Topic: SME 8.1 Not Receiving E-mails

[rrizley@juno.com]

Having exhaustively exhausted all other resources, including ISP, modem, router, DNS, documentation, I must now resort to the forum.  I am unable to receive e-mails to my SME 8.1 mail server.  I am able to send out, just not receive.  Thought it was firewall port(s), but I believe I have all the necessary ports open.  Any suggestions/help would be appreciated. Thx. rr.

[stephdl]

take a look to  /var/log/qpsmtpd/current

[rrizley@juno.com]

Thank you for your reply.  Yes.  I did check that log file and it shows no entry for the e-mail I sent.  Which leads me to believe it is not getting to the server at all.  Can you tell me what port it should come in on.  Because my ISP says their firewall blocks port 25 which looks to me like SMTP.

[janet]

rrizley@juno.com

Can you tell me what port it should come in on.  Because my ISP says their firewall blocks port 25 which looks to me like SMTP.

The smtp mail server talks to other mail servers on port 25, so if your iSP is blocking that port, then you cannot use your SME server as a smtp mail server.
You really need to use a different ISP who allows the use of mail servers on port 25 (that is a standard so you cannot just change the port to something else).

Here is one workaround, but it may not suit you.
http://wiki.contribs.org/PortRedirect

One answer is to bypass using the incoming SME server mail server & connect directly to your ISP using a mail client (Thunderbird etc) on a workstation, this would be on a per user basis configured in each different workstation/mail client. I think you may need to change a db setting.

Possibly also you could use fetchmail on SME server to collect users mail, I think it collects via port 110.
http://wiki.contribs.org/Fetchmail

[rrizley@juno.com]

I am not particularly locked into using SMTP if there are other options

[CharlieBrady]

I am not particularly locked into using SMTP if there are other options

Your only other options are a multidrop mailbox (which relies on your ISP (or somebody else) configuring a multidrop mailbox for your domain, i.e. a single pop or imap mailbox which receives all mail for any address at your domain, or relay via an MX, with the relay delivering mail via a non-standard port (which relies on your ISP, or somebody else, configuring their mail server to receive mail for your domain, and then relay via SMTP to your server, but using a non-standard (non-blocked) port.

By far the simplest is SMTP on port 25 - which would imply that you need to change to a more amenable ISP.

[mike_mattos]

If you cannot RECEIVE mail, is that not a POP issue?  If you can send, is your domain email configured for the right POP server?

[DanB35]

If mail is not coming in to the server, that isn't a POP issue (and there's no reason you should be using POP with SME anyway; IMAP is much better).  The problem is quite simple: OP's ISP blocks port 25.  The solution is equally simple: OP needs to convince them to unblock port 25 (which may involve changing his service plan), find a new ISP, or accept that he won't be able to use his SME server as a mail server.  Or try Charlie's relay MX solution (which could also involve spam filtering--spamhero.com, for example, will filter spam and deliver to your server on a non-standard port).

[mike_mattos]

SME8 still supports POP for multidrop, so if the domain registrar has a backup email server, SME8 will retrieve using POP login from the backup server, eliminating the port 25 issue

[CharlieBrady]

SME8 still supports POP for multidrop, so if the domain registrar has a backup email server, SME8 will retrieve using POP login from the backup server, eliminating the port 25 issue

There are a few problems with these statements. Firstly domain registrars don't operate email servers, they only manage the registration of domain names. ISPs operate DNS servers and email servers.

Secondly, multidrop fetchmail can only be configured if an ISP has their mail server configured to collect all email for a domain in a single mailbox. It doesn't just happen automatically because the ISP has a backup email server.

[mike_mattos]

Charlie, I'm a client of EasyDNS.  They offer a range of email and domain services that resolve issues like port blocking, as well as providing backup email servers and SMTP services.  For low volumes, these are included with the domain registration fee. 

EasyDNS is NOT an ISP 

[ReetP]

Regarding MX mailservers you can now get ridiculously cheap VM instances to act as your upstream server.

I have a 'droplet' (I have no affiliation) with a static IP as a proxy server that could easily do mail as well if I chose for a few dollars a month - it may be easier than changing ISP, and if per chance you DO change then it matters not once your VM is configured. Only shame with droplets - I can't get them to install SME as yet   Though you COULD install say CentOS6 and then add SME packages.

You can then connect to it with different methods including say OpenVPN etc.

It's may be a much better long term solution.

My 1c worth as ever

B. Rgds
John

[CharlieBrady]

Regarding MX mailservers you can now get ridiculously cheap VM instances to act as your upstream server.

MX servers are relay servers for inbound mail. I think you mean SmartHost (relay server for outbound mail).

[ReetP]

MX servers are relay servers for inbound mail. I think you mean SmartHost (relay server for outbound mail).

Indeed I did mean as a SmartHost. Thank you for the correction Charlie.

[Knuddi]

Hi Juno,

The simple test you can do is to do a telnet from an outside host to your server address and port 25 (telnet mail.yourserver.com 25). If you cannot get connection here the ISP or FW is blocking the connection. If this is the case, then you need an external service to do the port change (MX Relay) and there are several options here. This means that you need to configure your server to accept mail on another port (or forwarding rule in the FW) and configure the MX relay to redirect there.

Rgds,
Jesper