Emails sent from alternative server

[Raz316]

We have a server hosting a website domain, server1.
We have our email for this domain hosted for us on server2.

the website on server1 can send out emails upon request (e.g. advice@website.co.uk). I've tested this with my gmail account and it works fine. However I have seen in the smtp logs of server1 this morning...

"RECEIVED: 550 This domain is not hosted here"
"SENT: QUIT"
"RECEIVED: 221 mail5.atlas.pipex.net closing connection"

The mx record for the domain states server2 priority 10. There is no reference to server1 in the mx records. Im assuming this is why the above happens?

Now, I only want server1 to send out emails, I do not want it to receive anything. If I were to put server1 in the mx record with a low priority, would this resolve the above error?

This is new territory for me, so any feedback is welcome. Thanks

[schubbs]

mx records are for incoming mail. I would not put server1 in your mx records unless you want that server to receive incoming mail for your domain.

I would check there are dns records setup for server1, both forward and reverse dns records.

When server1 connects to an smtp server to send mail it will identify itself with a name, e.g. I am server1.website.co.uk

e.g. HELO server1.website.co.uk

There should be a dns record (A record) setup which resolves server1.website.co.uk to it's IP x.x.x.x
Also website.co.uk should be a valid domain, e.g. this domain exists.

The reverse dns record (ptr record) should be setup by whoever owns your IP address space where server1 is hosted, e.g. usually your ISP.
So if server1 connects to another smtp server, the smtp server may query the ptr record of the IP address of where server1 is connecting from e.g. 1.1.1.1 then there should be a reverse record which states: 1.1.1.1 resolves to server1.website.co.uk

This should fix most problems. Anti-spam filters may also perform other checks, e.g. check whether the mail is in a valid format/conforms to the correct RFC standard etc....

[Raz316]

Cheers Schubbs, a really informative post