Topic: Send/Receive mail to/from outside OK, but not inside

[rshiras]

I have a few domains set up in SME 8.1.  I can send/receive to anyone outside my server, but when any user tries to send mail to any other user on the server, it does not arrive. 
Log file "maillog" is empty.  All domain names are hosted at GoDaddy, and mx for each domain points to the primary domain of the server.  What am I missing?

[janet]

rshiras

....but when any user tries to send mail to any other user on the server, it does not arrive. 

What email clients are the users using ?
Is the email message actually sent ?
Does using webmail allow users to to send & receive to each other ?
Look at qpsmtpd & sqpmtpd & qmail log files

[rshiras]

What email clients are the users using ?  Outlook 2010.  I have created a new profile for this test to see if profile corruption could be the problem.  Same problem so it's not the profile.
Is the email message actually sent ? Yes
Does using webmail allow users to to send & receive to each other ? Yes webmail always gets through.  From Outlook, we can send to users on other domains, just not to users on our own domain.  They go out but they don't come back in. 
Look at qpsmtpd & sqpmtpd & qmail log files

qmail log shows something like this, which looks like a success to me:
new msg 78286773
2013-10-09 16:02:43.717176500 info msg 78286773: bytes 856 from <nnn@nnnn.net> qp 14957 uid 453
2013-10-09 16:02:43.775982500 starting delivery 396: msg 78286773 to remote nnn@nnnn.comcastbiz.net
2013-10-09 16:02:43.775990500 status: local 0/20 remote 1/20
2013-10-09 16:02:44.530348500 delivery 396: success: 76.96.107.75_accepted_message./Remote_host_said:_250_2.0.0_bB2j1m00P1SwGNA01B2kaq_mail_accepted_for_delivery/
2013-10-09 16:02:44.530414500 status: local 0/20 remote 0/20
2013-10-09 16:02:44.530448500 end msg 78286773

Neither sqpsmtpd or qpsmtpd have anything about the message

[janet]

rshiras

Have you set up Outlook correctly ?
Are you using the sme server smtp server ?
See
http://wiki.contribs.org/Email_-_Setting_up_E-mail_clients_for_SME_8.0
 

Is the email message actually sent ?
Yes

How do you know it is sent, you say there is nothing in the log files ?

Does using webmail allow users to to send & receive to each other ? Yes webmail always gets through.  From Outlook, we can send to users on other domains, just not to users on our own domain.  They go out but they don't come back in. 

How do you know that "they don't come back in", other than you do not receive them ?
Are they being blocked by RBL lists or spam filtering etc ?
Can your users behind sme server receive mail from other external users not associated with any of your domains eg from gmail accounts etc, ie is your network & server & firewall etc configured correctly.
What mode is your server in ? (ie server only, server & gateway)
Is there a seperate firewall/router between your server & the Internet ?
If server only mode with firewall have you forwarded mail ports to the server.

Neither sqpsmtpd or qpsmtpd have anything about the message

There should be something (unless email clients wrongly configured), look around the time you send an email message.

[rshiras]

I am using the Comcast SMTP server settings in Outlook because the SME server is on a different external IP address and (correct me if I'm wrong) I would be relaying if I tried to use the SME outgoing server.  I know the e-mails are going out because I can send out to other domains and they receive the messages.  I can CC someone in my domain but they do not get it.  So the message gets to the outside recipients but not the inside recipients.

Server Mode   servergateway
I do have a firewall/router between my workstations and the internet, but not between the SME server and the internet.
Doesn't my qmail log entry that says "delivery 396: success ... accepted" mean the message went out?

[janet]

rshiras

You can use your sme server smtp server from anywhere, as long as you use SSL & authentication etc, & configure the server & the client appropriately, refer to the earlier link re setting up clients.

I am not referring to the successfully sent messages, I am referring to the unsuccessful ones, the log files should show why they are not being sent locally etc.
As webmail works as expected, then the problem is likely with your setup somewhere.

Have you disabled the smtp proxy in server manager ?

Doesn't my qmail log entry that says "delivery 396: success ... accepted" mean the message went out?

I am referring to the messages that are not successful, look in the logs to see why not.
Problem is you are not sending via sme server, so nothing will appear in logs. If you are sending via ISPs servers, then ask them or look at their log files as to why messages are not being delivered.

[rshiras]

Good info, thanks.  In regards to the smtp proxy in server manager, should I disable it or not?

[janet]

rshiras

In regards to the smtp proxy in server manager, should I disable it or not?

It depends on your requirements & network setup
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter11

[mmccarn]

SMTP Proxy is specifically designed to intercept all outbound traffic on port 25 from LAN clients in order to prevent infected (or unauthorized) LAN workstations from sending SPAM.  It doesn't sound like this applies to you, so you can have it on or off.

I can think of a couple configuration settings that would result in disappearing local email:

1) Mis-configured external DNS settings
Any server outside your network will deliver email to your users to the server with the lowest numbered mx record in DNS.  What is the lowest-numbered MX record returned when you lookup your mx info on the dns server at 4.2.2.1?
nslookup -type=mx <youremaildomain.com> 4.2.2.1

2) Mis-configured mail server
If any server that your email passes through thinks that it is *the* mail server for your domain, it will "deliver" the email to a local mailbox instead of passing it on to the correct MX record.  So, if you're relaying through Comcast and Comcast thinks they host your email, their servers may be swallowing your email. 

If you haven't customized your settings at GoDaddy, by default GoDaddy will have setup your MX record to deliver email to GoDaddy's servers, and they will have configured their servers to accept your email.

You might expect to get a bounce message if you haven't setup all of your users on the server that is getting your mail -- but the server might be trying to send the bounce message back to your local domain name, which means to itself -- it would detect the bounce loop and stop trying.  Or the server may be configured with a multi-drop mailbox that is collecting all of the email for anyone at your domain.


You can either fix the configuration so that your email is delivered to your SME server, or you can find your email and configure multidrop or Fetchmail to download the email for your local users from whatever server is blocking it. 

[edit]
fix multidrop url

[rshiras]

Thank you for all the excellent help.
I have gotten it working with SME as my outgoing server (with help from our secret friend, byte).
No telling if Comiecast thinks they are my e-mail server.  They don't think so but that doesn't mean it's not true.
I was even able to use 443/SSL outgoing!
Thanks again