[SOLVED] Mail Server - Relay access denied

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 04:13 AM

When testing my mail server setup using MX tools website I get the following:

Code:

HELO please-read-policy.mxtoolbox.com
250 mail.mymail.com [140 ms]
MAIL FROM: <supertool@mxtoolbox.com>
250 2.1.0 Ok [125 ms]
RCPT TO: <test@example.com>
554 5.7.1 <test@example.com>: Relay access denied [140 ms]
QUIT
221 2.0.0 Bye [125 ms

Can someone give me a clue as to what this might mean?

Thanks

repo · 01-18-2011, 04:27 AM

Take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_mail_relay

Kind regards

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 05:28 AM

Hi repo,

Thanks for that but I am still very unclear. So how do I go about making this work using postfix? I have the DNS side set up as per my existing thread:

Code:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/mx-records-a-records-cname-records-advice-please-856658/

Any help would be very helpful.

Thanks a lot

redgoblin · 01-18-2011, 05:43 AM

Quote:

So how do I go about making this work using postfix

You don't want to. You really, really, don't want to.

In that test mxtoolbox.com is testing whether or not it can send email to example.com via your MTA. "Relay access denied" is what you want to see. If it was successful you'd quickly find your server being used to relay large volumes of spam. Open mail relays are one of the things that bot's search for across entire IP ranges.

What are you actually trying to achieve? Being able to send mail from that machine? use it as a relay on an internal network? Let selected outside users relay email through it? Or allow the whole world and it's dog to be able to relay mail through it?

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 05:56 AM

My aim for this is to do the following...

1) My wife and I to be able to receive email from the outside world
2) My wife and I to be able to send email from the inside to the outside world
3) To have it secure using whatever means and to have a working spam program that will pick up the nasty stuff

As I said in my previous mail (link above) I already had a setup but my ISP decided to go out of business so I had the idea of starting the "whole" email process myself instead of using the ISP's smtp servers to connect fetchmail/postfix/dovecot etc etc.

Cheers

repo · 01-18-2011, 05:59 AM

Quote:

2) My wife and I to be able to send email from the inside to the outside world

Do you have a fixed IP for your mailserver?
If not, your mail will be refused by other smtp servers.

Kind regards

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 06:09 AM

Yeah I have a static IP from my ISP which I have routed to the mail server via my routers settings

redgoblin · 01-18-2011, 06:26 AM

Fusion

A few different questions there.

As for your other questions they might require individual threads (if any of them aren't working the way you want) a long with setup, etc. Start from the bottom up; get mail working between accounts on the server, within the LAN, going out, then comming in.

Having a static IP is a very good start. You might need to have reverse DNS set up for your IP address as well as many mail servers are very strict about these things. I've been running my own mail server on a UK DSL line for several years and it's proven to be fast and secure.

In relation to your original post (on this thread) I think you've got your answer; refusing to relay is a good thing! Does that cover your original question?

repo · 01-18-2011, 06:29 AM

Besides the reverse dns, also consider a backup MX record, in case your server or the connection are down.

Kind regards

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 06:33 AM

I was told that if I get a backup MX then I will need another IP???

Is that correct or can I simply just create a secondary MX with the setup I have now???

teebones · 01-18-2011, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by repo

Do you have a fixed IP for your mailserver?
If not, your mail will be refused by other smtp servers.

Kind regards

????????????????
what has a dynap to do with not being able to send out mail.. (the MTA won't mind which ip it has, as long as it can find the destination) (and the receiving mta won't mind either for that matter)

repo · 01-18-2011, 06:51 AM

Most smtp servers refuse mail from a dynamic IP.

Kind regards

teebones · 01-18-2011, 07:00 AM

only BAD configured smtp's do that. PBL blocking e.g. (spamhaus)
PBL is not a blacklist, although some lame ass mta administrators think so (because they block every IP in the PBL, thus lots of problems for their customers).

An MTA purely by itself would not know if the IP of the sender is Dynamic or static.
Secondly, infact each IP is dynamic in technical terms, since each netblock can be revoked, used as the LIR wants etc..
Can change as see fit...(thus dynamic)

fusion1275 · 01-18-2011, 07:38 AM

Hey guys thanks for the replies but this is getting a bit out of my realms of knowledge for a simple email server.

So is it possible for me to create this so I can send and receive mail? If so can you give me some guidelines please.

Static IP --> pointing to mail server --> Postfix --> dovecot --> email client

Cheers

repo · 01-18-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusion1275

Hey guys thanks for the replies but this is getting a bit out of my realms of knowledge for a simple email server.

So is it possible for me to create this so I can send and receive mail? If so can you give me some guidelines please.

Static IP --> pointing to mail server --> Postfix --> dovecot --> email client

Cheers

Yes.
Can you sent mail?
Can you receive mail?

Kind regards