Message Board

Newbie/Basic Questions

Subdomain MXs, do they need to point to an actual site?

Author: M.Mumma (3 Jan 05 7:32pm)

I've donated several MXs but I was wondering if the resulting subdomains need to point to an actual web site?

I can't find anywhere on the FAQ pages where this is discussed.

Currently they just point to my root page which is fairly uninteresting and contains no email addersses.

Let me know...

Re: Subdomain MXs, do they need to point to an actual site?

Author: M.Prince (3 Jan 05 10:09pm)

The subdomains don't need to point at our site. We use the donated MX records to create the addresses that the honey pots themselves hand out. So, for example, if you donate:

xyz.example.com

We use it to create addresses like:

bob.smith@xyz.example.com

We only need email traffic from the donated records to go to us, which is why we only have you add an MX record. You can use the subdomain for any non-email traffic in any way your please.

Some DNS providers require that you create an "A" record for the subdomain before they'll let you create an MX record. That's not technically required under the DNS spec, but if your provider makes you do it then we suggest you just point the "A" record at your own IP address.

Our system will check your new donations at some point in the next 24 hours. If they have been correctly modified you'll receive an email. If there are any problems, we'll notify you about those as well and provide some suggestions on how to fix them.

Thanks for the donations, and welcome to the Project!!

Re: Subdomain MXs, do they need to point to an actual site?

Author: H.Bakhuizen (12 Feb 05 12:18am)

I have sort of a similar question.

I have just registered a domain just for the use of project honeypot. I feel more comfortable, when a public used MX is not related to the domains, which I personally use. I have no other use in mind for this domain, other than this project. So I just wondered, if it is a good idea to setup an A record linking to this site. Or would it be better to point the domain to another site, not related to any anti-spam activities?

Thanks!

Re: Subdomain MXs, do they need to point to an actual site?

Author: M.Prince (12 Feb 05 1:52am)

I doubt it matters where you point the A record. If you want to point it to your own site, that may ever-so-slightly increase your PageRank with Google. If you want to point it to us, or to some other anti-spam site, I'd imagine that's fine too.

People worry a lot about whether spammers will put two and two together and determine that some A record is pointing somewhere that indicates they shouldn't send. I'm a lot less worried about that. You have to think of the scope of a spammer's operation. It's a mile wide and an inch deep.

What I mean by that is that the spammer's business model works on volume rather than accuracy. They won't worry about sending penis enlargement ads to addresses that clearly belong to "Anne"s or breast enlargement ads to addresses that clearly belong to "Pete"s... there's little change they'll take the time to check whether the A record points to an anti-spam site.

If you're worried, point the A record at Google or Yahoo or MSN or something. It doesn't matter to us, but I think the general point is that spammers only succeed if they don't have to worry about the details of who they're sending to. If we can get them to worry, then we've had a significant victory.