SMTP and mail FAQ
What is SMTP?
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a protocol is a set of formal rules describing how to transmit data across a network. It is a server-to-server protocol that usually operates in the background, and is the standard way mail is transported across the internet, usually over TCP on port 25.
What is the difference between SMTP & POP3?
Post Office Protocol, version 3 (POP3) is a protocol that allows you to download your messages when you want to from a mailbox on a mail server (usually at your ISP) to your local machine using an email client (such as Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Messenger etc).
SMTP simply routes the messages from one mail server to another.
Does Foreshore have a smarthost (intelligent relay) where I can forward outbound mail?
Yes. we have two smarthost (or intelligent relay) servers that you can use.
- relay1.foreshore.net
- relay2.foreshore.net
Note - for security reasons you cannot relay as default. To allow relay out from your mailserver please send a request to support@foreshore.net informing us of the IP address of the server that you wish to send SMTP mail via these servers.
What are MX records?
Your Mail Exchanger (MX) records on our DNS server determine where mail is delivered.
An attempt will first be made to deliver to the mail server with the highest priority. If that mail server is unavailable, an attempt will be made to deliver to the server with the next highest priority and so on. The lower the number, the higher the priority is, with the actual value of the number being arbitrary.
Your mail server will have the highest priority and will typically be called mail.yourdomain.com
Should your mailserver be temporarily unavailable, the next priority mail server (or backup MX) will accept mail on your behalf and store that mail until your own mail server becomes available at which time the backup MX server will forward the mail to your mail server.
You can check your MX records using the NSlookup or dig. Should you wish to alter your MX records in any way please send an email to support@foreshore.net.
What is an open relay?
An ’open relay’ is a mail server that will relay mail where neither the sender nor recipient is an authorised user of your network. ’Open relays’ are exploited to send SPAM or unsolicited commercial email (UCE).
We do not allow open relays on our network, and it is your responsibility to ensure that your server is secure. Please be aware that we may have to block SMTP traffic from customer servers which are insecure.
To check whether your server is an open relay telnet to mail-abuse.org from a command prompt on your mail server.
Documentation for securing a Microsoft Exchange Server can be found at www.exchangeadmin.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=7696
Documentation for securing other mail servers can be found at www.mail-abuse.org/tsi/ar-fix.html
General information about email server abuse can be found at www.abuse.net
What Administrative Mail Accounts do I need to monitor?
You must ensure that emails addressed to postmaster@yourdomain and abuse@yourdomain are accepted and read by you on a regular basis.