Exchange w/ no PTR and Smart Host Setup?

I'm having some problems with mail sticking in Queue for recipients
from AOL and a few other places. Using google, it seems that it's a
problem since my IP address doesn't have reverse DNS.

I'm willing to accept that fact, as I doubt my provider will give one
up. So I'm checking into smart hosts. My question to you
professionals is this:

Is using an SMTP smart host simply passing the outbound email off to
an external provider, such as the company whom hosts our webpage,
which also provides pop/smtp email access?

In short:

If I put my web hosts smtp address in the smart host box, and in the
outgoing authentication box put in an appropriate login for pop/smtp
authentication is this all that is required?

Thanks. You guys are life savers.

Lanwench
Thu Mar 27 06:24:01 PDT 2008

Ryan <mindflux98@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm having some problems with mail sticking in Queue for recipients
> from AOL and a few other places.

What's the status, and does anyone eventually get an NDR?

:> Using google, it seems that it's a
> problem since my IP address doesn't have reverse DNS.

It probably *does* - type

ping -a xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

and see what you get. You just need to have one - and according to the RFCs
for SMTP mail, it doesn't matter what the PTR *contains* - i.e., it doesn't
have to match your domain name at all.

>
> I'm willing to accept that fact, as I doubt my provider will give one
> up.

There's nothing for them to give up. Do you have a static IP with a business
class account?

> So I'm checking into smart hosts. My question to you
> professionals is this:
>
> Is using an SMTP smart host simply passing the outbound email off to
> an external provider, such as the company whom hosts our webpage,
> which also provides pop/smtp email access?

Anyone who runs an SMTP server and will let you relay mail through it.
>
> In short:
>
> If I put my web hosts smtp address in the smart host box, and in the
> outgoing authentication box put in an appropriate login for pop/smtp
> authentication is this all that is required?

You'd do this in your SMTP connector. Run the CEICW and enter the servername
for your smarthost. Then when done, go to the SMTP connector in Exchange
System Manager - properties, advanced, outbound security.

You don't have to send out *all* mail this way, note - you can change the
address space in the connector from * (wildcard) to *@aol.com or whomever
else is being problematic.
>
> Thanks. You guys are life savers.

HTH.

Ryan
Thu Mar 27 06:56:19 PDT 2008

On Mar 27, 8:24 am, "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<lanwe...@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmailatyahoo.com> wrote:

> What's the status, and does anyone eventually get an NDR?

I get an SMTP error in the queue window of Exchange. I believe
eventually I get an NDR.

> It probably *does* - type
>
> and see what you get. You just need to have one - and according to the RFCs
> for SMTP mail, it doesn't matter what the PTR *contains* - i.e., it doesn't
> have to match your domain name at all.
>

Well I telnetted to AOL's MX server last night and got a no relaying
message and a message that I did not have reverse dns.

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;x.x.x.x.in-addr.arpa. IN PTR


Here's a dig -x ip.add.re.ss (with my ip removed). The PTR returns
blank.

ping -a doesn't work from my workstation, it may be a firewall issue.



>
> There's nothing for them to give up. Do you have a static IP with a business
> class account?

Yes. Static IP on a T1.

>
>
> Anyone who runs an SMTP server and will let you relay mail through it.
>
But this requires authentication, yeah?

>
> > In short:
>
> > If I put my web hosts smtp address in the smart host box, and in the
> > outgoing authentication box put in an appropriate login for pop/smtp
> > authentication is this all that is required?
>
> You'd do this in your SMTP connector. Run the CEICW and enter the servername
> for your smarthost. Then when done, go to the SMTP connector in Exchange
> System Manager - properties, advanced, outbound security.
>
> You don't have to send out *all* mail this way, note - you can change the
> address space in the connector from * (wildcard) to *...@aol.com or whomever
> else is being problematic.

I may do that, it seems aol.com and austin.rr.com are two culprits
I've run into thus far. Do you have a link on how to filter wildcards
to the smarthost?

Steve
Thu Mar 27 07:39:48 PDT 2008

You have a business class account with a static IP on a T1 from a reputable
ISP? If so they should have no problem setting up a proper PTR for you.

