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Cannot receive external emails but I can send them

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Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 31.Aug.2008 6:27:04 AM

exchange_newling

Posts: 4
Joined: 31.Aug.2008
From: Germany
Status: offline

External emails come in, are put in the waiting queue and the sender gets an email saying their email was undelivered.

I have searched for hours for a solution to this problem but I cannot find it.
Many people suggest its a port, firewall or antivirus problem.
We have only a hardware firewall in the firm and our ports are ok, after all the server is receiving the incomming email but it isnt passing it on.

I can send and recieve emails within the firm and I can send emails externaly.

I would be most greatful for any help
exchange newling

Post #: 1

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RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 31.Aug.2008 7:14:11 AM

uemurad

Posts: 5571
Joined: 7.Jan.2004
From: California, USA
Status: offline

What is the name of the queue?
Can you see the messages in Message Tracking? If so, what does the tracking information say?
How long has this been an issue? Was it working before?

_____________________________

Regards,

Dean T. Uemura
Microsoft MVP - Exchange
exchangeguy.blogspot.com
uemurad@yahoo.com

(in reply to exchange_newling)

Post #: 2

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 31.Aug.2008 10:12:32 AM

exchange_newling

Posts: 4
Joined: 31.Aug.2008
From: Germany
Status: offline

The problem occured a few days ago after someone used the system but he does not remember chaning anything

I'm working with a german system so i'll try to 'translate' it.

In exchange (2003) I can view protocols of emails that went out and in by typing in the server name and giving in a time and date in the search parameters under (translated) "message status".
I can click on one of these email protocols and it will give me a list of what procedures it has gone through:

Emails that have been sent to our domain have gone through the following procedure (translated at best)

"SMTP: Message has been sent to the waiting queue"

"SMTP: Waiting queue function initialising"

"SMTP: Message has been sent to the catogorising modul"

"SMTP: Message has been catogarised and has been sent into the waiting queue to be forwarded"

"SMTP: Message was undelivered and a report created"

After that the sender gets an automatic undelivered report email

< Message edited by exchange_newling -- 31.Aug.2008 10:21:08 AM >

(in reply to uemurad)

Post #: 3

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 31.Aug.2008 12:44:27 PM

uemurad

Posts: 5571
Joined: 7.Jan.2004
From: California, USA
Status: offline

What does the non-delivery message say? That will give you a clue as to what is happening.

_____________________________

Regards,

Dean T. Uemura
Microsoft MVP - Exchange
exchangeguy.blogspot.com
uemurad@yahoo.com

(in reply to exchange_newling)

Post #: 4

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 31.Aug.2008 3:49:28 PM

Sembee

Posts: 3960
Joined: 17.Jan.2008
From: Somewhere near London, UK
Status: offline

The first question that has to be asked is whether it has ever worked? Depending on the answer to that question things can work forwards.

If it has worked in the past then what has changed? Exchange doesn't stop accepting email for zero reason, something has changed somewhere.

Simon.

_____________________________

Simon Butler,
Exchange MVP
Blog: http://www.sembee.co.uk/
Web: http://www.amset.info/
In the UK? Hire me: http://www.amset.co.uk/

(in reply to uemurad)

Post #: 5

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 1.Sep.2008 5:33:01 AM

exchange_newling

Posts: 4
Joined: 31.Aug.2008
From: Germany
Status: offline

I cannot find the report but I asume it means it has sent an automatic email reporting that the message was undelivered.

It reads:
This is the MTA at host mail1.dbdserver.de.

I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be
be delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.

For further assistance, please ask your systemadministrator

If you do so, please include this problem report. You can
delete your own text from the attached returned message.

The Postmaster

The System was working and the person who was working on the system prior to the problem does not know what he has done to have created the problem.

< Message edited by exchange_newling -- 1.Sep.2008 5:38:55 AM >

(in reply to Sembee)

Post #: 6

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 6.Sep.2008 8:29:59 AM

exchange_newling

Posts: 4
Joined: 31.Aug.2008
From: Germany
Status: offline

OK, we've managed to automaticaly direct these "undelivery reports" to an e-mail account, it reads:

configuration error in the e-mail system caused the message to bounce
between two servers or to be forwarded between two recipients.
Contact your administrator.
<[companyname].local #5.3.5>

I cant seem to find anything on the 5.3.5 error

Regards,

< Message edited by exchange_newling -- 6.Sep.2008 9:15:55 AM >

(in reply to exchange_newling)

Post #: 7

RE: Cannot receive external emails but I can send them - 7.Sep.2008 12:07:30 PM

Sembee

Posts: 3960
Joined: 17.Jan.2008
From: Somewhere near London, UK
Status: offline

In this case you don't need the error code, the reason information is enough.
You have created a loop somewhere. A smart host set to the server itself perhaps, or a third party tool set to route email back on itself. Something like that. You need to go through the path the email messages are going through to find the loop.

Simon.

_____________________________

Simon Butler,
Exchange MVP
Blog: http://www.sembee.co.uk/
Web: http://www.amset.info/
In the UK? Hire me: http://www.amset.co.uk/

(in reply to exchange_newling)

Post #: 8