Calling all Exchange Server gurus

[TmBlackFlag]

As part of a class project I have to configure servers for three different theoretical companies. Each one must has an email server with its own unique domain name. All three boxes are hooked up to a switch, then a router, but have no network access beyond the router.

Instead, i gave each computer a static IP address and hard-coded each other computer's IP address and hostname into the "HOSTS" file.

The trouble is, the windows 2003 box can't send email to the 2000 box, yet the 2000 box can send email to the 2003 box. Also, the 2003 box can't reply to the 2000 box's messages.

When i try to send email from the 2003 box to the 2003 box, i don't get a return to sender so its gotta be going somewhere.

The HOSTS files for both boxes current look like this:
The file is in the windows/system32/drivers/etc folder


127.0.0.1 localhost
192.168.1.12 Lincoln.com
192.168.1.10 serfin-lincoln.com


They have their own ip and name, as well as the other boxes ip and name.

I haven't even tried configuring the linux box yet.


So, does anyone have any ideas why the 2000 box can't receive any email, besides email it sends to itself?

Or is there any alternative method to setting up my network, given the business problem.

 

[Allanv]

are all the ports forwarded correctly?

 

[TmBlackFlag]

I'm not sure where to configure these?! All of the Cisco 2600 router settings are default.

 

[xollox]

It sounds like the exchange servers are all plugged into the same switch. If that's the case, port forwarding isn't the issue.

If they're not plugged into the same switch and the traffic is going through the router, you will need to set up port forwarding and put the servers on different subnets.

If they are plugged into the same switch, I'm guessing it is a DNS issue. Exchange is actually looking for an MX record for a domain to send to, not just the licoln.com IP address. You can try changing it to mail.licoln.com, but you may have to setup a DNS server with the proper MX records.

One thing you may want to check is the outbound queue, to see if you can see why the messages aren't going.

 

[tommytran]

I am sure you have your DNS up and running before/during the installation of Exchange. Open the DNS manager and setting the MX record for the domain as xollox said.