"Ryan" <mindflux98@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:70ceabd8-44a2-4ea9-bca6-b73065488a69@x41g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> On Mar 27, 8:24 am, "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> <lanwe...@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmailatyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> What's the status, and does anyone eventually get an NDR?
>
> I get an SMTP error in the queue window of Exchange. I believe
> eventually I get an NDR.
>
>> It probably *does* - type
>>
>> and see what you get. You just need to have one - and according to the
>> RFCs
>> for SMTP mail, it doesn't matter what the PTR *contains* - i.e., it
>> doesn't
>> have to match your domain name at all.
>>
>
> Well I telnetted to AOL's MX server last night and got a no relaying
> message and a message that I did not have reverse dns.
>
> ;; QUESTION SECTION:
> ;x.x.x.x.in-addr.arpa. IN PTR
>
>
> Here's a dig -x ip.add.re.ss (with my ip removed). The PTR returns
> blank.
>
> ping -a doesn't work from my workstation, it may be a firewall issue.
>
>
>
>>
>> There's nothing for them to give up. Do you have a static IP with a
>> business
>> class account?
>
> Yes. Static IP on a T1.
>
>>
>>
>> Anyone who runs an SMTP server and will let you relay mail through it.
>>
> But this requires authentication, yeah?
>
>>
>> > In short:
>>
>> > If I put my web hosts smtp address in the smart host box, and in the
>> > outgoing authentication box put in an appropriate login for pop/smtp
>> > authentication is this all that is required?
>>
>> You'd do this in your SMTP connector. Run the CEICW and enter the
>> servername
>> for your smarthost. Then when done, go to the SMTP connector in Exchange
>> System Manager - properties, advanced, outbound security.
>>
>> You don't have to send out *all* mail this way, note - you can change the
>> address space in the connector from * (wildcard) to *...@aol.com or
>> whomever
>> else is being problematic.
>
> I may do that, it seems aol.com and austin.rr.com are two culprits
> I've run into thus far. Do you have a link on how to filter wildcards
> to the smarthost?
>
>

Ryan
Thu Mar 27 07:44:39 PDT 2008

Steve,
I'm working on requesting it. Though sometimes folks just don't
want to cooperate so I'm just exploring my options.

I requested a PTR/rDNS on my IP to my MX address
(mail.hostname.com)... so we'll see.

-Ryan

On Mar 27, 9:39 am, "Steve" <newsgr...@public.lan> wrote:
> You have a business class account with a static IP on a T1 from a reputable
> ISP? If so they should have no problem setting up a proper PTR for you.

Steve
Thu Mar 27 08:13:41 PDT 2008

In an earlier post you mentioned using your web host's mail server as a
smart host. Is that also your T1 ISP? If not why not use the T1 ISP's mail
server instead? Getting the PTR setup of course still needs to be done.

"Ryan" <mindflux98@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:63e509e3-b86a-4e24-a57d-20ad07c17bb9@p73g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
> Steve,
> I'm working on requesting it. Though sometimes folks just don't
> want to cooperate so I'm just exploring my options.
>
> I requested a PTR/rDNS on my IP to my MX address
> (mail.hostname.com)... so we'll see.
>
> -Ryan
>
> On Mar 27, 9:39 am, "Steve" <newsgr...@public.lan> wrote:
>> You have a business class account with a static IP on a T1 from a
>> reputable
>> ISP? If so they should have no problem setting up a proper PTR for you.

Ryan
Thu Mar 27 08:21:19 PDT 2008

Steve,
I could do that I imagine. Though I don't have any pop/smtp
accounts set up with my ISP. My original ISP got bought up by Time
Warner, so I'm a little at a loss as to where to go to do that, so I
figured using my host for my domain name to forward those problematic
domains onward would work.

RE: Time Warner, though. I'm about to expire on this contract and am
moving elsewhere. So the PTR will only be good for a few months until
I need to do all of these shenanigans again.

If I get the PTR set up I likely won't need to use a Smart Host
anyway, that's the point of all of this after all, right?


On Mar 27, 10:13 am, "Steve" <newsgr...@public.lan> wrote:
> In an earlier post you mentioned using your web host's mail server as a
> smart host. Is that also your T1 ISP? If not why not use the T1 ISP's mail
> server instead? Getting the PTR setup of course still needs to be done.

Steve
Thu Mar 27 08:41:01 PDT 2008

In theory yes a PTR should mean you don't need to use a smart host.
Sometimes it seems even that isn't enough for sending to some picky domains
like AOL, Comcast, Verizon, etc. and you need to do what Lanwench suggested.
Setup a separate SMTP connector that uses a smart host just for those picky
domains.

"Ryan" <mindflux98@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:38534070-6ed0-4e86-ad35-468ce7afef76@n77g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Steve,
> I could do that I imagine. Though I don't have any pop/smtp
> accounts set up with my ISP. My original ISP got bought up by Time
> Warner, so I'm a little at a loss as to where to go to do that, so I
> figured using my host for my domain name to forward those problematic
> domains onward would work.
>
> RE: Time Warner, though. I'm about to expire on this contract and am
> moving elsewhere. So the PTR will only be good for a few months until
> I need to do all of these shenanigans again.
>
> If I get the PTR set up I likely won't need to use a Smart Host
> anyway, that's the point of all of this after all, right?
>
>
> On Mar 27, 10:13 am, "Steve" <newsgr...@public.lan> wrote:
>> In an earlier post you mentioned using your web host's mail server as a
>> smart host. Is that also your T1 ISP? If not why not use the T1 ISP's
>> mail
>> server instead? Getting the PTR setup of course still needs to be done.
>

Ryan
Thu Mar 27 14:39:10 PDT 2008

Alright! TWTC enabled reverse DNS but I was still having problems with
aol and road runner.

Turns out it was the PIX SMTP fixup..

what a doozy.