DNS Setting - MX & Website on 1and1.co.uk

**Rob** · 19-01-2010, 19:51

I'm moving my work's domain registrant and webhosting to 1and1.co.uk. I'm confused as to the DNS settings I need.

The webhosting will be on 1and1's servers. Our email is handled by the exchange server in our office (fixed IP) and thus I need the MX records to point to our exchange server, not to the email system within the 1&1 hosting panel.

The basic DNS for "mydomain.co.uk" uses 1&1's nameservers.
The "A" record for "mydomain.co.uk" also points at 1&1's nameservers (if I change this IP to point to our exchange server then the webhosting paths fail).
The "MX" record for "mydomain.co.uk" can be pointed to another server, but what? This field will not accept the IP of the exchange server

Anyone got any ideas?

**Kymmy** · 19-01-2010, 20:00

Make an A record for MAIL.mydomain.co.uk and point it towards the other companies MX server IP then change the MX record to point to mail.mydomain.co.uk

Only A records can point to the IP

the MX record is a cname hence can only be a subdomain

**Rob** · 19-01-2010, 20:07

Hmm, there is no mail.mydomain.co.uk entry in the control panel. I assume therefore I need to create a subdomain of that before I can mess with it's MX settings and A record?

I presume that the mail bit acts as a catch all for all email without messing up anything else?

**Kymmy** · 19-01-2010, 20:21

Some places just point thier MX records to the root domain, some point it to mail. If pointed towards mail then you need an A record to tell the mail subdomain to point to the right IP.

I found 1and1 DNS settings to be a bit limited

---------- Post added at 19:21 ---------- Previous post was at 19:19 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

I presume that the mail bit acts as a catch all for all email without messing up anything else?

It's actually just conventional naming.. MX can though point to any name and as long as that name has an A record associated with it the setting will be OK

**Rob** · 19-01-2010, 20:34

Thanks. With the limited settings available on the 1&1 DNS then it looks like creating the mail subdomain is going to be the way forward.

**Kymmy** · 19-01-2010, 20:40

You don't have to create the whole subdomain, just the A record for it

mr_bo · 19-01-2010, 22:07

With 1and1 you can edit the dns to point to 1and1 nameservers for hosting, then edit the mail server dns setting for mydomain.co.uk to create an mx record for the mail server, priority 10.
Then create a mail.mydomain.co.uk subdomain with an A record pointing to your mailserver ip.
Use a Linux shell or an online dig tool to check it is configured correct with the command 'dig mydomain.co.uk' should resolve to 1and1 and 'dig mx mydomain.co.uk' should resolve to your mailserver ip

Don't forget it can take upto 24 hours for dns settings to propogate so don't do what I did and edit something and then kick the computer when it doesn't resolve straight away

**Rob** · 20-01-2010, 14:00

I don't think I have this right

mail to @mydomain.co.uk is disappearing into a black hole with no undeliverable messages

dig mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.co.uk. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 10127 IN A 82.xxx.xxx.xxx (webhost IP I believe)

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122671 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk. (webhosts name servers)
mydomain.co.uk. 122671 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85828 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx (1&1 IP's ?? )
####.1and1.co.uk. 85828 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mx mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.co.uk. IN MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 36051 IN MX 10 mx$$$$.1and1.co.uk. (looks like this is the 1&1 mail server?)
mydomain.co.uk. 36051 IN MX 10 mx$$$$.1and1.co.uk.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122451 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 122451 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85608 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85608 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mail.mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mail.mydomain.co.uk. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85412 IN A 79.xxx.xxx.xxx (My exchange server's IP)

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122255 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 122255 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85412 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85412 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mx mail.mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mail.mydomain.co.uk. IN MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85040 IN MX 5 mail.mydomain.co.uk.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 121939 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 121939 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85096 IN A 79.xxx.xxx.xxx (My exchange server IP)
####.1and1.co.uk. 85096 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85096 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

**Kymmy** · 20-01-2010, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

I don't think I have this right

mail to @mydomain.co.uk is disappearing into a black hole with no undeliverable messages

dig mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.co.uk. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 10127 IN A 82.xxx.xxx.xxx (webhost IP I believe)

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122671 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk. (webhosts name servers)
mydomain.co.uk. 122671 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85828 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx (1&1 IP's ?? )
####.1and1.co.uk. 85828 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mx mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.co.uk. IN MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 36051 IN MX 10 mx$$$$.1and1.co.uk. (looks like this is the 1&1 mail server?)
mydomain.co.uk. 36051 IN MX 10 mx$$$$.1and1.co.uk.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122451 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 122451 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85608 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85608 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mail.mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mail.mydomain.co.uk. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85412 IN A 79.xxx.xxx.xxx (My exchange server's IP)

