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I´m just configuring the dns of a new domain name which I´m going to host on my own server (which runs a mail server).

My question is... where do I point the mx records on the dns panel?

Thanks in advance!

Simon
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  • Hi Simon. Thanks for using SF for this type of questions. You will need to provide a few more bits of information in order for someone to answer the question. Please provide, what dns software you are running (eg. Bind 8,9, Windows)? Also the operating System. MX records usually are point to A record. – Geo Aug 23 '09 at 20:06

1 Answers1

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If you set up a name for this server, like 

mail.example.com. IN A 1.1.1.1

then you set up a MX server like

example.com. IN MX 10 mail.example.com.

KPWINC
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Devin Ceartas
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    +1 succinct, to the point and correct, ftw! – Mark Henderson Aug 23 '09 at 20:27
  • +1, you should have used the domain example.org and an ip from 192.0.2.0/24 instead (because that is for documentation and examples) – mihi Aug 23 '09 at 21:40
  • Thanks for your answers. So first, I must create a "mail" cname pointing to the server ip, and then a mx record pointing that cname, correct? Just one mx record? I´m used to the google apps mail app where I have to modify 5 of them. Thanks in advance! – Simon Aug 24 '09 at 14:09
  • The "mail" record is an "A" record, not a "CNAME" record. "A" records point to IP addresses, CNAMES are pointers to another name. The name "mail" is arbitrary in this example - it can be whatever that machine is named. You can create as many MX records as you need. If you have only one email server, you only need one. Google maintains many so that there is automatic fail-over for busy or missing machines. The "10" is a standard for the final destination serve, higher #'s are tried if lower ones are not avail. – Devin Ceartas Aug 24 '09 at 14:32
  • Devin is right. **Do not** use a CNAME for your MX record. It is out-of-spec and some servers will even refuse to send mail to an MX listed with a CNAME record. http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2181#section-10.3 – Nate Aug 24 '09 at 17:49
  • @DevinCeartas, If we have the mail server and the web server on the same machine, is the correct command `example.com. IN MX 10 example.com.` ? – Pacerier Oct 30 '14 at 12:55