How to remove your IP from BlockedServers NetScan

NetScan is a low-impact, IP-based list for hosts caught port-scanning. Here is what a listing means and how to clear it.

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What it is

The list, in plain terms.

BlockedServers NetScan is one of several DNS blocklists published by BlockedServers, a free threat-intelligence service run by Goldfish Data. It sits in the zone netscan.rbl.blockedservers.com, alongside the operator's general spam list (rbl.blockedservers.com), a spam zone and a Tor-exit zone.

The NetScan zone is narrow: it lists IP addresses observed performing network scanning — port probes and reconnaissance against the operator's sensors — rather than IPs that sent spam. A listing says a machine on your IP was scanning networks, which is often a symptom of a compromised host, a misconfigured security scanner, or abusive automation.

NetScan is a small, low-impact list. Few mail receivers consult it directly, and most that do use it only to add a small amount to a spam score rather than to reject outright. It is worth clearing, but a NetScan listing alone rarely explains a hard bounce — check the major blocklists too.

Why you get listed

What a listing on BlockedServers NetScan means.

Port scanning or probing An IP on your network sent connection attempts across ports or hosts that the operator's sensors recorded as scanning. This is the core NetScan trigger.

A compromised or infected host Scanning traffic frequently comes from a machine that has been exploited and is now probing other networks on behalf of an attacker, without the owner's knowledge.

Misconfigured tooling Security scanners, monitoring agents or automation pointed at the wrong targets, or run without authorisation, can look identical to hostile reconnaissance from the outside.

How to get removed

Delisting, in order.

Removal is free. Fix the cause first — a listing you clear without a fix comes straight back.

1 Look your IP up on the operator's site. Check the IP at blockedservers.com — its status page lives at /blocked/ipv4/ followed by your address. This confirms the NetScan listing and is the same page from which you request removal.
2 Find and stop the scanning. Identify what generated the traffic before you ask for removal. Inspect firewall and connection logs for outbound probes, isolate and clean any compromised host, and reconfigure or shut down any scanner that was hitting external targets. Request removal while the behaviour continues and the list re-adds the IP.
3 Request delisting from the IP page. When an IP is listed its lookup page shows a "Request Delisting" link, which opens the operator's self-service removal form at /blocked/ipv4/remove/ followed by your address. Submit the request there. Removal is free.
4 Re-check before you rely on it. DNS answers for this zone carry a short TTL of about 15 minutes, so allow caches to expire, then look the IP up again to confirm the listing has cleared.

The official route

Straight to the source.

Removal happens on BlockedServers NetScan's own tool — never through a paid service.

BlockedServers NetScan removal tool ↗

Return codes

127.0.0.10 IP is listed on the NetScan zone (network scanning detected)

How long it takes

DNS records for the zone use a TTL of roughly 15 minutes, so a cleared listing propagates within about that window once removed. The operator does not publish a guaranteed processing time for delisting requests, and removal only sticks if the scanning has actually stopped — the list re-adds an IP whose behaviour continues.

Common questions

About BlockedServers NetScan, specifically.

Why is my IP on BlockedServers NetScan? Because a host on that IP was seen performing network scanning — port probes or reconnaissance against the operator's sensors. It is not a spam listing. The usual causes are a compromised machine, an unauthorised or misconfigured security scanner, or abusive automation.

Does BlockedServers charge to remove my IP? No. Delisting is free and self-service through the removal form on your IP's page at blockedservers.com. Any third party offering to clear a BlockedServers listing for a fee is a scam.

How do I request removal? Look your IP up at blockedservers.com (/blocked/ipv4/ plus your address). If it is listed, the page shows a "Request Delisting" link that opens the self-service removal form. Stop the scanning first, then submit the request.

How long does delisting take? The operator does not publish a fixed processing time. Once the listing is removed, the short DNS TTL of about 15 minutes means caches clear quickly. If the scanning has not stopped, the IP will simply be listed again.

Is a NetScan listing why my email is bouncing? Probably not on its own. NetScan is a small, low-impact list that few receivers consult, and those that do usually only nudge a spam score. If mail is being rejected outright, check the major blocklists as well — the scanning that got you onto NetScan may point to a compromised host worth investigating regardless.

The bounce behind the listing.

554 5.7.1 message rejected → The permanent bounce a listing most often triggers — what it means and how to clear it. 550 5.7.1 blocked → A rejection on reputation grounds — usually the same listing, seen from the sender side. Blacklist checker → Re-check your domain and every sending IP once the cause is fixed.

Do not fix it blind.

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