E-mail issue regarding SBS 03 using pop3 connector, how to forward DNS?

Stormwalker

Limp Gawd
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Nov 8, 2004
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I am attempting to resolve an issue with e-mail. Right now, we use SBS 2003. We also have e-mail (and domain, and webhosting) through godaddy. I have the server set up with the pop3 connector tool or whatever to check for messages and deliver them to the appropriate user mailboxes.

Now, I need to do the forward DNS and reverse DNS stuff. I believe my ISP (Integra) takes care of the reverse DNS part of it. I need to forward DNS. I am not quite sure how to go about this.

Right now, e-mail is working fine, except for delivery to addresses like @comcast.net or @aol.com, because those addresses require the reverse DNS or whatnot.


I've read a number of things on the web, but nothing has really jumped out at me as to how to actually go about this. I'm far from a "computer expert" but I definitely try to figure out how to do these sorts of things myself, call me crazy but I think it's fun to learn how to do this stuff. I built and set up my server myself, and I try to learn/do as much as possible myself. I'm stumped on this one though. I'm not totally opposed to calling an IT support firm or some such thing, but that would be no fun.

Thanks for any info and tips you can provide!
 
Since you're using the POP3 connector to download from your mail host, just set your SMTP to forward to yoru mail hosts outgoing mail server. This way you never ever have to worry about RevDNS/PTR.

I have many SBS setups out there, quite a few still using the POP3, I never...ever...want to have any Exchange server sending out directly, I always have it SMTP forward to either the POP 3 host if it's using POP3 connector, or to an SMTP smart host that I use to wash their incoming mail.
 
Since you're using the POP3 connector to download from your mail host, just set your SMTP to forward to yoru mail hosts outgoing mail server. This way you never ever have to worry about RevDNS/PTR.

I have many SBS setups out there, quite a few still using the POP3, I never...ever...want to have any Exchange server sending out directly, I always have it SMTP forward to either the POP 3 host if it's using POP3 connector, or to an SMTP smart host that I use to wash their incoming mail.


Ok, I'll try to make sense of what you just said. I think maybe it got me closer to what I need to do.


So on the server, I only had the pop3 connector, so I went into the "exchange system manager". Under the connectors folder, it showed the one pop3 connector. Under the "action" menu item, I see "new -> smtp connector" so I click on that, and it brings up the properties window. Here I find myself stumbling again. I'm not quite sure what to do from here. There's two radio button options under the "general" tab:

-use DNS to route to each address space on this connector
-forward all mail through this connector to the following smart hosts

Also, I think I might need to enter some info under the "address space" tab. I think I add an SMTP address space, and it has fields for "email domain" and "cost". I'm assuming email domain would be the "mail.mydomain.com". I have NO idea what cost means!


Maybe I'm completely off the right track here, I don't know.
 
Just run the CEICW, it sets it for you. There's already an SBS SMTP forwarder, you don't need to add another. It's best to stick with the wizards in server manager with SBS.
 
like the venerable stonecat has suggested, it's always better to use wizards with sbs. . . .
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
with pop3 connector, forward your mail using your ISP smtp settings.

works great.

setup a dyndns name while your at it

companyname.webhop.net or something

while going through the wizard type that in as the website certificate, then your users can hit the website for RWW and Exchange OWA
 
Great, for some reason the wizard isn't working. None of them are. I open them up, get the opening screen, click next, and nothing happens.


I'm having nothing but luck and great times here.:(
 
This server has been running for about a year now. Everything besides this issue works fine.

marley1 - I think you are right on about the restarting idea. Now that I think about it, I may have had to do that once before to get one of the other wizards working when I was initially setting things up. I'll head into my office tomorrow and give it a reboot and try that wizard again.
 
Should install and run the SBS BPA (Best Practices Analyzer)
http://www.sbslinks.com/sbsbpa.htm

Microsoft released this tool for SBS (they have other similar BPA tools for other servers)...you install it, update it..run a report, follow the suggestions.

Run it a few times per year, after updating it each time.
 
I was successful in getting the wizard started and going. I went through the steps in the wizard and everything seemed to go ok. I was getting pretty hopeful at this point. I then went to my workstation, and clicked to open up outlook, and get this message:

"Cannot start microsoft outlook. Cannot open the outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. Microsoft exchange is not available. Either there are network problems or the exchange server is down for maintenance."

edit: Simply restarting the server fixed this issue. Now I will proceed to send/receive some test e-mails.

edit2: Incoming works fine. Outgoing doesn't seem to work at all now.
 
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Thank you so much for your offer YeOldeStonecat. I think I *might* have things working properly now.

Under the smallbusiness SMTP connector properties (yes, I now have this connector after running the wizard :) ), I selected the option to "use DNS to route to each address space on this connector". Outgoing e-mail seems to work fine again.

I also seemed to figure out what was going on with the forward/reverse DNS stuff. I had the mail entry as a "cname" and changed it to an "Arecord", with it pointing to our static IP. I contacted the ISP and they are setting up the reverse DNS stuff now.

I just have a rudimentary grasp of this stuff, but it seems I'm kinda working my way through things here.

I'm not done yet. Right now, the network is not firewalled. I went out and bought a firewall (Netgear FVS318). I got the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and dns servers to use from the ISP when I talked to them. I put all that info in on the configuration wizard on the firewall, but it still will not allow access to the internet. Now I have to try to figure this out.

After I get the firewall running, then I'd like to configure remote access for the server, and remote web workplace after that. Hopefully those two things go more smoothly, lol.


edit: Also, at the moment, there is no antivirus protection on this server. Any recommendations for a good antivirus program for SBS 03?
 
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eset nod32 is good for av. might wan to look at vipre enterprise, too. although I haven't been successful getting that running on sbs2008....

if clients are having problems connecting to the exchange server I would check services to make sure they're all running
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
ESET is fine, im a reseller, so is yeolde.

Just read some of this again, you have Static IP? Why are you using POP connector? i would point your MX record to somethign from DynDNS mail relay, then throw that back to your server.

I would reset that Netgear, and not run the wizard. Make sure you put in the correct static ip settings from your ISP, and generally it goes Cable Modem > ISP Router Device > your Router/Firewall.

Use OpenDNS as your DNS forwarders as well/
 
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