How to setup DNS behind Airport Extreme and ISP that will not reverse DNS

Hi,

I am having issues setting up my Mac Mini with SLS. Right now my server is connected to the internet through my Airport Express. It gets a static address from the router (10.0.1.13). The router also has a static address from my ISP. I own the domain redcedarpoint.com. I have set the A record to point to my static router IP address. I also setup a CNAME for server.redcedarpoint.com to the same address.

During the initial portion of setup SLS sees my ISP's domain versus my own domain and incorrectly fills the local domain name. I manually changed these to redcedarpoint.com and called the server 'server'. This puts server.redcedarpoint.com into all the host names. Everything seems to work, but now all my users get email addresses like johndoe@server.redcedarpoint.com versus johndoe@redcedarpoint.com. I have manually set mail host name to redcedarpoint.com (although this is wrong I think). It solves the email addressing issue, but now postfix gives me a warning about a duplicate:

+Jan 27 21:20:45 server postfix/postmap[70670]: warning: /var/amavis/local_domains.db: duplicate entry: "redcedarpoint.com"+

My question is: What should I fill in during setup and how should I setup DNS from my hosting service.

By the way, I am also trying to funnel all inbound and outbound email through my premium Google Apps subscription.

Here's also the result of postconf -n

+Last login: Wed Jan 27 21:19:47 on ttys000+
+server:~ ianknight$ postconf -n+
+biff = no+
+command_directory = /usr/sbin+
+config_directory = /etc/postfix+
+content_filter = smtp-amavis:[127.0.0.1]:10024+
+daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix+
+debug peerlevel = 2+
+enable serveroptions = yes+
+header_checks = pcre:/etc/postfix/custom headerchecks+
+html_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/html+
+inet_interfaces = all+
+mail_owner = _postfix+
+mailbox sizelimit = 0+
+mailbox_transport = dovecot+
+mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq+
+manpage_directory = /usr/share/man+
+maps rbldomains =+
+message sizelimit = 10485760+
+mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost, dmcwatering.com, internationalcardio.com+
+mydomain = redcedarpoint.com+
+mydomain_fallback = localhost+
+myhostname = redcedarpoint.com+
+mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8,216.239.32.0/19,64.233.160.0/19,66.249.80.0/20,72.14.192.0/18,209.8 5.128.0/17,66.102.0.0/20,74.125.0.0/16,64.18.0.0/20,207.126.144.0/20,173.194.0.0 /16+
+newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases+
+queue_directory = /private/var/spool/postfix+
+readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix+
+recipient_delimiter = ++
+relayhost =+
+sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/examples+
+sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail+
+setgid_group = _postdrop+
+smtp sasl_authenable = yes+
+smtp sasl_passwordmaps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl/passwd+
+smtpd clientrestrictions = permit_mynetworks permit saslauthenticated reject rblclient zen.spamhaus.org permit+
+smtpd enforcetls = no+
+smtpd helorequired = yes+
+smtpd helorestrictions = reject invalid_helohostname reject non_fqdn_helohostname+
+smtpd pw_server_securityoptions = cram-md5,gssapi,login+
+smtpd recipientrestrictions = permit saslauthenticated permit_mynetworks reject unauthdestination check policyservice unix:private/policy permit+
+smtpd sasl_authenable = yes+
+smtpd tlsCAfile =+
+smtpd tls_certfile =+
+smtpd tls_excludeciphers = SSLv2, aNULL, ADH, eNULL+
+smtpd tls_keyfile =+
+smtpd tlsloglevel = 0+
+smtpd use_pwserver = yes+
+smtpd usetls = no+
+unknown local_recipient_rejectcode = 550+
+virtual aliasmaps =+
+server:~ ianknight$+

Mac Mini Server, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 27, 2010 12:33 PM

Reply
5 replies

Jan 27, 2010 1:17 PM in response to gladys35

The first one is easy...

Jan 27 21:20:45 server postfix/postmap70670: warning: /var/amavis/local_domains.db: duplicate entry: "redcedarpoint.com"


You have redcedarpoint.com set as both the domain name and the hostname of the server. That is not correct:

mydomain = redcedarpoint.com
...
myhostname = redcedarpoint.com


In this case, myhostname should be the reverse DNS hostname that the recipient mail server would see on outgoing mail - typically this would be something like 'mail.redcedarpoint.com

You should also fix the mydestination parameter so that it includes your domain name as well:

mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost, dmcwatering.com, internationalcardio.com


mydestination identifies the domains this server accepts mail for. In this setup it will accept mail addressed to @mail.redcedarpoint.com (assuming you fix myhostname, as above), @localhost.redcedarpoint.com, @localhost, @dmcwatering.com and @internationalcardio.com
Nowhere here does @recedarpoint.com appear, so users won't get mail addressed to username@redcedarpoint.com

It's easiest to just add redcedarpoint.com to the list of domains the server handles mail for.

how should I setup DNS from my hosting service


Your subject implies a reverse DNS question, but there's nothing in this post about reverse DNS. Other than that, you should have an MX record for your domain that points to the public IP address of your router.

Jan 27, 2010 1:59 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thanks!

It's still a bit confusing though. So setting mail.redcedarpoint.com as the host name will automatically set all my new user email addresses to johndoe@mail.redcedarpoint.com. Is this normal? I now need to manually add @redcedarpoint.com to all their accounts, which is painful.

The reverse issue is something I am working on. My ISP refuses to help. Right now I am also using Google Apps and have the MX records pointing to them. Trying to forward all outbound traffic to them directly by using the smtp relay option in mail admin. This is still not working though, since google only accepts incoming smtp using port 587 and TLS using username and password. I can't find the option to use TLS (SSL, yes, with a certificate). I assume I can use smtp.gmail.com:587 for the port. Digressing a little from this thread though...

Thanks,

Jan 27, 2010 2:25 PM in response to gladys35

In simple terms, the mail goes to the IP address associated with the MX record for the target domain

In slightly more detail, the SMTP traffic goes where the MX record associated with the target domain tells it to go; if you have user@example.com, then SMTP asks the authoritative DNS server for the MX record(s) for the example.com domain (and with the priority value when there are multiple MX targets), and then sends the traffic to the highest-priority available specified host. The priority ordering among the servers gives you a way to build up a local stash of your incoming mail until your primary mail server(s) become available and unplug; a way to implement your own local mail caching.

SMTP mail traffic among mail servers comes and goes via port 25. The other ports are for IMAP and POP ports and client-related activities.

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How to setup DNS behind Airport Extreme and ISP that will not reverse DNS

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