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Can't Seem to receive email via POP3 from external email adresses ' outside my domain

i have a exchange server 2003 that came with (MS SBS) Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 R2. I have a registered domain that i will refer to as "mydomain.com". i have a linux box as my firewall that i have opened up all the ports for testing purposes until i get the exchange email system working (the linux box's internal ip is 192.168.1.243). I seem to be able to send email just fine BOTH "internally (within the domain)" and "externally (outside the domain)". I have my registrar DNS for email pointing to my external ip address at 69.x.x.x and for the name "mail.mydomain.com" The SBS server with exchange is called "SERVER001.MYDOMAIN.LAN with an internal ip adress of 192.168.1.235" gateway of 192.168.1.243 and a DNS of 192.168.1.235. (i used the ". LAN" because thats what MS SBS recommended during setup instead of using a .COM for "security purposes", dont ask my why, i just did what they recommended, i hope this doesnt turn out to be the problem)

Now on to my problem......i seem to be able to send email just fine to both internal and external emails both inside and outside the domain. However i cant seem to receive email via POP3 from people outside the domain. Within the domain i can send email just fine. i am trying to have the exchange server handle the email directly from the internet. the exchange clients are using outlook and are using 192.168.1.235 as the IP for both SMTP and POP3. anyone have any ideas what i am doing wrong?

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Taurus042

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xeonox

ASKER

thanks taurus, i think that solved my problem, i completely overlooked that. i just had my linux box forward the ports and it worked like a charm. i also pointed my registrar email record and cname record to point to SERVER001.MYDOMAIN.COM and it seemed to have worked fine. thanks hope this helps other people out. ill keep this open for 2/3 days but ill give you the points taurus, i just wanna fine tune it a little with the SSL you are taking about.

i am very concerned about the following, how do i prevent outside people (spammers) from using my smtp exchange server?

Taurus042

If you haven't changed any settings regarding to relaying your server should be OK already.

I do not have an Exchange 2003 machine right now so I cannot check exactly where the setting is but you should right click your SMTP virtual server and select Properties. Look for Relay Restrictions. Make sure that it looks like this example. You may add networks or IP addresses that you trust in the list as well.
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xeonox

ASKER

what concerns me is the little check box at the bottom that says "allow all computer wich authenitcate sucessfully to realay, regardless of the ist above"

From what i understand (correct me if i'm wrong), if that is checked, all they need to do i guess the username, and obviously the username is gonna be the email address. Does that sound right to you?

Taurus042

The username is not the same as the email address. In addition to the username they would also need the password associated with the user to be able to relay messages to other domains.

xeonox

ASKER

i think i may have gotten it working correctly, do these settings look right and secure to you?

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xeonox

ASKER

is that the right config?