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Roger_Doger

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Exchange server not receiving e-mail

Last evening. I setup Exchange Server2003 on the Server 2003 Standard.  I wen to Go Daddy.com to change the MX records, and I know have my mail pointed to my ip address.  I am able to send e-mail out to the INternet and it is received ny others.  HOwever, when they reply, it goes into oblivion.  No bounce back to there email.  Does there have to be a separate MX record for incoming e-mail?  Did I forget to setup something in Exchange?  Any help please!
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mvvinod

MX record is only for incoming mail. There is no need for MX for outgoing. What is your domain name??? If it is like corp.abcd.com, then by default the e-mail address generated would be user@corp.abcd.com and when you reply, there is no mx present for corp.abcd.com, but only for abcd.com so other mail server dont know where to send mail.

Look at the mail you sent and see what the from address says.

Then goto dnsstuff.com and check mx record to see if it points to your public address.
Check to see if firewall is forwarding port 25 to your server.

Also from outside the network, do telnet <public ip> 25 to see if you can initiate a connection on port 25 to your server from externally.

Let me know.

Vinod.
You can also do a mail test from: http://www.dnsreport.com/
That will probably tell you the reson for this problem.
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ASKER

domain is thurstons.net
I can telenet to my public address port25.  All is okay.
My router is forwarding e-mail to port 25 on the server, and the server has a static IP.
I can access my Outlook Web Access from friends computers, etc...

I went to DNS report.com and there are two failures... having to do with MX Records.  I don't know if this is because my changes to the MX record at GoDaddy.com are still propogating.  I updated them last night at 8:00.

Dave
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r-k

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Propogation is usually utmost 24 hours. Check to make sure DNS is entered correctly in godaddy.com

Usually MX record should be pointing to a A record. Make sure you have defined A record also properly. If it still doesnt work, delete and recreate the records.

Eg:
mail.domain.com A <public ip>

MX 10 mail.domain.com

should be the record pattern.

Vinod.
does it make a difference if the MX record at GoDaddy is "mail.thurstons.net".  The name of the domain on my server is "thurstons.net," and I do not know if the "mail." makes a difference.
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There is nothing wrong with mail.thurstons.net

I can telnet to it on port 25 and it seems to respond correctly.

The problem is that there is no mx record for the domain thurstons.net

Please double-check the instructions at godaddy.com for setting up mx records.

Being that I have never installed Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, or configured an MX record to point to my Exchange, I have learned a lot through this process.  I finally spoke with a qualified tech support person, and they promptly told me that all previous instruction from their office was flawed.  She had me reconfigure the MX Record, and now everything works perfectly.  After setting-up properly, propogation was no more than 5 minutes.

Here is the one important difference.  My initial MX record at GoDad (per their instructions) was:

Priority: 0
Host: mail
Goes to: mail.thurstons.net
TTL: 3600

After It was changed properly:

Priority: 10
Host: @
Goes to: mail.thurstons.net
TTL: 3600

Thank you for your insight, help, and patience!!!! You give Experts Exchange a great reputation.

Dave
Excellent. Thanks for the update, it may help someone else with a GoDaddy account.