers to use BigPond as a Smart Host. Smart Hosting means email will be sent to the BigPond server as if it was sent from a mail application, and then forward the mail to the appropriate mail server on the internet.

To set up Smart Host, please visit How do I set up Smart Host?