Help me set up my MX records please

[SelbyGlenn]

Hi there,

I'm trying to setup an exchange server for a new domain. At present I can send emails from the new domain but I cannot receive them. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the MX or Host record for the domain.

This is the current setup:

New domain is called xyz.com and is hosted be Tevilo.com I have a public IP address that is supplied by NTL. I have created a Connector in Exchange for xyz.com and have created some users with addresses j.smith@xyz.com etc. I can successfully send emails from these accounts but I can’t receive any.

If I do a ping –a on the IP address, it is resolved to hostxxx-xxx-xxx-xxx.not-set-yet.ntli.net (xxx = IP). I have logged on to the Tevilo website and amended my MX record for xyz.com to hostxxx-xxx-xxx-xxx.not-set-yet.ntli.net. I have also added a host record mail.xyz.com that points to my IP address. (is this right?)

I think the problem may lie with the DNS lookup for the IP address. If I ping hostxxx-xxx-xxx-xxx.not-set-yet.ntli.net it can’t be resolved.

To be honest I’m getting a bit confused here. Do I need to get NTL to amend their host record for my IP address? Should their host record read mail.xyz.com? I’m trying to work out in my head how the two different parties (Tevilo and NTL) come together without conflicting with each other. Who hosts what records???

Any help on this would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks,


Glenn
BEng MCSE CCA

 

[RichardHuang]

Use nslookup to verify your MX record
>nslookup
>set type=mx
>xyz.com
....
What do you see here?

Usually you setup two records for your email. First, the mx record, for example, abc.com point to mail.abc.com server. Second, the A record for the mail.abc.com server. Then other servers can successfully resolve your abc.com to an IP address...

 

[zoeythecat]

Don't forget to create the MX record on your Internal DNS server as well.

 

[58sniper]

Why would you need MX records on the internal DNS? That's typically not needed.

SelbyGlen - have your ISP change the reverse DNS entry from hostxxx-xxx-xxx-xxx.not-set-yet.ntli.net to mail.domain.com

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[zoeythecat]

Pat,

Your right. Thanks for the correction. For some reason I thought internal/external was required. Thanks for the correction and sorry for the bad post.

Zoey

 

[Cstorms]

Is there an RFC out there that requires "mail." be the prefix to your mx record or some form of basic Exchange rule that will systematically block all mx records that do not have this naming convention? Other then the proper domain name can the mx record be pretty much anything and you would be ok for sending?

Cory

 

[58sniper]

The naming convention can be whatever you want it to be. It could be butthead.domain.com if you want it that way.

But, make sure that your reverse DNS entry matches to avoid other problems.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[sillyVM]

you have got to kidding me.

restarted smtp and everything went. I researched full 4 hrs for this and testing so many connections involving other system admin at other domain. typical windows. great thanks. @_@