Adding new domain 1

[suedaisy]

Hi, I have hunted for an answer on this, and I've tried everything, but to no avail.
We have Win2k with Exchange2k. 1 have 1domain.com and now 2domain.com.
I have a DNS entry for the new domain, and I set up a receipents policy in Exchange server. The email works in house, but it doesn't receive external email. The DNS entry mail server points to 1domain.com instead of 2domain.com.. I didn't know if I should make a mail.2domain.com, and I'm not sure even how to set that up. Some current users of 1domain.com will receive 2domain.com, but I need it kind of seperate so they know which domain the email was sent to (makes sense?)
What am I doing wrong? Thanks so much, Suzanne

 

[Shift838]

I have setup what you are tring to do. I had to create an additional SMTP connector for the new domain in Exchange. You also have to create an MX record for everyone that is trying to send you mail to your new domain for the new domain that can be accessed Externally. This should resolve your problem.

Mine is setup as follows:

I have two domains say domain1 and domain2
I have setup both MX records through my External registar to point to the same Public IP address of the server.
I have setup two SMTP connectors, 1 for each domain for processing and named them accordingly.

 

[suedaisy]

You also have to create an MX record for everyone that is trying to send you mail to your new domain for the new domain that can be accessed Externally
--- everyone?? you mean if i want to send email to the new domain from my hotmail account i have to set up an MX record for that?

my External registar to point to the same Public IP address of the server
---- public IP address of the exchange server?

 

[suedaisy]

OK.. I gave the MX record of 2domain.com the public IP of the exchange server, and suddenly there's a mail folder in the DNS zone.
I also set up the SMTP connector using the 2domain.com should I use the smart host or the DNS?
Thanks so much for your help!

 

[suedaisy]

I'm bumping this up.

I set up the SMTP connector.. and using DNS (for 2domain.com). I can receive email within our network, but I cannot recieve external email. Also I need to send email from 2domain.com and 1domain.com seperately.
I have the mail icon in the DNS zone record when I created the MX record.
I'm not sure what to do next. Thanks.

 

[PHead2]

Who provides the DNS records for users on the internet? You need to have MX records on public DNS servers (ie available to anyone on the net) in addition to your AD DNS on your LAN (maybe your internal DNS servers serve the internet but that is usually not the case). It sounds to me like this is your issue. If you want to provide your actual domain names I can check this.

You really shouldn't need an SMTP connector unless you have other mail servers.

Whichever address is primary for a given user is the one mail will show as sent from. There is not a simple way for users to switch back and forth in the same account. I would use two accounts and perhaps have all mail to one be forwarded to the other.

 

[suedaisy]

You know.. I thought I knew the system, and then you talked about DNS and *poof* now I'm lost.
We host our own DNS here.. that much I am positive about.. all the users DNS point to the DC which has an internal IP.
I could set up two accounts like you suggested, but I'm still having the issue of not being able to receive external email to the new domain.
I send email to it from my hotmail account and I get an NDR.

 

[Marcs41]

First of all, are the 2 MX records setup AND pointing to the same server (your Exchange server)?
That is your public address. If forwarded by a router or firewall, fine, as long as port 25 gets to your Exchange server.
If not, do so.

Second, did you add the second domain to the default recipient policies?

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]

 

[suedaisy]

Funny thing is.. i can't see the 1domain.com's MX record. We have win2k and our network is setup as a .com.. there is no MX record in that domain as far as I can see. Is that odd? I see the DNS zone for the domain and a DNS zone for the website (all the same domain name except one is a www)
the 2domain.com is pointed to my exchange server, yes.
I have relay turned off.. but that shouldnt cause a problem unless its sending mail, right?

and yes, I added the second domain to the default recipient policies.

 

[Marcs41]

forget your DNS for a moment, that has nothing to do with receiving mail.
If your DNS was not working, domain1 would have a problem too.

If you do not have an MX record with your ISP, there is no way you are going to get your mail.

Try to telnet to your domain1 and then to the domain2 to see where the problem is.
Do this from an external place of course.
You do it by NAME ans IP, IP will probably work, but if the NAME for domain2 does not work, your MX is not know on the net.

Check that with nslookup.

For Telnet follow this:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q153119

For NSlookup:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q203204

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]

 

[PHead2]

I think this has everything to do with DNS, you can't receive mail from the internet if the servers trying to send you mail cannot locate a valid MX record for your domain and MX records are an inherent part of DNS.


Depending on what sort of systems you are running MX records on your internal DNS servers are more or less unimportant and I think you are spending too much time worrying about them.

