Email errors are difficult to deal with, particularly if there is no specific information about the error.

One such error is “554 permanent problems with the remote server“.

At Bobcares, we help customers resolve email errors as part of our Server Support Services for web hosts.

Today, we’ll discuss the top 4 reasons for this error and how we fix them.

554 SMTP error – General definition

In the email bounce back message, website owners often see a vague error code like 554.

What’s does this 554 error code mean? A confusing query, always.

554 error code means that the receiving server sees something in the From or To Headers of the message, that it doesn’t like.

This can be caused by a spam filter identifying your machine as a relay, or as a machine not trusted to send emails from your domain.

Error ‘554 permanent problems with the remote server’ – Causes and Fixes

Now, we have a general idea of 554 SMTP errors.

Let’s now move on to the main reasons for the error “554 permanent problems with the remote server” and how our Server Support Engineers fix them.

1) Sender IP blacklisted

One of the main reasons for this error is the poor reputation of the sender’s IP address.

The IP address of the sender can usually be blacklisted because of continuous spam instances, open relays, etc.

Consequently, the mail server IP will be blacklisted by major spam monitoring systems like SpamHaus, DNSSBL, SORBS, etc.

Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail monitor the reputation of the IPs before accepting the connection, and if any problems are noted, they will reject the emails.

How we fix?

Firstly, our Server Support Engineers check and ensure that the IP address of the sender doesn’t appear in any of the RBLs. Online tools like https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx comes handy here.

And if the IP is blacklisted, we identify the source of the spam, fix it, take preventive measures and finally submit delist request to the RBLs.

At Bobcares, we always take necessary steps to secure the server and to prevent outgoing spam. Some of the main things we do are setting outgoing limits, disable pop before smtp, etc.

2) Sender flagged as Spam

The recipient server sometimes uses custom blacklists or filters that use strict rules for monitoring the incoming messages.

So, the emails that violate these rules will be blocked at the recipient end.

For example, if the message body contains spam words or sender trying to send to more addresses allowed at one time, the recipient filter will considers it as suspicious and blocks the connection.

Similarly, major email providers such as Yahoo have a number of best practices to send bulk emails, email sending limits, etc. If any of these rules are breached, the message is blocked.

And, users see errors like 554 permanent problems with the remote server.

How we fix?

Our Server Support Engineers first analyze the nature of the message sent. If we note unsupported file format, spam contents, etc. in the message, we suggest the customer to remove it and send again.

And, if it’s a valid message, then the sender domain must be whitelisted at the recipient end to allow mail flow.

3) Bad DNS records

Likewise, recipient server can reject emails because of the bad DNS records of the sender domain.

The recipient server usually checks the DNS records such as  RDNS(PTR), SPF, DKIM, etc. to verify the sender, and emails will be rejected if any discrepancies are noted in these records.

Result is users see errors like 554 permanent problems with the remote server.

Now, let’s take a look at these 4 records in detail.

a) RDNS(PTR) record

Reverse DNS or PTR records translates sending IP address into it’s domain name.

This ensures that the IP address is linked to a real domain name.

In addition to that, it confirms that emails don’t come from dial up connections or dynamic IPs that are common methods used by spammers.

Many email providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, etc. block emails from servers with a bad RDNS record or no RDNS records.

b) SPF record

Many email providers use SPF(Sender Policy Framework) record to prevent spammers from sending unauthorized emails from their domain.

In other words, SPF record contains server IP addresses that can send emails on behalf of the domain. And, if the email doesn’t originate from any of these IPs, it will reject that email. In this way, it fight against email spoofing.

However, we’ve seen cases where the mail server IP has changed and this new IP address hasn’t been added to the SPF record.

As a result, the recipient sees the mails originate from a server that is not added in the SPF record and hence rejects the email.

c) DKIM record

Similarly, DKIM(Domain Keys Identified Mail) records sign your emails in a way that allows the recipient server to check whether the sender is valid or not.

If there are no DKIM records, some mail servers reject the emails considering the sender as fake.

d) DMARC record

Like SPF and DKIM, DMARC(Domain Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance) records also help the recipient server to verify the authenticity of the sender by validating that an email originates from the specified source.

Sometimes, a missing DMARC record can lead to email rejections.

How we fix?

Firstly, our Support Engineers cross check the DNS records such as PTR, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, etc. of the sender domain.

And, if any mismatch is found, we’ll immediately correct it by making the required changes in the records.

At Bobcares, we always make sure to configure critical email records like PTR, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, etc. to ensure reliable email deliveries.

4) Recipient errors

Another reason for the error is the problems at the recipient mail server.

This can be caused by incorrect MX record of the recipient domain, disabled/suspended domain, and more.

How we fix?

Our Support Engineers check the recipient domain and it’s MX records with the below command.

dig domain.com MX

Further, we check the connection to the recipient mail server with the following command.

telnet domain.com 25

If we notice missing MX entries or connectivity problems, this must be corrected at the recipient end.

Conclusion

In short, ‘554 permanent problems with the remote server’ can happen due to bad DNS records, poor IP reputation and more. Today, we’ve discussed the top 4 reasons for this error and how our Server Support Engineers fix them.