New Exchange 2000 Server Testing

[Marc156]

I have a new Exchange server set up. I am waiting for DNS to propagate from another ISP to me. I have used Telnet to the IP and Port 25 and it is working fine. This is a mission critical service that has to work.

My questions are as follows.

1. Besides Telnet what else can I do to ensure mail will work when DNS propagates?

2. Any useful tips for a new Microsoft Mail ADMIN?

Thanks for the help

 

[Marc156]

telnet <computer> 25
If the connection is successful, we should see a banner and a command line interface. We then need to follow RFC 821 for the accepted SMTP commands, which are quite simple (as the name says...)
220 srv1.dpetri.net Microsoft ESMTP MAIL Service, Version: 5.0.2195.5329 ready at Sun, 15
Sep 2002 23:51:06 +0200
helo srv1.dpetri.net
250 srv1.dpetri.net Hello [192.168.0.100]
mail from: admin@petri.co.il
250 2.1.0 admin@petri.co.il....Sender OK
rcpt to: danielp@dpetri.net
250 2.1.5 danielp@dpetri.net
data
354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
subject: this is a test
Hi Daniel
I'm trying to test this connection from Telnet.
Let me know if you get this message.

.
250 2.6.0 <SRV1zNQZO0KheDSZeTd00000002@srv1.dpetri.net> Queued mail for delivery
quit
221 2.0.0 srv1.dpetri.net Service closing transmission channel

 

[Marcs41]

If you mean by 'waiting for DNS to propagate from another ISP' that you are waiting for the MX records to be in place, that should be ok by now, it takes a max of 24 hours. If the solution is out there, let us know it was helpful, so others can benefit from it as well..