[ExchangeList] Re: How to Clear Up Queues (and solve some of my problems!)

John,

 

The likely problem with yahoo & hotmail& gmail Is that it will use reverse 
lookup to ensure that the email is coming from a legit domain address.

 

For example, if you go to dnsstuff.com and put in your domain name to check 
that all your dns records are correct, you will likely notice that the reverse 
entry for the mail.mydomain.com is probably not there, or providing erroneous 
info.

 

If you are authoiritative for your domain (you control all of your DNS 
records), you need to make sure that the reverse zone (in my case 
63.192.206-in-addr-arpa zone file) has an entry for the mx record.

 

It could also be that your ISP (if you are not your ISP) will have to enter a 
record in their reverse zone file to recoird your MX record properly.

 

Hope this helps

 

Gabe Rincón

Computer Technologies 

225-293-2844

 

From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John L. Gitzen II
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 4:53 AM
To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: How to Clear Up Queues (and solve some of my 
problems!)

 

Simon, 

 

Thank you for the quick response.  I started the process to set up SMTP 
connectors, but my process kept failing because of authorization.  As it turns 
out I had two different problems with my DNS setup.  Please note that DNS 
primary runs on the DC which I did not set up.  It was configured to not allow 
Recursion, so my Exchange Server could never get external server address to 
connect the SMTP connectors with.  Once that was corrected my email started 
flowing.  

 

The problem I was having with setting up the SMTP connectors was also likely a 
DNS issue.  I had started to install DNS on my Exchange Server setting it up as 
a Secondary zone with replication from the primary DNS, but once I got into the 
wizard I got scared and cancelled the installation.  This left DNS defined to 
my server but not replicating.  It had no entries, including pointers to my own 
DC where my active directory also resides, so the wizard to define the SMTP 
connector failed every time because the AD check failed to even find the AD 
server.

 

Almost all of my email is now flowing in and out just great - except to my 
yahoo.com email address.  Since I use this address a lot to test and I initiate 
a lot of email from it, I would like to get this corrected, so I am considering 
the SMTP Connector route for this one domain.  I posted an inquiry on 
yahoo.com's Contact Us link but I don't expect any amazing solutions from them.

 

Has anyone ever had this problem and how did you approach the vendor?  I think 
my site or my personal email address may be on yahoo.com's grey list, but I 
have no way to prove it.  I know that the Troubleshooting Assistant shows the 
email leaving my site and going to mta300.mail.mud.yahoo.com, but that is as 
far as I can tell it gets.  Also be advised that earlier yesterday I was able 
send and receive from my yahoo.com email address

 

Thanks

John 
Technology Applied  

-----Original Message-----
From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Simon Butler
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:21 AM
To: 'exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: How to Clear Up Queues (and solve some of my 
problems!)

 

Quick way to deal with those messages while you wait for the DNS to clear is to 
setup an SMTP connector to route email via your ISPs SMTP server. 

http://www.amset.info/exchange/smtp-connector.asp 

 

Also don't forget that the retry times for Exchange increase over time, so the 
longer it goes the more time between retries. However setup an SMTP Connector 
and the messages will be gone. 

 

Finally - it isn't really the MX record that is causing the problem - but PTR 
(aka reverse DNS) records. You need to speak to your ISP about those. Ideally 
you should have the server announcing itself as the same name as on the reverse 
DNS. Your current reverse DNS record looks like a dynamic allocation, so 
messages will get rejected. 

 

Simon. 

 

 

--
Simon Butler
MVP: Exchange, MCSE
Amset IT Solutions Ltd.

e: simon@xxxxxxxxxxx
w: www.amset.co.uk
w: www.amset.info

Need cheap certificates for Exchange, compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0?
Go to http://www.certificatesforexchange.com/ for certificates for just $20 a 
year. 

 

 

 

________________________________

From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John L. Gitzen II
Sent: 17 October 2007 07:57
To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ExchangeList] How to Clear Up Queues (and solve some of my problems!)

Hello Exchange Experts!

 

I have over 100 queues with SMTP Connector Entries for outgoing mail that is 
not making it to their intended recipients.  I have had some problems with my 
DNS records and understanding how DNS works with my external webhosting company 
and also my Internet Provider.  I hope I have those correctly set now, but with 
the lag in DNS records being refreshed and then Email servers recognizing the 
changes I am frustrated to say the least waiting to see if my email problems 
will clear up.

 

At this point I can not send out email from a user on my Exchange server to any 
of the addresses I can query on - yahoo.com, gmail.com, Comcast.net or 
charter.net.  They all sit waiting on the remote server to respond.  

 

So two questions - 

 

1.      How do I clear up these SMTP connector entries?  Being an old school 
mainframer, I am used to getting error messages, being able to look them up to 
find the root cause and having tools I can run to tell what is going on.  If 
they are available for Exchange they are pretty well hidden.  The closest I can 
find is the Troubleshooting Assistant, but in my case it is not giving me back 
anything I can use.  On my last pass it told me that it had a fatal error 
accessing active directory. 

a.      The two corrections listed were to try connecting to exchange server 
analyzer without specifying a domain controller.  I don't see where the tool 
ever asks for a domain controller.  Under advanced login options I could 
specify a domain, but I don't use the advanced login, the id I am logged on 
with is as high up in our Active Directory as you can get.  I specify an 
Exchange Server name and a Global Catalog Server Name.  It won't run without 
these. 

b.      The other possible solution says to specify a domain controller that is 
running and is available to you.  I only have 1 domain controller, it is 
running, and it is available to me.  I checked Active Directory on it and it is 
working.  I have accessed the Exchange portions of the Active Directory Users 
on the same server, which is my exchange server that I am running my test on.  
I have tried to reboot both servers -  AAARGGH - Nothing changed, the same 
results.   

c.      Regardless of this lame solution, I have reason to believe my outgoing 
email is not making it to their intended SMTP connectors because the DNS MX 
record at the site hosting my domain was pointing to mail.thompsonig.com 
instead of exchangesrvr.thompsonig.com.  The email going out was coming from 
exchangesrvr.thompsonig.com, but when the servers to a DNS lookup on 
thompsonig.com, it was finding mail.thompsonig.com.  
exchangesrvr.thompsonig.com would match the *.thompsonig.com A record that 
pointed to the web hosting IP address and not the ip address for my Exchange 
Server.  So now that this is fixed - how do I get my outgoing email moving 
again and this stuff cleaned up  

 

2.      Second, is there a way I can test DNS and Email changes without having 
to wait 24 to 48 hours?  This is an eternity when you have the whole company 
breathing down your back. 

 

My domain is thompsonig.com.  my ip address for my email server should be 
67.108.89.73.  my Exchange server FQDN is exchangesrvr.thompsonig.com.

 

Any and all advice is appreciated.  Sorry for the long winded email, it is late.

John 
Technology Applied 

The more I learn the more I realize I don't know!

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