Unable to send mails to server from internet 1

[vaheed1]

Hi all.

I'm having a few problems with a newly installed exchange 2003 server and have come here to seek some help.

Although I have done the odd bit of Exchange admin in the past, professionally - I've never set one up from scratch until now and am hoping this 'problem' will be fairly straight forward to some of you more experienced in exchange.

The server i've set up is for a friend and his smallish sized business. So far on 1st test everything internally is fine - people can exchange emails within the domain and can also send them externally - the problems begin when external people try to reply to the messages and can't. (Yahoo, hotmail, external companies..etc)

I've checked to make sure all relevant ports are open and that the SMTP controller is configured to correct ISP Messaging relay service.

What connectors should I have configured? what protocols should be running?

Apologies if this may seem a little vague - i'm still learning

Regards

Vaheed.

 

[58sniper]

Can you telnet to the server over port 25 from inside the network?

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[vaheed1]

Reply to 58Spiner

Hi,

I've just tried telnet to my server on which exchange is running and it's unable to connect.

i'm guessing this means my port (23,25) is closed..

 

[BenChristian]

Make sure you are telnetting on port 25 (not 23), e.g "telnet servername 25".

If you can telnet to the server from the internet on port 25, I would suggest that you make sure that the MX records for the domain are pointing to the public IP address of the Exchange server.

It may be worth querying your MX records from a PC outside your network that has internet access. Use nslookup:

Nslookup
set type=mx
yourdomain.com


Ben Christian
MCSE, MCSA:Messaging

http://www.benchristian.com

 

[58sniper]

Or all in one line
nslookup -q=mx yourdomain.com

Check to see if you can telnet to it on 25 from INSIDE your network. If not, then it's likely a server problem (or routing problem, depending on your environment). If you CAN, then try from outside. If you can't, it's a firewall/routing problem.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[vaheed1]

Hi

ok, here's an update.

I realised my DNS server address in the initial setup of the server was incorrect - so now i've now rectified this.

I've now also created a A host list and a MX record.

but still can't receive mail from the net. If I do a NSlookup the results aren't encouraging. :-S

I can ping my SMTP controller (smtp.blueyonder.co.uk) and ping my DNS (blueyonder) server also OK...and like i mentioned earlier - can send mails around the domain and out to the internet fine.

Could someone explain to me in a clear and concise way of how i should set my MX and Host records - also how to test it and weather or not i should have to call my ISP to 'create' a MX record for me

Thanks again in advance.

 

[ohdayes]

Hello guys i need your help desperately.

I setup my Exchange 2003 Ent on Windows server 2k3 Ent

I am able to send emails to "everywhere" except hotmail.com. I can recv email from my hotmail account and if i reply to the email it will come to my hotmail account, but if i create a new email and send it to my hotmail account it will get lost in space.

What do i do?

p.s. i recently followed kb article# 817379 to fix a mobile messaging issue but if my memory serves me right, this issue started before i did that.

 

[ste52653]

When I lookup your MX record for Blueyonder.co.uk I get "mailin.blueyonder.co.uk"

You say you are using "smtp.blueyonder.co.uk" as your smtp server.

Your MX should likely point to your SMTP server, unless "mailin" is the same server. If "mailin" is the same server then fine, but you have a DNS error if that is the case. here is what I found:
mailin.blueyonder.co.uk. A IN 28800 195.188.53.99
smtp.blueyonder.co.uk. A IN 28800 195.188.53.60

It appears that your MX record is sending to another server other than your SMTP server? Maybe a SMTP gateway?

So I tried to Telnet to both of these, first your "SMTP.blu..." and reieved a correction successful connection to that server on port 25. When I connected to "Mailin.blu..." on port 25 I received the following message:

421 Too many concurrent SMTP connections; please try again later.
Connection to host lost.

Mailin is currently the primary MX record so that's not good that my connection was rejected due to too many connections. You also have 2 other MX records, exim-sec01 and 02, and they both also return the same results. I think you need to look there first or change your MX to point to your working SMTP server.

-Steve

 

[ohdayes]

Can anyone help with my issue?

 

[vaheed1]

Many thanks Steve.

I will edit my MX record to what you have suggested and get back to you.

cheers.

 

[vaheed1]

Steve,

I've now edited the MX and A host records to your suggestion and can now successfully telnet onto my (server.domain.com)

I used the 'mailin.blueyonder.co.uk' info.

But I still can't get it to receive mails from the net. I've done a DNS check - and it's returning nothing.

I think i'll have to speak to my ISP and see what they say.

 

[58sniper]

ohdayes - please don't thread-jack. It's rude.

Start your own thread.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[vaheed1]

Sorry, I forgot to add

I can Telnet to my server from 'Telnet mailin.blueyonder.co.uk 25'

I think that is what i'm doing if I connect to 'mailin...' and then type a 'helo' my own 'server.domain.com'

 

[ohdayes]

sorry i will create my own

 

[58sniper]

Okay - I can telnet into it as well. I didn't have a legitimate address on the inside to send to.

I also see that the MX record appears correct. Is it working now?



Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[vaheed1]

Hi once again.

I will be calling my ISP on monday to see if they can create a record for me on their server and point it towards my internal domain.

As i mentioned in the initial post - I'm quite new to Exchange setup and this is all about learning and helping my friend as I go along.

As far as i am aware - creating an MX record and A host will still not guarantee external mails being received by my exchange box - this can only be done if a record of my server is created at my ISP's end.

 

[3Saturns]

I too am in the same boat -- first time setting up an exchange server from scratch, and having trouble. I am working with Verizon. I registered a domain name with them and had them set up MX records based on instructions from McAfee because I am using McAfee Total Protection for Small Business Advanced. I can send email, but I cannot receive. The sender gets a message undeliverable reply with this: Sat, 05 May 2007 19:18:02 -0500 (CDT)
Error reading SMTP packet; response to RCPT TO command expected

I can telnet from inside the network. I also did the nslookup and got the following results:

C:\>nslookup -q=mx domainname.com
*** Can't find server name for address 192.168.0.1: Non-existent domain
*** Default servers are not available
Server: UnKnown
Address: 192.168.0.1

Non-authoritative answer:
domainname.com MX preference = 100, mail exchanger = domainname.com.s8a1.psmtp.co
m
domainname.com MX preference = 200, mail exchanger = domainname.com.s8a2.psmtp.co
m
domainname.com MX preference = 300, mail exchanger = domainname.com.s8b1.psmtp.co
m
domainname.com MX preference = 400, mail exchanger = domainname.com.s8b2.psmtp.co
m
domainname.com MX preference = 500, mail exchanger = mail.domainname.com

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

 

[58sniper]

Please start a new thread.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt