[isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..

  • From: "Paul T. Laudenslager" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 00:17:03 -0500

Well, to be honest, I didn't really have to put one there.

However, I'm studying for my next Cisco exam and wanted one up there with some 
production traffic to play with...

I guess it's stupid since I'm not really using it and with your reaction, I'll 
probably now take it out.  Are there any disadvantages that I should have 
considered?

See, your list has influenced me more than you realize... :)
-paul

From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Thomas W Shinder
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 12:09 AM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..

What's sad is that a pathetic Syphco box in front of the real firewall?

What's up with that?

From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Paul T. Laudenslager
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 10:04 PM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..

Hi Thor!

You are too damb funny!

Brief History: I just moved most of my equipment into a rack in AOL's old 
datacenter up in Northern, VA.  I've been spoiled by having all of my equipment 
in my house with multiple T's.  Of course, I really won't mind saving $500/m on 
my electric bill!  <big cheesy grin>

I built a new ISA box that I put behind a Cisco firewall.  All of the internal 
servers use a private IP address range (172.16.x.x) that point to the IP on the 
internal ISA nic (172.16.88.1).  All of the public IP's (two class C's) are 
assigned to the outside ISA nic.

From the outside, I can telnet to the public IP's smtp port just fine 
(publishing works great).   I can telnet to port 25 from one private IP to 
another just fine.  I can also telnet from a private IP to an outside smtp port 
on the Internet just fine.  I just can't telnet to one of my "public" ips on 
the firewall and have it go back internally to the private network.

This part is embarrassing... I know how to go to Monitoring/Logging and create 
the queries I'm looking for... -= Please don't laugh here =- ...but I've never 
been into the firewall logs.  In fact, I'm not even sure where they are 
located.  I've always do my troubleshooting from the logging page.

Here's what the logging page is showing me...  (I'm telnetting from the 
172.16.88.35 box to the 74.220.152.40 public ip).  The 74.220.88.40 is the 
public ip for the published 172.16.88.40 server.

[cid:image001.png@01CA73AD.F061FB10]

I can telnet to ANYWHERE from the .35 box EXCEPT to my published, public IPs.

Something I learned here on the list was to create an "Open All" rule (for 
troubleshooting purposes) which allows all ports on all networks.  Even with 
this rule enabled, I still receive a Denied connection.

<head hanging down to you great almightys>  Where do I go to view the logs?

Your friend,
Paul

From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Thor (Hammer of God)
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 7:47 PM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..

Don't listen to Steve.  He's on crack.   I'm assuming you're servers are SNAT 
clients (int ISA nic is their default gateway) since you are publishing...  you 
should be able to telnet to 25 on your server's external published address just 
fine as long as your rules allow that.   I just telnet'ed from my Exchange box 
itself to its externally published address and it worked just fine.   What do 
your ISA logs say?

t

From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Paul T. Laudenslager
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 4:33 PM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..

Okay... Hmm...

Let's say I have a bunch of customers on ServerA and a different bunch on 
ServerB.

If customers on ServerA send customers on ServerB an email, the ServerA server 
resolves the IP address to the "external" or "public" IP, not the 
internal/local IP.

I don't want to have to have maintain an entire DNS to resolve hundreds of 
domain names internally.  I thought I had this configuration working several 
times before... maybe I'm wrong.

One way that does work is to implement a mail relay server outside the 
firewall.  However, that means all internal smtp traffic from one mail server 
to another has to go outside the firewall.

There just seems something wrong with that.

Me wanna worky! :)
-paul
________________________________
From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Steve Moffat [Steve@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 7:14 PM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] Re: SMTP - internal to localhost issue..
Don't try to do that through ISA...no worky....

From: isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:isalist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Paul T. Laudenslager
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 8:11 PM
To: isalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [isalist] SMTP - internal to localhost issue..


Okay, I'm missing something simple here but have yet to figure it out.



1.  I published (2) internal SMTP boxes to outside "live" IP addresses.  I can 
access these internal servers on port 25 just fine on thier 'public' ips.



2.  I can telnet to the SMTP port of each other's private IP address.  (ie. 
172.16.x.x to 172.16.x.x)



Problem

======



When I try and telnet from one SMTP server to the published "public" IP of the 
other SMTP server, the connection is denied.



I've created a rule to allow internal network to localhost network for port 25 
but it is still failing.



Any suggestions on what to look for next?



Thanks in advance for your kind suggestions! :)

-paul





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