How to change outgoing mail in Exchange 2003?`

dynamik

Sorry for the dumb question. I'm off to deal with another emergency, but I just wanted to check and see if I'm doing this right. A client of ours changed ISPs, and they are obviously not able to send email now. Do I just need to go to the SMTP connect, choose to specify a server, and then enter the server? They are currently configured to just use DNS, and I honestly don't know how that works with things. Sorry for the noob questions; I'm trying to learn as fast as I can, but I'm a bit in over my head with the Exchange stuff at this point

TIA.

blargoe

If they were using a smart host at their old ISP, it would be in the SMTP connector on the General tab, you could just change the address to the new ISP's SMTP server, assuming they allow that. They should if they're a business class ISP.

Silver Bullet

If they were/are using DNS as you say, then their DNS server may be configured to use an upstream DNS for "ALL other DNS domains" and it's pointed to a server at their old ISP which may no longer be reachable.

NetAdmin2436

Typically your ISP (or webhost) will hold the MX record. The MX record must be available to the internet and must point to your public IP.

dynamik

Thanks guys. Hopefully I'll get this sorted out tomorrow. They've having a hell of a time getting access to their domain name. Their old ISP was the registrar, and I guess they're a bit bitter about the switch. It's for a Church, and the one chick was so frustrated that she dropped the f-bomb

blargoe

I missed the part where you said they just "use DNS". You mean, for mail routing? After you verify that the mail server can access the Internet, probably setting the smart host setting to use the new ISP's mail server instead of using DNS to route messages is all you need to do. Lots of ISP's block outgoing port 25 from leaving their network so it would block you from directly connecting to the recipient's MX server. The tech support for their ISP could verify this for you.