Setting up mail server

[newmanyoung]

Hi all,

I trying to setup a mail server. Currently I have Windows 2000 server running exchange 2000. I have AD and smtp running. I also have a linksys router to my dsl line. What is need to send and receive email to my domain? I have a static ip and a domain name configured. I cannot receive or send messages. Any ideas and steps? Thanks

Newman

 

[Antoniof]

You need to setup the MX record on your DNS

 

[newmanyoung]

How's that done? Thanks

 

[nahuahc]

I believe You would need to check with your service provider, if your domain name say: foobar.com has only an "A" record or also an "MX" record. Your service provider would need to add it for you so that the other SMTP machines know where to route emails to your domain.

 

[newmanyoung]

I have already configured my dns service to use a mx record of my exchange server in the format of mail.domain.com., I also have an A record that points to my static ip.

 

[brontosaurus]

what errors are you getting when you try to send? can you do an nslookup for MX records of another domain (like yahoo)? If so, can you telnet on port 25 to that domain's mail server?
As for inbound, are you sure the DNS records are set up properly? May I ask your domain name?

 

[newmanyoung]

I can telnet to my domain exchange server. And I can see the supported command of xcxch50 and link2state. On my host I have mail.nyoung.net as my mx record address and my static ip as the a record. Maybe something on my exchange server???

 

[brontosaurus]

is that your actual domain name (nyoung.net)? If so, the nameservers claiming authority DON'T have an A record for mail.nyoung.net. That's gonna hurt you...

 

[newmanyoung]

Looking at my DNS service, 'A' records can only be associated with ip addresses. I've entered my ip for this A record. Do I need to change anything?

 

[brontosaurus]

OK. it looks like you're trying to use the same box for both mail and domain name, right? If that's the case, your MX record needs to look like this:


@ IN MX 10 mail.nyoung.net.
mail IN A 66.47.249.41

 

[newmanyoung]

mx record changed but it's still bouncing!!!! Maybe something on my server side. I'm running a linksys router. Could that be the culprit??

 

[brontosaurus]

it's still bouncing which way? Inbound or Outbound, or both? What's the bounce back message say?

 

[newmanyoung]

Can't send or receive external thru exchange. The message I get when I send to my exchange is:

----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mail.nyoung.net.:
>>> RCPT To:<newman@nyoung.net>
<<< 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for newman@nyoung.net
550 <newman@nyoung.net>... User unknown

 

[brontosaurus]

yeah, that's what I was getting too, when I tried the telnet thing. Go to Exchange System Manager, into the Properties of the SMTP Virtual Server. Go to the Access tab, then the Relay button. What do you have set there?

 

[newmanyoung]

Ok something worked and I can received email thru my exchange server, but I still can't send from outlook thru exchange?

 

[brontosaurus]

same &quot;unable to relay&quot; error, or a different one?

 

[newmanyoung]

Got your incoming message.... but still can't send anything out. Its stacking up in the queue. On my outlook I just get:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.

Delivery to the following recipients has been delayed.

Its says remote server not responding in the queue.

 

[brontosaurus]

what nameservers do you have listed in Primary and Secondary DNS for the Exchange server's NIC?

 

[newmanyoung]

On my exchange server with is also my dns server I have primary as 207.69.188.186 and secondary 207.69.188.185 with is my isp's dns servers.

 

[brontosaurus]

Let's try this:

Change the primary and secondary DNS on that NIC to point to itself (the address of your exchange server). Then go into DNS manager, (make sure you're in Advanced View) and delete the root &quot;.&quot; zone if you have one. Restart the DNS service. In DNS Manager, you should see a list of servers in the Root Hints tab (in the properties of your server).
If you do, restart your exchange services and try mailing again. I don't want to trust your ISP's DNS servers at this point...