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OutBound SMTP problem

I have Windows SMTP server that will accept in bound mail but will not deliver outbound mail unless i restart SMTP service . E-mail with attachments do no get delivered no matter what I do the just sit in the mail queue c:\inetpub\mailroot\queue Ip external IP address is fine I can do a reverse look. The SMTP sever is on a DMZ but all the neccessary ports are open and I can Telnet to the server from the local network has someone seen thsi error before.

msghaleb

I would say reinstall the SMTP service - if you have Exchange reinstall IIS (including SMTP) u will need to reinstall Exchange after that as well.

MG

Stacy Spear

What happens to email without attachments? If they get delivered, then the problem is probably antivirus related, not smtp.

thombie

ASKER

The mesages without attachements are delayed in the queue u ntil they time out unless I restart the SMTP service.

Stacy Spear

Are you logging SMTP traffic? Available under the virtual SMTP server general tab. If so, are any errors given?

Do you have a virus scanner that scanning outbound email? Check its configuration as they will refuse to send any mail that it doesn't like. Symantec's is well known for causing grief.

thombie

ASKER

I am not logging at the moment but I will start it now. I am running GFI mailsecurtity but its disabled at the moment until I can fix this problem. would it be a problem that the server to handling inbound and outbound mail ?

thombie

ASKER

I have 2 messages on the event log

1. Unable to bind to the destination server in DNS.
2. Message delivery to the host '217.12.11.64' failed while delivering to the remote domain 'yahoo.co.uk' for the following reason: The connection was dropped by the remote host.

Stacy Spear

Exchange is designed to be a one or one of many server solutions. You can start with one, and keep adding on as the need increases.

Ok, your DNS published to the world seems to be incorrect by #2. Your server's address both forward and reverse MUST match or your traffic won't be accepted. What that means is if you are XYZ.com and your server is mail.xyz.com then:

mail.xyz.com is IP address 155.100.100.1 or so.
IP address 155.100.100.1 must have an A record of mail.xyz.com.

Go here and test your DNS http://www.mxtoolbox.com. After lookup, click on diagnostics for the entry/entries.

thombie

ASKER

Thanks for that if you type in calidusconsulting.co.uk everything seems fine
I reconfgured my mail to forward to mail.authsmtp.com which is a 3rd party e-mail service but my mail is still not arriving. but if I restart the SMTP service then the mail gets delievred . I am lost

thombie

ASKER

Also i am host 5 e-mail domains .my server is called mail.thombsworld.com but is handliing inbound and out bound mail for other domains.. Does this ean I have to have an alias in my DNS ?

Stacy Spear

Are you sending mail out as thombsworld.com or calidusconsulting.co.uk?

If calidusconsulting.co.uk then that is your problem. Out going mail servers must send mail as their domain. So, your server must be able to send mail as calidusconsulting.co.uk. This can easily be done by making sure that the server can answer as calidusconsulting.co.uk on a reverse check by reconfiguring your outgoing mail server to be mail.calidusconsulting.co.uk for instance and setting up an A record for it so it checks out on the reverse DNS. This needs to be done for every domain you accept and send mail as.

thombie

ASKER

Would this need to happeen on my extrnal DNS or internal

Stacy Spear

Your external.

Your edge/exchange server SMTP logs are probably full of can't relay messages.

thombie

ASKER

so am sending out as calidusconsulting.co.uk so may mail server needs ansawer as mail.calidusconsulting.co.uk
my MX is mail.thombsworld.com.
so does my MX record need to change ?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Stacy Spear

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