2 mail servers 1 domain!

the_box · 27 May 2006 at 03:03

ok i installed a modem router about 2 weeks ago at a local business which i provide tech support for ! problem!
They have called me up twice in the past week stating they sometimes have problems with recieving and sending e mails, althought i think this might have been going on well befor i installed the modem router. They have said to me they have a domain name forwarding to another host! i have been to checkdns.net and they seem to have 2 mail servers 1 with each hosting company, is this possible to have 2 mail servers for the same domain name? And could this be the problem with sending and recieving emails through outlook?

derfderfley · 27 May 2006 at 10:34

the_box said:
ok i installed a modem router about 2 weeks ago at a local business which i provide tech support for ! problem!
They have called me up twice in the past week stating they sometimes have problems with recieving and sending e mails, althought i think this might have been going on well befor i installed the modem router. They have said to me they have a domain name forwarding to another host! i have been to checkdns.net and they seem to have 2 mail servers 1 with each hosting company, is this possible to have 2 mail servers for the same domain name? And could this be the problem with sending and recieving emails through outlook?

Can you post a copy of the zone file for the domain, or at least the domain name so we can get a feel for what is going on?

ta.

hybrid · 27 May 2006 at 13:12

Check the MX records and post it back mate.

the_box · 27 May 2006 at 13:43

ok here is the report from checkdns.net

report below

CheckDNS.NET tests mail-servers
Domain premierrecruitment.ltd.uk has 2 mail-servers.
Checking mail server (PRI=5) mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk [83.166.184.251]
Mail server mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk[83.166.184.251] answers on port 25
<<< 220 ***************************
>>> HELO www.checkdns.net
<<< 250 n4-plesk-01.n4web.net
>>> MAIL FROM:
<<< 250 ok
>>> RCPT TO:
<<< 250 ok
>>> QUIT
Mail server mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk [83.166.184.251] accepts mail for premierrecruitment.ltd.uk
Checking mail server (PRI=10) mx.mail.legend.co.uk [62.69.64.132]
Mail server mx.mail.legend.co.uk[62.69.64.132] answers on port 25
<<< 220 smtp-f.mail.legend.co.uk ESMTP
>>> HELO www.checkdns.net
<<< 250 smtp-f.mail.legend.co.uk
>>> MAIL FROM:
<<< 250 ok
>>> RCPT TO:
<<< 250 ok
>>> QUIT
Mail server mx.mail.legend.co.uk [62.69.64.132] accepts mail for premierrecruitment.ltd.uk

derfderfley · 27 May 2006 at 14:40

the_box said:
ok here is the report from checkdns.net

report below

CheckDNS.NET tests mail-servers
Domain premierrecruitment.ltd.uk has 2 mail-servers.
Checking mail server (PRI=5) mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk [83.166.184.251]
Mail server mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk[83.166.184.251] answers on port 25
<<< 220 ***************************
>>> HELO www.checkdns.net
<<< 250 n4-plesk-01.n4web.net
>>> MAIL FROM:
<<< 250 ok
>>> RCPT TO:
<<< 250 ok
>>> QUIT
Mail server mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk [83.166.184.251] accepts mail for premierrecruitment.ltd.uk
Checking mail server (PRI=10) mx.mail.legend.co.uk [62.69.64.132]
Mail server mx.mail.legend.co.uk[62.69.64.132] answers on port 25
<<< 220 smtp-f.mail.legend.co.uk ESMTP
>>> HELO www.checkdns.net
<<< 250 smtp-f.mail.legend.co.uk
>>> MAIL FROM:
<<< 250 ok
>>> RCPT TO:
<<< 250 ok
>>> QUIT
Mail server mx.mail.legend.co.uk [62.69.64.132] accepts mail for premierrecruitment.ltd.uk

The answer is a bit yes and no I'm afraid. No it's not unusual to have more than one mailserver listed, as if mail is undeliverable to the primary MX server idelivery should then be attempted to the next highest priority mailserver (and so on). This has led to some rather interesting problems with spam, with spammers injecting mail striaght into secondary mailservers, but I digress.
In fact if your serious about your email you should always have "back-up mailservers" listed.

In this case though the two mailservers seem to belong to different hosting companies, the primary MX record;

5 mail.premierrecruitment.ltd.uk appears to be hosted by "Business Serve Plc" but the IP address listed seems to belong to a dynamic address pool.

Whereas the secondary record

10 mx.mail.legend.co.uk is obviously a legend mailserver, who, by the looks of it is the company that they registered the domain with.

You need to find out which of the servers they are using for their mail, and see about getting the other record removed. Unless of course they are paying for "back-up" mailservers?