/bin/tim

March 27, 2008

Sorting out mail server problems

Filed under: Tech — tim CARMICHAEL @ 9:37 pm

Although I outsource our email to a hosted Exchange server I needed to set up a server to manage web server email confirmations.  I hadn’t;t used this particular server software before but it was pretty simple and was sending email pretty soon, but none was returning and just producing delayed sending messages.

At first I thought it was the DNS, but that looked all ok.  To double check I used the DNS name with a Telnet session so I had manual control over the process and could see any error messages directly from the SMTP server in real time.  I used the excellent Putty as my terminal (http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.htmlsoftware) as Telnet is n longer included by default in Vista and Windows Server 2008.

If you ever need to do a similar check on an SMTP server then here’s the sequence:

  1. Start Putty
  2. Enter DNS name (or IP Address)
  3. Select Port 25 (or other if non standard)
  4. Ensure you have selected the Telnet protocol (not SSH)
  5. The terminal sessions should then open in a window
  6. hit return
  7. Type HELO
  8. The server should respond with a 250 message (text may vary)
  9. Type MAIL FROM: yourname@yourdomain.com (this address does not matter too much, but you should use a valid external email address)
  10. The server should respond with a 250 message (text may vary)
  11. Type RCPT TO: emailaddress@smtpserver.com  (replace email address with valid account on SMTP server)
  12. The server should respond with a 250 message (text may vary)
  13. Type DATA (hit return)
  14. Type SUBJECT: Test Message (replace test Message with whatever you want)
  15. Hit Return key twice
  16. Type some email body text until finished
  17. Type . (period - this tells server you are done) and hit Return
  18. The server should respond with a 250 message (text may vary)
  19. You’re done now you could repeat the process or type QUIT to leave.

Now that message should appear in the inbox of the target email address you specified in the RCPT TO: line.

However for me the message appeared then disappeared … into an unknown black hole… so the investigation continues.

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