MX Records

[Hightower]

We're looking into using Zimbra and before we demo it to those above, I want to make sure it works correctly (i.e. send & receive to the outside world).

 

We've got it set up so it can send/receive internally, and send externally so I think I just have the MX Records left to sort out which is where I need help. This is our setup:

 

Domain name hosted with external company

 

External IP provided by LEA/ISP

 

Internal zimbra box sitting with an internal IP

 

We have web forwarders setup up, for example:

 

schoolname.com forwards goes to external IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, our ISP's router deals with the request and forwards it on to our internal IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.

 

I have no idea about how to set up MX so any help. I obviously know I need to set up MX records on my externally hosted domain name (as this is the domain used in the email address), but what do I point these to? I ask because you can only point MX to a domain name, and our external interface only has an IP address

 

Also, what do I need to ask our ISP to set up (in terms of port forwarding etc).

 

Cheers,

[kmount]

If you're only using a single server you'd want to create a an A Record mail.yourdomain.com (with the external IP) and then make mail.yourdomain.com an MX Record for yourdomain.com.

 

The priority won't be important as it's only one server so 10 or so is fine.

 

Also worth checking you can actually get an inbound connection on the external ip on port 25 before doing this. (feel free to pm me the ip if you want me to try this).

[Hightower]

If you're only using a single server you'd want to create a an A Record mail.yourdomain.com (with the external IP) and then make mail.yourdomain.com an MX Record for yourdomain.com.

 

The priority won't be important as it's only one server so 10 or so is fine.

 

Also worth checking you can actually get an inbound connection on the external ip on port 25 before doing this. (feel free to pm me the ip if you want me to try this).

 

Thanks....

 

So:

 

mail.domain.com A xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

mail.domain.com MX domain.com

 

Is that right? The thing is, our website is hosted externally so domain.com is forwarded to a different address, not our external one.

 

I can't see how this is going to work.... ARGHHHHH!

[powdarrmonkey]

mail.domain.com A xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

mail.domain.com MX domain.com

 

Is that right? The thing is, our website is hosted externally so domain.com is forwarded to a different address, not our external one.

 

Not quite...

 

domain.com A xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

http://www.domain.com A xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

mail.domain.com A yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy

domain.com MX 10 mail.domain.com

 

where xxx is your external website IP, and yyy is your mail server IP. When a host wants to send you mail, it looks up the MX records, orders them in priority with that number, then looks up the right-hand side to get an IP address for final delivery. Visitors trying to find your website ask for domain.com or http://www.domain.com and get a different IP, the one where your external site is hosted.

[Hightower]

Thanks! Starting to make sense now! Next problem. The school Domain Name is served from my personal hosting company (to keep it all together), and it uses CPanel - I can't find anywhere in CPanel to add an A Record. I can add MX records, but can't find A records.

 

What I did for others was add a 'forwarder' (so for subdomain.domain.com I have added a forwarder to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx). Is this the same as an A record in CPanel? Or should I be looking for something different?

Edited July 2, 2009 by Hightower

[Sandman]

Some hosts only allow you to point an a different MX server with their intervention.

 

I've had to get the support guys to point to a MX server other than theirs several times.

 

Best bet is to contact your host.

[Geoff]

Or you might be able to use a CNAME (Alias)?

[Hightower]

Some hosts only allow you to point an a different MX server with their intervention.

 

I've had to get the support guys to point to a MX server other than theirs several times.

 

Best bet is to contact your host.

 

Just read this but last week I contacted support and they set up the MX for me (the reason I couldn't do it myself is they said they were sick of people breaking their hosting).

 

Thanks anyhow, yours was the solution