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 122255 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 122255 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
####.1and1.co.uk. 85412 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85412 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

dig mx mail.mydomain.co.uk
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mail.mydomain.co.uk. IN MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85040 IN MX 5 mail.mydomain.co.uk.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.co.uk. 121939 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.
mydomain.co.uk. 121939 IN NS ####.1and1.co.uk.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.mydomain.co.uk. 85096 IN A 79.xxx.xxx.xxx (My exchange server IP)
####.1and1.co.uk. 85096 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx
####.1and1.co.uk. 85096 IN A 212.xx.xx.xx

You need to get the bit in red removed otherwise it's countermanding your MX setting to mail.mydomain.co.uk

**Rob** · 20-01-2010, 18:47

Yep it's that red bit that is proving to be the challenge.

I think the missing link is pointing the MX for the main mydomain.co.uk bit to mail.mydomain.co.uk

**Kymmy** · 20-01-2010, 19:03

Rob, looking at my own 1and1 domains we might be going more complicated than we need to be.

I presume the mail server you want does have not only an external IP but also a domain name associated with it?? If yes then you only need to enter that domain name (no need for the mail prefix) instead of setting up the cname for mail on your own domain.

Also is the mail server set up to recieve emails with your domain?? If not then it'll reject all emails..

For example my www.raidxtreme.eu website's MX record points directly to raidxtreme.eu and nothing else (the A record is correct for my server IP and as you;re going in on port 25 it'll automatically get routed to the email program)

So your A record should go to **.**.**.** (the IP for your 1and1 host)
and the MX record should go to otherdomain.com (as long as it resolves to the mail servers IP it doesn't matter if it's got the mail prefix or not)

You also need to set the radio button from "use 1and1 mail server" to "use other mail server" (can;t remember the exact text

)

**Rob** · 20-01-2010, 19:18

The website is being hosted on 1and1's servers.

The exchange mail server is located in my office. It's hosted on an ADSL connection with fixed IP. The mailserver itself does not have it's own domain name.

Email has been received, and sent using 4 different domains, each registered with the same host, 2 being.co.uk 2 being .com. That suggests the server is configured correctly and this the DNS / MX records being the issue.

For the mydomain.com accounts which I haven't started to migrate to the new host yet the records are:

dig any mydomain.com
;mydomaini.com. IN ANY

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.com.com. 16899 IN A 195.xx.xx.xx (webhost server IP)
mydomain.com. 16899 IN SOA ns0.awebhost.net. hostmaster.awebhost.net. 2007082401 172800 3600 1728000 172800
mydomain.com. 16899 IN MX 10 smtp.awebhost.net.
mydomain.com. 16899 IN MX 20 mail2.awebhost.net.
mydomain.com. 16899 IN MX 5 mail.mydomain.com.
mydomain.com. 16899 IN NS ns1.awebhost.net.
mydomain.com. 16899 IN NS ns0.awebhost.net.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
mydomain.com. 16899 IN NS ns1.awebhost.net.
mydomain.com. 16899 IN NS ns0.awebhost.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.mydomain.com. 4375 IN A 79.xxx.xxx.xxx (MY EXCHANGE SERVER IP)
ns0.awebhost.net. 64653 IN A 217.###.###.###
ns0.awebhost.net. 64653 IN AAAA 2001:***:*:****::1
ns1.awebhost.net. 64653 IN A 195.###.###.###
ns1.awebhost.net. 64653 IN AAAA 2001:***:*:****::2

mr_bo · 20-01-2010, 21:17

just done a dig mx yourdomain.com and it resolves to mail.yourdamin.com, checkdns.net also gives a green tick

**Kymmy** · 20-01-2010, 21:21

Rob, is there any reason as to why you can't use the 1and1 mailserver and then just get your exchange domain to POP them from there??

**Rob** · 20-01-2010, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_bo

just done a dig mx yourdomain.com and it resolves to mail.yourdamin.com, checkdns.net also gives a green tick

Thanks, it's starting to look better, but I think the dns is still resolving. Using VM's email systems test emails are still falling over, even though most of the checker tools now seem to be reporting the MX as OK.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Rob, is there any reason as to why you can't use the 1and1 mailserver and then just get your exchange domain to POP them from there??

If I have to do it that way then I'll look at the 1and1 mailserver. But I'm not sure how exchange behaves with pop as to whether I need to set up each user account individually, or whether it can just grab everything. That will be tommorrow's learning curve as I'd like the 1and1 stuff to be a backup in case of connection failure.