Skip to content

Tag: blacklist

How to test an IP address against an RBL/DNSBL list

Published by NiteMayr on May 2, 2007

Hey There; this post is a technical post about how to test to see if your IP address is on an RBL list.

  1. Locate an RBL provider or if you know you are on their list determine their zone name:  for example the zone names for SPAMHAUS are sbl.spamhaus.org, xbl.spamhaus.org and pbl.spamhaus.org

  2. Once you have those names, you need your IP address.  For this example we will use a fake address:

    212.122.234.565

    (For those of you not in the know, this IP address can’t exist in the IP v4 numbering system)

  3. Now reverse the IP address!

    565.234.122.212

  4. Now we need a command prompt; from windows XP, 2000 or Vista go to START -> Run and type cmd and enter.  In Linux or another *nix system open a terminal.  On Mac OSX, uh, open the terminal.
  5. At the command prompt type nslookup 565.234.122.212.sbl.spamhaus.org and hit ENTER

    You should see something like this:

    Server:  dnsserver.yourdomain.com
    Address:  xx.xx.xx.xx

    *** dnsserver.yourdomain.com can’t find 565.234.122.212.sbl.spamhaus.org: Non-
    existent domain

  6. If you DON’T See “Non-Existent domain” and instead see something like:

    Non-authoritative answer:
    Name:   565.234.122.212.sbl.spamhaus.org
    Address: 127.0.0.1

    It’s a good bet you are on the RBL (in this case SBL) list.

  7. You can repeat this test for each DNSBL zone (ie nslookup 565.234.122.212.xbl.spamhaus.org)
  8. If all the tests come up as “non-existent domain” you’re clean!