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Adding MX records to DNS server for Live@edu

Hi all,

I am currently setting up Live@edu, and have successfully created accounts on a subdomain 'subdomain.domainName.ac.uk' for students. I now want to create them for staff, who already have exchange email accounts, with 'domainname.ac.uk'. The DNS server I have already has MX records for the zone 'domainname.ac.uk' in order to filter my mail, and by adding the MX record from Windows Live, it stops all external mail coming through. Is it ok to add this extra MX record or will the other MX records cancel it out?

Thanks

Natalie

Chris Dent

Hi Natalie,

Exactly what are you adding?

If you want inbound mail for subdomain.domainname.ac.uk you will need to create an MX as follows:

subdomain.domainname.ac.uk. MX 10 mail.domainname.ac.uk.

Where mail is the SMTP server expecting to receive that mail.

If you add it as an additional MX Record for domainname.ac.uk mail will go to the highest priority MX (lowest numeric). However, if the connection fails it will fall down to lower priority MX. e.g.:

domainname.ac.uk. MX 10 mail.domainname.ac.uk.
domainname.ac.uk. MX 20 live.domainname.ac.uk.

In this case you will end up with mail preferentially flowing to "mail", but occasionally ending up at "live".

Chris

brookesm

ASKER

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

My DNS MX records for domainname.ac.uk look something like this:
Mailscanner1.ncl.ac.uk priority 10
Mailscanner2.ncl.ac.uk priority 10
Mailscanner3.ncl.ac.uk priority 10
Mailscanner4.ncl.ac.uk priority 10

Windows Live requires the following MX record to be inserted:

1228964252.pamx1.hotmail.com with 0 or high priority.

If I set the priority to 0 I do not get any incoming mail. If I set it to 10 nothing happens. Is there anyway round this?

Thanks

Natalie

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Chris Dent

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