Here's what you need to do from a computer that is NOT on your LAN but is on the internet. This will work from both a windows command prompt (2k and up) or a unix shell.

nslookup
set type=mx
your domain name

If you get a 'nonexistant domain/host' message there is no way you will get email from the internet.

There needs to be at least one line which looks like: (using yahoo.com as example and there will be lines returned which you don't need to worry about (yet))

yahoo.com preference =5, mail exchanger = mx4.mail.yahoo.com

and one line like:

mx4.mail.yahoo.com internet address = 216.136.129.5

The preference in the first line doesn't matter (unless there is more than one line with a preference). What matters is that whatever host names comes after 'mail exchanger =' appears on that other line along with 'internet address ='. The internet address should be the correct public ip address for your exchange server (or firewall if you firewall forwards SMTP requests to your server - there are many possbile setups).

If these records do not exist there will be no mail from the internet.

 

[suedaisy]

I did NSLookup and it said cannot find 2domain.com: server failed. The website works.. and i did create the mx record for it. I'm not sure what I did wrong though..

 

[PHead2]

You still haven't said how DNS is handled for your domains for users on the internet. I am sure you have DNS servers on your LAN since you are using AD and all but there must also be public DNS servers for your domain and generally people do not make their AD integrated DNS servers available on the internet.

Do you run your own publicly available DNS servers or does your ISP (or someone else) provide this service for you.

Again, if you are willing to provide the domain names I can check all of this for you.

 

[suedaisy]

I have 2 DNS numbers that were given to me by our ISP. So I'm sure our set up is what you just mentioned..
I didn't set up any of this (as if you couldnt tell) so I'm a bit in the dark..

 

[PHead2]

Ok, you need to have your ISP setup MX and host records for the mail server for your new domain name. You also need specify the ip addresses of your ISPs DNS servers with the registrar you registered your new domain with if you haven't already. It can take a few days for the registrar to make this change. In the meantime get your ISP to setup the new DNS zones on their servers. You can check what records your ISPs DNS server are hosting for a particular domain by using the dig command on a unix box.

 

[Marcs41]

Ok, take this step by step or you are not going to get anywhere.
You said the MX record for domain2 is not found.
Fix that first!
Talk to your ISP or whoever you need to. You cannot depend on your own for MX record creation, the 'world' has to know about it.
There is no point in going on trying as long as that is not ok.
Don't forget that a new MX record is NOT active immediately global wise!




DNS.
You can perfectly well receive email without ANY DNS service working.
If anyone want to reach you, they need to find your MX through DNS, yes, but it would be THEIR DNS that has to find it, not yours.
YOU will only need it to reply, surf or other name resolution actions.
So, please, forget about that for the moment.
POINT again, if your DNS were not working, your previous domain1 would not have worked either, it is the same server, so your DNS is probably ok anyway.

Please focus on the problem at hand and go step by step.

 

[suedaisy]

Well I feel like a dork. It totally passed me to actually call up the ISP. I'm doing that now..
I got the registrar IP squared away.. so thats done, but I have to call up the ISP about the host and mx record for the new domain
Thanks so much for all your help. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Marcs41]

Good, and good luck!

 

[PHead2]

I guess it's all a question of what you consider to be your DNS. True you don't have to have a DNS server running yourself but there has to be a DNS server running for your domain the world knows about and wether or not you are physically responsible for it or not it is still your responsible to make sure the necessary records exist.

I don't see how you can say you don't need a DNS service running to get mail. An MX record is a type of DNS record. You don't have to have the server but someone (the ISP) does. Granted it is a users DNS server that finds the records but how do you think their DNS gets those records?

 

[Marcs41]

Again, NO.
The world does have to know about you, but like you put it the world would stop knowing you if you switch of your server. That is WRONG! Your ISP or any other DNS server handles that, NOT you alone.
An MX record is handled on the net, and should NEVER be handle just by you!

To put in with an expamle:
If you were to pull out YOUR link to the internet, you are saying I would not be able to send you an email?
You know that is not the case! Why? Because when I send, I will not ask YOUR DNS, I will ask MY DNS (or my ISP) where you are (your MX).
Whether you are down or not does not matter. Obviously you will not get the mail, but I will be able to send it, regardless of your DNS working or not.

Back on topic, as you noticed, the most important step was not OK, the MX record is not active and suedaisy is checking with the ISP.
Without that step, you can have all the DNS you want, but you will never get email.

So, let's wait with what info suedaisy comes back.