One user unable to receive external email (Full Version)

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kartracer88f -> One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 12:21:16 PM)

It's a 2003 sbs server. A few days ago I created a new user, the way I've always dont it and for some reason he cannot receive external emails. He can send, and receive internal emails. I have tried creating a second SMTP email for him and it cannot receive external mail as well. I have also tried deleting the user and recreating him to no effect. Please help. Thank you all for your time. 



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 12:46:27 PM)

You didn't say what happens when an outside mailbox attempts to send.  Does it bounce?  If so, what does the NDR say?

Since you can create a second SMTP address, I'm assuming you can see the first in ADUC.  Is this user able to send out mail?  If so, does the sending address appear to be what is being used to send in?  What happens if the outside mailbox replies to the first message?  Does it arrive?

If you aren't getting a bounce, check Message Tracking to see if Exchange thinks it was delivered to the mailbox.



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 12:55:26 PM)

He can send. Everything appears to be find when he sends it. When you reply it does bounce.

Recipient_address_rejected:_User_unknown_in_virtual_mailbox_table
Delivery last attempted at Wed, 30 May 2007 16:53:57 -0000


Reporting-MTA: dns; comcast.net
Arrival-Date: 30 May 2007 16:53:57 +0000
Content-Type: text/plain

Final-Recipient: rfc822; <emailaddress.com>
Action: failed
Status: 5.0.0 550_<emailaddress.com>:_Recipient_address_rejected:_User_unknown_in_virtual_mailbox_table
Diagnostic-Code: smtp; Permanent Failure: Other undefined Status
Last-Attempt-Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 16:53:57 -0000



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 1:04:10 PM)

Do you have a system that processes inbound messages before it gets to the Exchange server?  Something like Postfix?



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 1:11:45 PM)

No sir. Goes strait into the exchange box. 



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 1:51:18 PM)

I received the message you sent.  I attempted to reply, but of course it fails just as you describe.  However, here are my findings:

When I search DNS for the MX information for your SMTP domain name, it reports mail.<differentdomain>.com.  When I telnet to that name via port 25, a Postfix system named mx1.<AThirdDomain>.com.  That is the system that is returning the NDR you are seeing.

If you wish to see the same results, do the following:

On a system not part of your network (a home computer connected to the Internet works great), open a Command Prompt window and type NSLOOKUP.  Next, type the command "SET TYPE=MX".  Next, type your SMTP domain name.  The lower numbered MX record (you have two - a "10" and a "20") is what would be returned.  Note this name, then type exit.

At the command prompt type "TELNET <FQDN from above> 25".  This attempts to open a session to that name via port 25.  You'll see that the responding system identifies itself as a Postfix server.

My question to you is, since you didn't think that Postfix was involved, is your MX record pointing to the appropriate name?



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 2:13:25 PM)

I see what your talking about. It is possible that there is a postfix box in the building somewhere. I was told by my predecessor that there was no other computer routing mail, and I have yet to find another computer in the building but it is possible (place is a bit of a mess). Also if the MX record was pointing at the wrong name wouln't it effect more than one user. 



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 2:35:54 PM)

quote:

if the MX record was pointing at the wrong name wouln't it effect more than one user
I questioned the accuracy of the MX record based on your assertion that there was no Postfix system.
Based on the things I've read searching for your NDR message (search Google by replacing the underscore characters with spaces), it sounds like you can handle this one of two ways.  First, you can add the new users to the Postfix list.  Second you can bypass Postfix altogether.

I'm hesitant to recommend the second, only because I don't know what else it does in your environment.  I'm not a Postfix user, so I really can't help you with the first.

What device is configured with the public IP address identified in your MX information?  Is it a firewall using NAT?  If you are using managed switches in your LAN, your networking group may be able to point out (physically) where the traffic goes.



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 2:40:36 PM)

Firewall using nat. I'll guess I'll take a look at it. 



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 2:45:49 PM)

You need to track down that Postfix system, then try to determine who if anyone knows what it does in your environment.  Let us know what happens.  Good luck!



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (30.May2007 2:48:38 PM)

Thanks for all the help man. I'm headed to the shop now.



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (1.Jun.2007 2:35:05 PM)

Found the problem. Apprently we are now using somone elses anti spam server and those names were not known in the system. However I'm having a new problem, a user who was not having problems yesterday cannot revieve external email. It tracks throught the spam filter, gets to the exchange box, but I can find the ndr.



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (1.Jun.2007 2:46:22 PM)

quote:

Found the problem.
Nicely done!
quote:

a user who was not having problems yesterday cannot revieve external email
You say it gets to the Exchange box (confirmed with Message Tracking, yes?).  First steps - look for Outlook rules, look for view filters, look at the profile to make sure new messages are going to the mailbox and not a file (PST).  Is it all external mail?  What about internal mail?



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (1.Jun.2007 2:51:22 PM)

Confirmed with message tracking that is correct. It is all external mail. The outlook rules appear to be ok. I wish the dang thing would send me the NDR though. Internal mail is ok. 



uemurad -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (1.Jun.2007 3:13:36 PM)

Additional steps (if you've already exhausted the ones I mentioned before).

1. Connect to the mailbox using OWA and see if it shows up.  If there's a problem with the OST file (cache mode), it may not be properly downloading the message.
2. Look for other workstations that the user might have logged into, and check the Outlook profile there to make sure it isn't storing new messages in a PST file.
3. Use the Advanced Search function to look for the message.  On more than one occasion I've found the message for a user sitting in a different folder.
4. Disable all rules
5. Close Outlook, make sure it disappears from the Task Manager Processes view, then launch it from a command line using the /cleanrules switch (this will delete any rules in the mailbox).
6. Follow the instructions in this article so that you can activate the "Recover Deleted Items" menu selection for all folders:




http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011165281033.aspx


Good luck!



kartracer88f -> RE: One user unable to receive external email (1.Jun.2007 3:24:33 PM)

Found the issue. The problem was with a user that the CEO created before I was hired. Instead of adding a new user she changed some of the old user's information to the new user's name. However she left out some items and when the new user issued and automatic out of office response it went a bit haywire. Fixed it now. Thanks for all the help man!



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