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Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains

Offline fmilano

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Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains
« on: February 28, 2009, 02:10:56 AM »
Hi,

Just to clarify.. I have multiple domains (domain1, domain2, domain3)

The servers hostname is mail.domain1.com

I need to setup MX Records for each domain and each MX Record point to the address of that domain.
Host  Address               Record Type
@      mail.domain1.com  MX
@      mail.domain2.com MX
@      mail.domain3.com MX

OR

Can I just setup one main MX Server Record and point the other domains to use that MX Server.

domain2 DNS info
@      mail.domain1.com  MX

Thank You

Offline cactus

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Re: Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2009, 08:50:34 AM »
AFAIK MX records are not required, a A record would do as well, but you will need one for every domain. How are DNS servers to know that mail1.domain.com will server mail for mail.domain2.com and mail.domain3.com otherwise?

AFAIK MX record can only point to A records and not to other MX records.
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Offline David Harper

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Re: Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2009, 10:57:01 AM »
I think the question was whether an MX record for Domain A's mail server can point to a host (A record) in Domain B.

I'm curious now too...  :cool:

Offline CharlieBrady

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Re: Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2009, 03:11:40 PM »
I think the question was whether an MX record for Domain A's mail server can point to a host (A record) in Domain B.

It can. But as cactus says, you don't need MX records.

Offline fmilano

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Re: Multiple MX Records for Multiple Domains
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2009, 12:40:03 AM »
Cactus is right! I didn't know this before but:

If no MX records were present, the server falls back to A, that is to say, it makes a request for the A record of the same domain. The MX mechanism provides the ability to run multiple mail servers for a single domain, and allows administrators to specify an order in which they should be tried.

My curiosity was can Domain2's MX  records "address" setting point to Domain1's A record (mail.domain1.com). Allowing DNS servers to know that mail.domain1.com is handling email for Domain2. Will SME's mail server except domain2 routing to mail.domain1.com since domain2 is set as a domain in SME.