MX Records

[briteeyez]

Hi

At present I am using a polling program to retrieve my external mail from the webhosts. I would like to move away from that and use MX records for mail retrieval. Could someone guide me on how to configure my exchange 2003 server to retrieve mail using mx records. Do I have to do anything at the ISP, we have already obtained a Static IP. Also is there any method if the ISP goes down to still allow for mail retrieval.

Thanks

 

[Marcs41]

with MX records, you do not 'retrieve' mail, it get pushed to you, using port 25.
You can ask your ISP or domainhost to setup the MX for you,
It has to point to your WAN address where you forward it to your Exchange server.

If your ISP is down, then you don't have an internetconnection, so ...
You can have a second line with a different ISP, but if your ISP goes down that much that you have to worry about it, I would rather change ISP if I were you.

Marc
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[briteeyez]

Just to clarigy then.

My webhosts has a MX record already setup. Do I have to do anything on my internal DNS servers. Do I have to tell the webhosts what is the IP address of my internal Exchange server.

Thanks for responding.

 

[Marcs41]

webhost? a web is not exchange.
do an NSlookup on your domain name:
NSLOOKUP
Set type=MX
yourdomain.com

And see it the MX IP is YOUR WAN IP, nothing else.

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
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[Marcs41]

oh, and your ISP does not have to know any of your INTERNAL addresses, you configure that at your firewall.

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
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[briteeyez]

Hi

I followed your commands for performing the NSLookup. The result was the SMTP servers that my ISP/Webhosts use to collect my mail.

Let me explain - At the moment when an external user sends an email to an internal user. It goes into a pop account and a program called EFS polls in into the internal network and then Exchange routes to the intended user.

I want to move away from that and have the MX record push the information to my internal server.

Please tell me exactly what I have to do to achieve this goal

Thanks again.

 

[briteeyez]

You inidicated I have to ask the IPS to setup the MX record for me. Exactly what IP information is entered there. In the settings of the ISP I see there is information in there for an MX record is not my WAN ip.

 

[Marcs41]

Of course, the MX is pointing to your ISP as that is where mail get delivered now.

So, like I said before :
if YOU want to receive mail DIRECTLY, the MX has to be pointing to YOUR WAN IP, not he ISP!
The ISP can change that, if you request them.
It takes about 4 hours (normally) to get active globally, so from then on, mail will go directly to you.
BEFORE you do that though, check your access with Telnet, or you may be without mail for a while.
Your ISP has to make the MX your WAN IP.

YOU have to make sure your port 25 gets to your Exchange Server.
How you do that depends your setup. 'Normally' the router/firewall needs to redirect any SMTP on port 25 to your mailserver's internal IP.
Your ISP does NOT know your internal IP, and he shouldn't.

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!
How Do You Get Great Answers To my Tek-Tips Questions? [/sub]See faq222-2244