Re: [cobalt-users] new to raq 4, email does not work

[SM <sm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rick,
At 08:38 25-04-2004, Rick wrote:
> Ok, I am running a raq3 w/ raq4 OS.  It is located at 68.117.108.42.  I have
> a single static IP.  Use Zoneedit.com for my DNS server.  Hosting multiple
> sites using virtual hosting.  I would like to offer email to my clients.  My
> ISP is Charter.net.  It is cable.  I am considering a fractional T1 later if
> I can make this work.

The reverse DNS for your IP address is the same as those used by Cable 
users.  You may be blocked by a lot of mail servers because of that.  Ask 
your ISP to set up a reverse DNS entry which points back to the hostname of 
your RaQ3.

> I set up mx records for mail.circlesystemsinc.com, and for secondary mx I
> created something I called wildmail.circlesytemsinc.com.  I probably should
> have used
> smtp.circlesystemsinc.com.  I have three more rack servers, one with dual

Your domain is not registered yet. :)

> from a different ISP that the server is located on.  Should I set up the
> other machines to act as DNS and MX servers?  Will that help in
> "legitimizing" my presence on the web?

I suggest not using that cable connection as it is listed in some 
blackholes as a dynamic host.  You may have difficulty sending mail because 
of that.

Your presence on the web should not be a problem if you have DNS for the 
websites resolving to your IP address.  You can use the same machine to act 
as DNS and MX servers.  The downside to it is that if that connection does 
not work, then DNS and MX won't work.

"legitimizing" your mail server is less straight-forward.  As mentioned 
above, a lot of people block mail coming from hosts such as yours as it 
looks like a residential account which is generally not used to run mail 
servers.  You can either colocate the mail server or else send all mail 
through your ISP's mail server.

Your subject line says "email does not work".  It is best to include an 
extract of your maillog (located in /var/log/maillog) to diagnostic such 
problems.

Regards,
-sm