Exchange Server

Vassili · Guest

Just installed Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 SP2. Outlook and web clients
work just fine. When I try to set up a POP3 client they can receive, but not
send. Sometimes outlook express gives me a 0x800ccc0e and sometimes it just
keeps asking for username and password and never takes it. Outlook always
just keeps asking for username and password. I tried to specifically allow IP
addresses, set security where the server would just be an open relay for
anyone - no difference at all. Any ideas? I am kind of thinking that Default
SMTP Virtual server may be corrupt - is there a way to reset it, or perhaps
to even uninstall and reinstall that part?

Jonathan Norris · Guest

I would say its an authentication issue not SMTP. Look at the SMTP
properties in Outlook Express and the SMTP Virtual Server, it problalby isn't
set correctly.

You may need to play around with the SMTP Virtual Server and the client
settings.

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Connecting_POP_And_IMAP_Clients_To_MS_Exchange_Server.html

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/guides/E2k3FrontBack/ed3de949-dd54-426b-b32a-31fdaab5fd02.mspx

Might be helpful
--
Jonathan
No Warrenties Implied, Did you do a FULL backup today??????

Vassili · Guest

I kind of thought authentication myself. But if it is I don't know what I am
doing wrong. Here are the settings I currently have for the default SMTP
server:

Under Authentication I have checked Anonymous Access, Basic Authentication
and Windows Authentication

Under Connection I have selected All Except the list below, and the list is
empty

Finally, under Relay I have selected Only the list below and the list is
empty. And the checkbox saying allow all computers that successfully
authenticate to relay regardless of the list to relay.

Basically it's identical to our Exchange 2000 server, except on it I have
anonymous under authentication unchecked and it works just fine. With
Exchange 2003 I found if I uncheck anonymous incoming mail stops coming.

Now, if I change the last setting to say All, except the list below and
leave the list empty then pop3 relays fine. But that's extremelly bad idea,
because then the server becomes an open relay. So I guess it may be
authentication, but then again I get stuck - what am I doing wrong?

Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP · Guest

POP3 users have to relay mail. period. If you want to prevent your server
from being an open relay, then the POP3 clients need to configure the
Outbound server to use authentication. They have to authenticate in order
to download their mail - in most cases here, you can simply set it so that
the outbound server uses the same settings as the incoming server and it
will be fine.

The fact that it works when you allow anyone to relay points to a
misconfiguration on the client side. Check those settings again.

--
Ben Winzenz
Exchange MVP
MessageOne
Read my blog!
http://winzenz.blogspot.com
http://feeds.feedburner.com/winzenz (RSS Feed)

Jeff Cochran · Guest

Also keep in mind that Hotmail, and often Yahoo, just take a while to
deliver. We're not blacklisted and have the proper records, all mail
eventually goes through, but the vast majority of complaints about slow
delivery are either Hotmail or Yahoo Mail. I researched this a year ago and
basically, the destination SMTP receivers either timed out or were
unavailable, and eventually the retries got the mail through but it took
anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours in most cases.

I've noticed this on Exchange as well as other SMTP servers sending to
Hotmail, and it really does boil down to the destination servers being busy.
Keep in mind that free mail accounts generally aren't hosted on the most
efficient of networks, there's no profit in it. I've noticed GMail starting
to behave this way occasionally as well.

You might monitor the SMTP logs and see what's really happening on the
connections. Refusals due to possible SPAM, Viruses or Blacklists will show
up, but timeouts usually just mean the network is congested or the
destination server is busy or offline. You can shorten retry times but that
doesn't make sense in most cases because you're basically hammering the
systems even more, leading to an even bigger problem.

Jeff

Vassili · Guest

Well, you guys must have a magic touch, it works now :) No idea what I did,
but hope it will stay working. Since you're that good maybe you can answer
one more question. We have a horrible time sending to hotmail. It sits in the
queue forever, then goes away. Sometimes it does get delivered and sometimes
it doesn't, but even if it does it takes the message 4-6 hours to get there.
I found in another thread here a suggestion to check for blacklisting. I did,
and one red line shows up. It says <ip address> has no reverse DNS entry;
some mail servers may not accept your mail. Is that a problem, and if it is
what do I need to do to fix it? If not any other suggestions?

Jonathan Norris · Guest

Get with your DNS provider and tell them you need a Reverse DNS for your MX/A
Record.
--
Jonathan
No Warrenties Implied, Did you do a FULL backup today??????

Vassili · Guest

Ok, it all finally is shaping into a functioning mail server. I guess I need
to re-read the DNS chapter in the book to remind myself what reverse DNS does
to have an understanding what I want from the provider. Not sure about
hotmail, this isn't the first Exchange server I installed (albeit the first
2003) and this is the first time I see the problem. But I will play with it,
see what I can do. Thank you all for the help!

	Exchange Server Forum Index -> Administration	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1