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As I am under testing environment, and we need to configure MX record in order to receive emails from the internet. However, currently we are using POP3 with the existing MX record that is alerady configured for our domain (mydomain.com.au). How can I configure the new MX record for Exchange 07 without interupting POP3 meaning users still can send/receive emails with POP3.
The current Pre-Setting for POP3 that I took from our hosting domain
mail.mydomain.com.au 86400 IN A 198.66.X.Y (it is IP of our hosting domain) mydomain.com.au. 86400 IN MX 50.mail.mydomain.com.au (50 is prioirty I think)
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
< Message edited by ctvu -- 18.Dec.2008 10:01:21 PM >
What you already have is pointing somewhere else. The MX points to an A record that points to a physical host.
POP and SMTP on the client side work from host records.
POP is on another port; maybe you can use your firewall to PAT the 25 from the existing target onto the new server. This is pretty common when folks use a filter appliance on the inside of their firewall and SMTP goes to the device, but POP and IMAP go to the server.
Actually I already stuffed up the POP emails now they cannot receive emails :( . Unfortunately, it will take 24 hours to take effect, so one day worth of emails are gone, I take all responsiblities for it. Sigh! And I am not still able to receive emails from the external emails after I configured the MX record as mentioned before.
Thanks for your input. I am not testing the MX records, pardon me if my post was so confusing. I am installing and configuring Exchange 07 at the moment and of course it is in the test environment not product live yet. So far I can send/receive internally and send out to the external emails, but cannot receive from the internet emails, that is why I am struggling with configuring MX record with our registered domain that we are using for POP3.
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I understood what you meant. You cannot mix a test and production environment using MX records. It is one or the other.
If you aren't ready to switch everything then put your MX records back as they were before. You will be unable to receive internet email via SMTP delivery, but there is nothing you can do about it.
POP3 is only the client to mail server connection. Your MX records need to point at whatever SMTP server is used to deliver the email to the POP3 mailboxes.
Thank you Simon for your help. You're absolutely right. As I mentioned before that I stuffed up the POP3, now we cannot receive internal emails. I already put the setting bak where they were before. I am hoping the POP3 should be back as normal by today.
As you mentioned, no way we can do any test of receiving emails from the internet emails at all? I need to do this test before we roll out.
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The only way to test the server is to do it manually using telnet. That will confirm it works. However at some point you have to cut between the two servers.
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Telnet is basically doing the same thing as a regular SMTP connection, except you entering the commands manually.
When you come to switch, you should leave both systems running as there will be a propagation time. I usually take four or five days to change from another service provider to SMTP delivery to allow full DNS propagation and cache expiry to take place.
Again thank you for your quick response. Please excuse me for silly questions. If I use Telnet to test SMTP connection for my Exchange server now, it is not going to work, is it? because the current MX record still points to A record that points to the POP3 server we are currently using. In other words I am testing the POP3 server. Please correct me, if it is wrong.
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When you use telnet, you connect directly to an SMTP server. This means you bypass the MX record entirely. So you test any server in which you specify the IP/FQDN for.
Thought I'd let you know that I did telnet to test SMTP connection, it was successful i.e. the users can receive emails from the outside world. That is fantastic.
Thank you so much for your great help. Now I can move on to OWA and the rest. Much appreciated.
When you come to switch, you should leave both systems running as there will be a propagation time. I usually take four or five days to change from another service provider to SMTP delivery to allow full DNS propagation and cache expiry to take place.
As I have a plan to switch over Exchange during X-mas when not many users are using Email. What do you mean by leaving both systems running? That means during this period, users cannot receive emails from internet, that is what I have experienced when I stuffed up the POP3 as I mentioned early post. Please correct me, if I am wrong, and also is there any pre-cautions I should be aware of? Thanks
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It doesn't mean users cannot receive email during that period - it means that will be receiving email in both locations. If you have a period where no email is required at all, then you could potentially use another technique of having both servers listed in the MX records for 48 hours before the switch, with port 25 blocked on the new server. Then change the block around, which would force all email to go in to the new server.
Basically it means - cut over to your Exchange SMTP by pointing your MX record at your server but keep your POP mailboxes on your host as mail will still be delivered to them as the MX change replicates over the course of a couple of days. Slowly, but surely, mail will start to be delivered to your exchange box rather than your POP mailboxes.
Basically it means - cut over to your Exchange SMTP by pointing your MX record at your server but keep your POP mailboxes on your host as mail will still be delivered to them as the MX change replicates over the course of a couple of days. Slowly, but surely, mail will start to be delivered to your exchange box rather than your POP mailboxes.
Thank you very much Dave and Simon indeed. That is what I am worried about, before I left 2 MX records - one for POP3 and the other for Exchange- they both could not deliver mails from External to Internal users. Now I understand, in the DNS setting I should create one MX record for the Exchange or basically I just change the IP address for A record to the new one, and leave all POP3 clients and Exchange for 4-5 days, then I disable all POP3 accounts.