Question

"return address not allowed" errors

Asked by: Tonyboy

Dear gurus,

Our site hosts many virtual domains on a single machine. The way we usually set up a virtual domain to receive mail in sendmail is to add the name to the virtusertable database:

@domain.com                               virtual-user

... and add `domain.com' to the sendmail.cw file. Up until now, everything has been working fine with every virtual domain. There is a single domain, however, that keeps reporting errors they have been getting:

"4.1.8 invalid/host-not-in-DNS return address not allowed"

So, naturally, I assumed something was wrong with that domain's DNS or MX setup. I checked, and I can find no sign of anything wrong.

I would like to invite someone who knows more about DNS and MX records to perhaps take a look at the settings for `hardtofindrecordings.com' and please tell me what I should be doing about this!

Yours,
- Anthony L.

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Asked On
2002-01-08 at 06:57:37ID20252703
Tags

address

,

return

,

allowed

Topic

SendMail Email Server

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Answers

 

by: markt9Posted on 2002-01-10 at 08:04:59ID: 6724046

Did you just register this domain or name server?  The hardtofindrecordings.com does not resolve from @home.  Might take a week to propogate.

MX looks ok, just no name server.

 

by: TonyboyPosted on 2002-01-10 at 08:17:48ID: 6724078

OK, it looks like you've located the problem, but, like I said, I'm not a DNS expert, so would you mind elaborating?

If it helps, here is the output I get when I run the command `dig hardtofindrecordings.com'

; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> hardtofindrecordings.com
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 4
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 4, ADDITIONAL: 4
;; QUERY SECTION:
;;      hardtofindrecordings.com, type = A, class = IN

;; ANSWER SECTION:
hardtofindrecordings.com.  45m34s IN A  216.65.216.161

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1d45m34s IN NS  DNS0.WSNETWORK.com.
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1d45m34s IN NS  NS1.SDREP.NET.
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1d45m34s IN NS  NS2.SDREP.NET.
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1d45m34s IN NS  DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
DNS0.WSNETWORK.com.     1d6h16m51s IN A  216.65.217.34
NS1.SDREP.NET.          1d11h13m8s IN A  216.103.128.2
NS2.SDREP.NET.          1d11h13m8s IN A  216.103.128.3
DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET.   1d6h16m51s IN A  216.65.216.7

;; Total query time: 12 msec
;; FROM: modemcable127.85-130-66.mtl.mc.videotron.ca to SERVER: default -- 24.200.243.242
;; WHEN: Thu Jan 10 11:10:34 2002
;; MSG SIZE  sent: 42  rcvd: 230

 ...and here is the output from `nslookup hardtofindrecordings.com':

Server:  vl-ms-dn004-fae1.ms.videotron.ca
Address:  24.200.243.242

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    hardtofindrecordings.com
Address:  216.65.216.161

 

by: rew_Posted on 2002-01-10 at 13:00:08ID: 6724831

add this
IN MX   10  mail

just after  
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1d45m34s IN NS DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET.


Replace mail with your actual mail server ip

 

by: TonyboyPosted on 2002-01-10 at 13:22:28ID: 6724900

This isn't quite what I was looking for. The MX server is present, as seen in the results from `dig mx hardtofindrecordings.com':

; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> mx hardtofindrecordings.com
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 4
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1
;; QUERY SECTION:
;;      hardtofindrecordings.com, type = MX, class = IN

;; ANSWER SECTION:
hardtofindrecordings.com.  1D IN MX  10 mail.gemm.com.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.gemm.com.          1D IN A         216.65.216.161

;; Total query time: 159 msec
;; FROM: modemcable127.85-130-66.mtl.mc.videotron.ca to SERVER: default -- 24.200.243.242
;; WHEN: Thu Jan 10 16:16:02 2002
;; MSG SIZE  sent: 42  rcvd: 84




NOTE: sometimes, when I execute the query, I get no answer at all (see below), yet if I execute the query right afterwards, I get the answers from the output above. It seems as though the MX records arbitrarily don't show up on certain queries, but work fine on others...

; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> mx hardtofindrecordings.com
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 4
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUERY SECTION:
;;      hardtofindrecordings.com, type = MX, class = IN

;; Total query time: 107 msec
;; FROM: modemcable127.85-130-66.mtl.mc.videotron.ca to SERVER: default -- 24.200.243.242
;; WHEN: Thu Jan 10 16:11:26 2002
;; MSG SIZE  sent: 42  rcvd: 42


Thanks for your help!
- Anthony

 

by: HalldorGPosted on 2002-01-10 at 14:50:32ID: 6725084

Have you access to the sendmail server that is mail.gemm.com to test the sendmai useing

/usr/lib/sendmail -bv sombody@hardtofindrecords.com

and check on the results

is it possible that the user that is supposed to get the forwarded mail has a mail problem possible dns error for that address?

 

by: markt9Posted on 2002-01-10 at 17:56:59ID: 6725420

Interesting.  I ran a few nslookup commands.  First time can't find, then next time got more info.  Did you say you just updated your dns records?  maybe it is still propagating.



[root@linux2 cron.daily]# nslookup -type=a hardtofindrecordings.com -sil
Server:         24.2.68.36
Address:        24.2.68.36#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:   hardtofindrecordings.com
Address: 216.65.216.161



[root@linux2 cron.daily]# nslookup -type=mx hardtofindrecordings.com -silent
Server:         24.2.68.36
Address:        24.2.68.36#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can't find hardtofindrecordings.com: No answer

Authoritative answers can be found from:



[root@linux2 cron.daily]# nslookup -type=mx hardtofindrecordings.com -silent
Server:         24.2.68.36
Address:        24.2.68.36#53

hardtofindrecordings.com        mail exchanger = 10 mail.gemm.com.

[root@linux2 cron.daily]# nslookup -type=mx hardtofindrecordings.com -silent
Server:         24.2.68.36
Address:        24.2.68.36#53

Non-authoritative answer:
hardtofindrecordings.com        mail exchanger = 10 mail.gemm.com.

Authoritative answers can be found from:
com     nameserver = A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = G.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = H.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = C.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = I.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = B.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = D.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = L.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = F.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = K.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = E.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
com     nameserver = M.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
mail.gemm.com   internet address = 216.65.216.161
A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.5.6.30
G.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.42.93.30
H.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.54.112.30
C.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.26.92.30
I.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.36.144.133
B.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.33.14.30
D.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.31.80.30
L.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.41.162.30
F.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.35.51.30
J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 210.132.100.101
K.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 213.177.194.5
E.GTLD-SERVERS.NET      internet address = 192.12.94.30

 

by: TonyboyPosted on 2002-01-10 at 19:24:51ID: 6725511

...but that's the odd part: the records were updated over a week ago. Surely they'd be propagated by now!!

 

by: jleviePosted on 2002-01-12 at 09:40:23ID: 6728954

jlevie, jumping in late on the question...

There looks to me to be a DNS problem w/respect to that domain. I can do a lookup fo the domains's nameservers which indcates that the domain is properly registered, like so:

chaos> host -t ns hardtofindrecordings.com
hardtofindrecordings.com. name server NS2.SDREP.NET.
hardtofindrecordings.com. name server DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET.
hardtofindrecordings.com. name server DNS0.WSNETWORK.com.
hardtofindrecordings.com. name server NS1.SDREP.NET.

However, when I attempt a lookup of any of the domain's data using those servers I see:

chaos> host -t mx hardtofindrecordings.com NS2.SDREP.NET
Using domain server:
Name: NS2.SDREP.NET
Address: 216.103.128.3#53
Aliases:

Host hardtofindrecordings.com. not found: 2(SERVFAIL)

But that nameserver is holding data for the domain as witnessed by:

chaos> host hardtofindrecordings.com NS2.SDREP.NET
Using domain server:
Name: NS2.SDREP.NET
Address: 216.103.128.3#53
Aliases:

hardtofindrecordings.com. has address 216.65.216.161

So the SDREP.NET servers seem to have A records for the domain but don't have MX records. Interestingly only the SDREP.NET servers seem to have data for the domain, as shown by:

chaos> host DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET
Using domain server:
Name: DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET
Address: 216.65.216.7#53
Aliases:

DNS1.WORLDACCESS.NET. has address 216.65.216.7

And the remaining nameserver doesn't appear to be running at all:

chaos> host DNS0.WSNETWORK.com DNS0.WSNETWORK.com
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
So I'd have to say that there are two problmes. One being that nameservers are listed for the domain that don't have data for the domain. And the other being that the SDREP.NET servers, that do have data for the domain, either aren't properly set up or aren't working correctly.

 

by: jleviePosted on 2004-08-12 at 12:54:55ID: 11787725

I think we identified the problem, but the actual fix would have to have been done by the questioner.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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