What does the error message “550 Your server has been banned from this server” mean?

Answer

This message may be displayed at two different times:

1. When you press the “SEND” button in your mail client (e.g. Outlook, Eudora, etc.)
2. As a failure message returned to you by the mail server.

The error code is generated by the mail server to indicate that your message can-not be sent to or delivered via this server.

The SMTP 550 error code is defined by RFC821 and states “550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable (e.g., mailbox not found, no access, or command rejected for policy reasons)”.

The above message indicates that the administrator of this server has decided to ban you from using the server. There are many reasons why administrator’s ban people from using their servers, including:

• Your organisation is listed on a Black List somewhere on the internet
• Someone else at your organisation/email address has sent abusive or copious quantities of email.
• They have had a bad day.

You will need to contact the administrator of he mail server to discover why he has taken this action. You may be able to email the “postmaster” or “abuse” email addresses for help. However, you may need to telephone the administrator directly.

Keywords:SMTP, Error, Error Codes, 550,banned