Configuring Inbound Settings on SMTP Virtual Servers
To configure your SMTP virtual server to receive Internet mail, you must perform the following tasks:
Configure the inbound port as 25 and specify the IP address.
Verify that your inbound SMTP virtual server allows anonymous access.
For security reasons, verify the relay restrictions on your inbound virtual server. By default, relay settings allow only authorized users to relay mail.
Important
You should verify that your SMTP virtual server settings are correct. You should also be familiar with the consequences of specific configuration choices when troubleshooting SMTP-related message flow issues.
Setting Up Your Exchange Server to Send Internet Mail
This section explains how to configure your Exchange server to send Internet mail. Specifically, you will learn how to:
Configure outbound settings on SMTP virtual servers.
Configure a smart host on an SMTP virtual server.
Configure an SMTP connector.
Use the checklist in the following table to ensure that you complete all the necessary configuration steps to set up your Exchange server to send Internet mail. Each step is explained in detail in the following sections or earlier in this document.
Configuration steps to set up an Exchange server to send Internet mail
| Step | Task | Notes |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Verify SMTP is properly loaded on your Exchange server. |
|
2 |
Verify that your DNS server can resolve external (Internet) names. |
See "Configuring DNS for Outbound Mail" in Verifying DNS Design and Configuration. |
3 |
Verify that your SMTP virtual server's outbound port is set to 25. |
Other SMTP servers on the Internet expect your SMTP virtual server to connect to them on port 25. See How to Verify that Your Outbound Port Is Set to Use Port 25. |
4 |
Verify that your outbound SMTP virtual server permits anonymous access. |
Other SMTP servers on the Internet do not expect your SMTP server to authenticate. See How to Allow Anonymous Access on Your Outbound SMTP Virtual Server. |
5 |
If you must configure a smart host on your SMTP virtual server, verify that it is configured correctly. |
It is recommended that you configure smart hosts on an SMTP connector, rather than on the virtual server itself. If you must configure a smart host on the SMTP virtual server, ensure that it meets the criteria specified in Configuring a Smart Host on a SMTP Virtual Server. |
6 |
Create an SMTP connector on your outbound SMTP virtual server with an address space of * (asterisk) to route Internet mail. |
When you create an SMTP connector with an address space of *, Exchange routes all Internet mail through this connector. See How to Create an SMTP Connector. |
Configuring Outbound Settings on SMTP Virtual Servers
The outbound settings on an SMTP virtual server control the ports and IP addresses through which outbound mail is sent. Connectors that are configured on bridgehead servers that route mail to the Internet use these settings. Most of these settings are configured on the Delivery tab in the SMTP virtual server properties.
To configure your SMTP virtual server to deliver outbound mail, you must:
Ensure that the outbound port is set to port 25 (this is the default setting).
Allow anonymous access for your outbound connection (this is the default setting).
Set external DNS servers for SMTP to use, if desired. You can configure the SMTP virtual server to use an external DNS server; however, it is easier and more common to rely on internal DNS servers to forward DNS queries to the configured external DNS servers.
For detailed instructions, see the following topics: