Is it possible to modify a script to ping a user-submitted email address to determine if it exists. I have seen ping scripts out there.

There are the usual ways to validate email addresses including ensuring the length is >5 and that @ and . are present but this far from verifying if an email address exists.

Also, is there a software program that will do the same for a database file of email addresses. I have a list of over 4000 email addresses that I would like to assess but the only option seems to be send a mass email - then wait for bounced email and delete them from the list.

Thanks... Dan

I'm alsow looking for s script like this, so lets hope some helps us!

Fraid mass mailing is the only option and people who tell you otherwise are lying.

Ping is not reliable because:

a. The server may be down at the moment, but the email address could still be good.
b. Same goes with temporary DNS problems.
c. Most of all, the server may be good, but the userid is bad (ie: alex_krohn@whitehouse.gov would pass, but I'm sure it's a bad email address).

The only way to check is to send an email to the address and see if it comes back bounced.

Cheers,

Alex

Alex is very correct, but there might be one possible solution. You could try "finger", however, with many security problems of late, finger often is not allowed to reply on the remote server, or replies with generic information.

Ping's limitation is simply that it is designed to ping servers, not email addresses, and ping is also limited by many servers from responding.

I am pretty sure this problem has come up before though, if I were you, I would check perl.com and the CPAN archives for a possible solution.



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Fred Hirsch
Web Consultant & Programmer