Mail Flow Reloaded

I have covered this topic here before. However, since my contribution in this blog is centered around repetitive support issues we’ll take another stab at it again since it seems that the gap in understand shows up every time we get a new batch of partners. Please feel free to print this or link this to your support staff because it’s pretty fail safe and it will save your team time as well as safe face in looking borderline incompetent when confronted with such an issue to your end users.

My client has reported to me that they have not received any email today (random interval of time they expected to receive mail and have not):

1. Always and foremost check the MX record. If this is pointed at anything other than or in addition to inbound30.exchangedefender.com, you’ve found your problem.
You can use a site like www.mxtoolbox.com to search this or if you’re savvy in windows cmd promp or linux there are commands to do this.

2. You’ve checked the MX records and the only thing that exists is inbound30.exchangedefender.com, what do I check next?
ExchangeDefender requires 1 hour to propagate across all inbound and outbound server (2 hours during peak which is defined by 8-6 EST)

You access a computer’s command prompt and attempt the following steps:

telnet inbound30.exchangedefender.com 25 <enter> (Wait for Welcome banner before proceeding)

ehlo yoursendingdomain.com <enter> (Use your actual test send domain, and wait for reply from server)

mail from: yourtest@domain.com <enter> (Use your actual test send address, and wait for reply from server)

rcpt to: yourclient@domain.com <enter> (Use your actual client address, and wait for reply from server)

DATA <enter>

Subject: Test <enter>

Testing please ignore. <enter>

. <enter> (The sole period indicates end of transmission).

 

Now you should have received a message ID if your test was successful. If you received such an ID the issue is not within ExchangeDefender. If you receive a relaying denied message you have not given the system enough time to populate the routing changes for your new or changed domain delivery point.

3. Log into https://admin.exchangedefender.com with your Service Provider ID (Hint: It’s not a domain nor an email address). If you need this and are unsure open a support request and we’ll provide you the credentials. Unfortunately, we cannot provide this type of information over the phone if you call in looking for this you’ll be directed as such.

Once you log in, click on Mail Log at the top then search for your test message.

If you see the status as Deferred 9 times out of 10 its either the ISP or a firewall not allowing our subnets to deliver the message, the last 1 out of 10 is the IP restrictions weren’t set in Exchange. For an updated list of our ranges please visit:

http://www.exchangedefender.com/ExchangeDefender_Deployment_Guide.php

Carlos Lascano
VP Support Services, ExchangeDefender
carlos@ownwebnow.com
(877) 546-0316 x737