Email Routing - Remote Mail Exchanger
My domain is on a host service. I have my MX records pointing to a third-party email service. All email goes through the third-party.
One address was moved to and currently lives on the third party service. Other emails remain on the original host server. The third-party handles split delivery - email addresses NOT on the third-party server get routed to the host server.
This works, with one exception.
Emails sent from accounts on the host server to the third-party account (user1@domain.com to user2@domain.com) ignore the MX record and are sent to the old host server.
cPanel is currently set to "Local Mail Exchanger."
I think that changing to "Remote Mail Exchanger" will resolve the issue. Before I do, I would like to make sure I do not create a bigger problem.
If I change to "Remote," will emails routed from the third-party to valid addresses on the host server be received? Of will they immediately be sent back to the third-party server, causing an endless loop?
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Hey there! The value *should* only be referenced for local delivery, so your idea of setting this to the "Remote" option would be correct. However, as with any custom configuration like this, the only way to know for sure is to test and then verify.
Let me know what you find out!
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I tried setting Routing to "remote" and that didn't work as expected. It breaks everyones email.
It seems that all traffic does get pushed to the new third-party server, but then cannot be delivered to accounts on the old server. Any email going to an address hosted on the old host server get bounced with a
ERROR CODE :550 - Please turn on SMTP Authentication in your mail client.
[3rd art server info here] is not permitted to relay
through this server without authentication.I had to change routing back to "local" so emails would go through.
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Just to confirm:
-your domain's MX is pointed to a remote mail system
-that same domain's MX has specific accounts on a cPanel server that are *not* using the remote MX, and you'd like them to receive email on the cPanel machine.Is that correct?
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Both points are correct. That's what I am trying to achieve.
Several accounts are hosted on a host server. One account set up on a remote server (plan for others to follow. Started with the one to set things up).
On the host server, all MX records are set to point to the remote server.
The remote server is set up with split delivery. They should receive all email. They keep the account(s) that are set up on their server. All other email is routed to the old host server.
Any email NOT using the remote MX is routed to the old host server.
This all works, except for emails within the same domain. If user 1 (on the host server) sends an email to the same domain on the remote server, it bypasses the MX record and just goes to the host server. If no account exists, it generates an error. If the account exists, it delivers as if the MX record pointed to the host server.
cPanel routing is set to "local”.
If I set cPanel routing to "remote”, all emails (regardless of source) routed from the remote back to the host receive the Error 550 mentioned previously.
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Thanks for the additional details. In general this isn't a configuration that we support, although you may be able to make it work with some custom Exim filtering.
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Thank you for the information. I will look at the links you provided and consider some other options.
I am thinking about switch all email address at this domain to the third party. My host email is horrible. The problem is I am paying for it and now have to pay to switch all these other emails because the service I'm already paying for doesn't always work.
My other option is to switch hosts and find a service that can handle this split delivery. I dread that process.
One more try at a simple solution:
Is there any way to just forward/route emails received on the "old" server to the new one? Or will this just end them up in the same old host inbox?0 -
I just went through the links. I do appreciate the information, but am not sure it is applicable. Neither Outlook or Google are involved in my setup.
If I can test your patience a little more... Maybe I am not understanding something. I don't want cPanel to do split delivery. I just want it to respect my MX record.
We have a Host server cPanel (host) and Remote Server (remote)
MX points to remote. My understanding is that email should then go to remote and not host.
Remote is setup for split delivery.1. [email from anyone to account on remote]-->internet-->[remote]--> [remote keeps message and delivers]
2. [email from anyone to account on host]-->internet-->[remote]--> [remote routes message to host]
1 and 2 both work
3. [email from account on host to account on remote]-->???-->[host]--> [delivers to host account]
If cPanel routing is set to "remote"4. [email from anyone to any account on host]-->internet-->[remote]--> [host refuses message]
I'm guessing that any host to host email does the same as #3 - it ignores the MX record and just sends to a host account.I understand that split delivery is not a supported function of cPanel, but I don't think that's what I am asking it to do. Failure to respect the MX record and create its own delivery path is what seems to be the case.
If the cPanel behavior cannot be changed to respect the MX record on intra-domain email, then I am spinning my wheels and need to either move all emails to the remote provider, or find a host with a different email system.
Am I understanding the situation correctly?
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While the links aren't your exact use case they were just an example of how this could be configured in other systems. But you're correct, I don't have a way to do this in a cPanel environment.
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I do appreciate the response. Thank you.
The plan is to eventually move all email off the host to the remote provider. It adds cost, but my host's email system is unreliable and full of problems.
Until the full move takes place, my workaround is to maintain two inboxes. One for the host server, one for the remote.
As an email arrives in my host inbox, a client side rule moves it to the remote inbox. Not ideal, but it works as long I keep my main system is up and running.
I normally keep my system and email client open 24/7. This is needed to have my local spam filter running. The server spam filter doesn't cut it. I can sometimes get hundreds of spam email a day. Without the local filter, my inbox would be unmanageable.
Thanks again for your help and suggestions.
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