Question

Disabling DNS recursion also breaks the intranet

Asked by: itatahh

Mail sent from our server is being rejected by AOL, apparently because our mail server is an open relay...I've inherited this problem server from the previous admin, and want to shut the open relay.  We're running Exchange/Server 2003, etc...   However, when I select "Disable recursion" on our two DNS servers, DNS looksup in general begin failing, and in general  prevents Internet access to anyone on our intranet in the company.   So the question is, how do I disable recursion to outside requests without affecting our own DNS lookups?   Thanks!

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Asked On
2007-03-05 at 07:31:12ID22428367
Tags

recursion

,

dns

,

disable

Topics

Windows Networking

,

Windows 2003 Server

,

Domain Name Service (DNS)

Participating Experts
3
Points
250
Comments
3

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Answers

 

by: kshaysPosted on 2007-03-05 at 08:00:35ID: 18655110

I would think you would need to check your exchange server to make sure it's not open for relay.  I believe by default it's not.  On the exchange manager navigate to your smtp virtual server under Protocals and select properties/access/relay.  Shouldn't be anything listed in there.

Here is a step by step process.
http://www.petri.co.il/preventing_exchange_2000_2003_from_relaying.htm

As for the dns recursion.
In the dns applet on the properties of the server the following should be set.
- Forwarders (do not enable)
- Advanced (disable recursion is not checked)

This should allow you to access the internet with no problem.

 

by: chicagoanPosted on 2007-03-05 at 12:09:29ID: 18656963

That article might be a bit confusing - be careful about changing the authentication mechanism as you won't  be able to receive mail from the internet. Setting the relay restriction section accept mail only from you subnet will close your relay to the outside world. DNS doesn't play into this, other than your MX records marking you as a possible relay.
Disabling recursion in DNS will prevent the DNS server from resolving anything outside of your zone, unless you forward those requests to your ISP's DNS servers or other resolving servers.

 

by: Chris-DentPosted on 2007-03-06 at 02:04:11ID: 18660443


> Disabling recursion in DNS will prevent the DNS server from resolving
> anything outside of your zone, unless you forward those requests to
> your ISP's DNS servers or other resolving servers.

Disabling recursion also disables Forwarders.

Chris

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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