Topic: Qmail/SMTP Failure

[pjhealy]

Hi,

I have the sme (5.6) server sitting behind a firewall.  It is set up as a server-only machine with an IP address of 10.0.0.200.  I've forwarded the smtp port to the SME server however all smtp access to the system fails.

I've used 'telnet 10.0.0.200 25' to check this out from behind the firewall and it works fine.  However if I do the same from the other side of the firewall I get no messages (and nothing in the logs) and the connection immediately fails.

I tried re-directing the smtp port to the httpd port just to verify the firewall port forwarding is working.  I expected this to fail, but it worked!  I got an http response when I telnetted.

So I'm led to believe the problem has something to do with the qmail/smtp connection on the SME server.  Has anyone ever run into this?  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Pat

[PaulM]

Hi Pat

Have you had anymore luck ! I have just set up a similar situation behind a dlink asdl router. External Clients can log in an receive/send mail ok but clients on the lan receive no response from the server (however the server is found).

 
 Regards
Paul

[MSmith]

I'm having the same problem with a 7.0b8 machine behind a Cyberguard SME550 gateway/router.  Telnet OK inside firewall, but even though I *think* I've done my portforwarding correctly I get no response from outside the LAN.  Anyone have any qmail thoughts on this subject?

For the record, I know 7 is still in beta but I'm trying not to expose an Exchange server directly to the Internet!  Using the SME Server in server/gateway mode is not possible as the Cyberguard is doing IPSec VPN with another one far, far away.

[CharlieBrady]

I'm having the same problem with a 7.0b8 machine behind a Cyberguard SME550 gateway/router.  Telnet OK inside firewall, but even though I *think* I've done my portforwarding correctly I get no response from outside the LAN.

Use tcpdump on the SME server to verify that you have packets arriving destination port 25. That'd be the start.

[MSmith]

Good call there ... no packets on port 25 even though I followed the HOWTO precisely.  So a quick email to Cyberguard tech support later, we'll see what they say.

[kruhm]

LONG SHOT
i've had to force reinstall the mailfront and e-smith mailfront before, the sme would close the connection before some (not all) servers could send any data.

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=29674.0

of course, this is for v6. which you should upgrade to.

[MSmith]

Well, the original post is from early 2004 so I imagine the poster has moved on by now.  My issue is occurring with a fresh 7.0b8 but following Brady's advice I find there aren't any packets getting forwarded to the interface so I don't think it's a SME problem.

[MSmith]

Yep, not a SME problem at all.  <fx="sheepish grin">In fact, the problem is half my stupidity, half my ISP's shortsightedness.  They block all outgoing SMTP traffic except through their mailserver, therefore my telnet to port 25 didn't go through. </fx>

So there you have it.  I tested from a host on a more enlightened ISP and voila, SMTP.