Postfix IMAP issues on Mac OS X 10.4 Server

ScottyDelicious · 08-17-2005, 07:16 PM

I recently started using www.ZoneEdit.com to host my website scottydelicious.com from a mac (running Server 10.4.2) in my home. I am having trouble with the mail services. I can send mail out and it works fine. I can send an email from another mac on my network to my email address, and I get that email (which never apparently left the local network?). If I send an email to my email address from, lets say, my hotmail account, I never see my email. I must have something set up wrong. From zone edit control panel on their website, i set up the MX record that [mail server "mail.scottydelicious.com" handles mail 1st for domain "scottydelicious.com"].

I can telnet ports 25, 110, and 143 on my server. all get a response.

Does anyone here with mail server experience have any insight for this newb?

thanks

-sD-
scotty Delicious

ScottyDelicious · 08-17-2005, 07:23 PM

Additional info:

From the "Server Admin.app", under "Mail" and the tab along the bottom "Connections", I can see:

User Name____Address________Type______Sessions___Connection Length

scottyd______192.168.1.1______imap__________1_________00:00:35

192.168.1.1 is the IP of my linksys WRT54G. The machine that i am logging in from (which is the server "mail.app") has a static IP of 192.168.1.222. It is set in the DMZ of the Linksys router. Why would the IP of the router come up if I am loggin in from the server which is .222?

thanks

-sD-
scotty Delicious

giskard22 · 08-17-2005, 08:16 PM

I'm not a real expert, but I would guess that IP something to do with the NAT system. If your client machine is trying to contact your server via the DNS name (mail.whatever.com), it would get the external IP address of your router. Because it's contacting the router via the external address instead of the internal, the router maps the connection through the NAT system before it sends it back to the DMZ-ed server. So you end up with the router's address as the source.

Aside from that, I think you'll need someone else to answer the original question.

One thing though: are you sure your ISP isn't blocking incoming mail on their network? They might do such a thing just to prevent you from "running a server" on their network. I think the way to test that would be to telnet to port 25 on your server from a computer that's not connected via your ISP.

ScottyDelicious · 08-17-2005, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by giskard22


	I One thing though: are you sure your ISP isn't blocking incoming mail on their network? They might do such a thing just to prevent you from "running a server" on their network. I think the way to test that would be to telnet to port 25 on your server from a computer that's not connected via your ISP.

Thanks giskard...
I will try that. Is there a solution if my isp (Charter Cable charter.net) is blocking port 25?

thanks

-sD-

ScottyDelicious · 08-17-2005, 11:47 PM

I did some research. My ISP (Charter [www.charter.com]) blocks port 25 (in and out).

Hmmm... What are my options?

-sD-

giskard22 · 08-18-2005, 01:10 PM

Pay for unblocked access? I'm honestly not sure how the mail system works to that level of detail, but I don't think you can specify alternate ports for incoming mail transfer. Can you specify a port in an MX record? Anyone know?

ScottyDelicious · 08-19-2005, 08:34 PM

Well, after closer inspection of the Charter PipeLine (Charter's name for the broadband cable internet service they provide) Terms of Service and Acceptable use policy for their residential servive (which I subscribe to), It is in violation of the AUP.

Quote:


	A customer may not establish a web page using a server located at Customer’s home. Customer will not use, nor allow others to use, Customer’s home computer as a web server, FTP server, file server or game server or to run any other server applications.

So now I am looking into charter business solutions, but I have a bad feeling it is going to be more expensive than I am able to pay for. Right now I have my website www.scottydelicious.com hosted at P4HOST for about 9 bucks a month. I like to tinker, so setting up Mac OS X server is more of a hobby. A buddy I work with at the hospital who works in our IT department went to some conference and won a copy of OS X server! He hates macs so he gave it to me. So I am not out any money for setting up this server if Charter business is too expensive. Thanks for all your Help.

-sD-
scotty Delicious

08-17-2005, 07:16 PM	#1
ScottyDelicious Prospect Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: /Users/scottydelicious/ Posts: 18	Postfix IMAP issues on Mac OS X 10.4 Server I recently started using www.ZoneEdit.com to host my website scottydelicious.com from a mac (running Server 10.4.2) in my home. I am having trouble with the mail services. I can send mail out and it works fine. I can send an email from another mac on my network to my email address, and I get that email (which never apparently left the local network?). If I send an email to my email address from, lets say, my hotmail account, I never see my email. I must have something set up wrong. From zone edit control panel on their website, i set up the MX record that [mail server "mail.scottydelicious.com" handles mail 1st for domain "scottydelicious.com"]. I can telnet ports 25, 110, and 143 on my server. all get a response. Does anyone here with mail server experience have any insight for this newb? thanks -sD- scotty Delicious

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08-17-2005, 07:23 PM	#2
ScottyDelicious Prospect Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: /Users/scottydelicious/ Posts: 18	Additional info: From the "Server Admin.app", under "Mail" and the tab along the bottom "Connections", I can see: User Name____Address________Type______Sessions___Connection Length scottyd______192.168.1.1______imap__________1_________00:00:35 192.168.1.1 is the IP of my linksys WRT54G. The machine that i am logging in from (which is the server "mail.app") has a static IP of 192.168.1.222. It is set in the DMZ of the Linksys router. Why would the IP of the router come up if I am loggin in from the server which is .222? thanks -sD- scotty Delicious

08-17-2005, 08:16 PM	#3
giskard22 Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 4,272	I'm not a real expert, but I would guess that IP something to do with the NAT system. If your client machine is trying to contact your server via the DNS name (mail.whatever.com), it would get the external IP address of your router. Because it's contacting the router via the external address instead of the internal, the router maps the connection through the NAT system before it sends it back to the DMZ-ed server. So you end up with the router's address as the source. Aside from that, I think you'll need someone else to answer the original question. One thing though: are you sure your ISP isn't blocking incoming mail on their network? They might do such a thing just to prevent you from "running a server" on their network. I think the way to test that would be to telnet to port 25 on your server from a computer that's not connected via your ISP.

08-17-2005, 11:47 PM	#5
ScottyDelicious Prospect Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: /Users/scottydelicious/ Posts: 18	I did some research. My ISP (Charter [www.charter.com]) blocks port 25 (in and out). Hmmm... What are my options? -sD-

08-18-2005, 01:10 PM	#6
giskard22 Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 4,272	Pay for unblocked access? I'm honestly not sure how the mail system works to that level of detail, but I don't think you can specify alternate ports for incoming mail transfer. Can you specify a port in an MX record? Anyone know?