MX problem

[GC]

Hi-
I'm wondering why my MX entry doesn't seem to be working for
trendnetworks.com. If I go to www.dnsreport.com it says that I don't
have an MX record. Also, some mail doesn't seem to be getting delivered,
and the mail that does get delivered I'm assuming it's using the A record
for trendnetworks.com to deliver it.

Here is my zone file, can anyone help? Thanks!


;
; Database file trendnetworks.com.dns for trendnetworks.com zone.
; Zone version: 17
;

@ IN SOA
pangaea-dc1.pangaea-w2k3.pangeasystems.net.
hostmaster.pangaea-w2k3.pangeasystems.net. (
17 ; serial number
900 ; refresh
600 ; retry
86400 ; expire
3600 ) ; default TTL

;
; Zone NS records
;

@ NS ns1.trendnetworks.com.
@ NS ns2.trendnetworks.com.
@ NS pangaea-dc1.pangaea-w2k3.pangeasystems.net.

;
; Zone records
;

@ A 69.3.111.204
mail A 69.3.111.204
MX 10 mail.trendnetworks.com.
ns1 A 69.3.111.204
ns2 A 69.3.111.205
vpn A 69.3.111.202
www A 69.3.111.204

 

[Herb Martin]

Hi-
I'm wondering why my MX entry doesn't seem to be working for
trendnetworks.com. If I go to www.dnsreport.com it says that I don't
have an MX record.

That's the reason it isn't working <grin>. You don't have the
MX record -- at least not the one you think you have.

[Ignoring what might be errors cause by "word wrap" and
"news quoting>"]

@ A 69.3.111.204
mail A 69.3.111.204
MX 10 mail.trendnetworks.com.
ns1 A 69.3.111.204

That 3rd line (in the above set) however we fix it up
(even using the 2nd) is not likely to be correct.

You have either created an incorrect record (no name on
the MX, or if you used a (missing here) "@"-sign in it
following that "mail" record it is setting an MX record
for the subdomain "mail.trendnetworks.com." to the server
mail.trendnetworks.com.

Try this instead (being explicit which is NOT the only way
to do it if you re-order the records and use the @):

trendnetworks.com. MX 10 mail.trendnetworks.com.

Also, some mail doesn't seem to be getting delivered,

Unsurprising, given the missing record. Some recipient
servers will also refuse to ACCEPT mail from you without
that records -- and perhaps without the corresponding PTR
record somewhere in the 69.in-addr-arpa. reverse zone.

For that last you will have to request the ISP do it, but on
checking that for you I find that it is NOT going to match:

nslookup 69.3.111.204
Name: h-69-3-111-204.nycmny83.covad.net
Address: 69.3.111.204

You SMTP record really needs to match that,

h-69-3-111-204.nycmny83.covad.net

....and you SMTP server needs to use that name as well.

Not all servers will refuse your mail but many (most?) will.
(Such measures are taken to ensure that unauthorized SMTP
servers are less likely to source email.)

and the mail that does get delivered I'm assuming it's using the A record
for trendnetworks.com to deliver it.

Likely.

BTW, this is a Win2000 DNS group so why not use the GUI
to avoid such typographical errors or technical misundertandings.

We'll answer anyway but make it hard to mess up whe
The GUI is not perfect but it does eliminate many trivial errors.
(at the expense of making a very few "advanced" techniques a bit
difficult.)