This article covers some common problems people experience using domain name addresses with Clearnet.

Having a domain name for your email opens up a range of new options for you, but at the same time means there are more settings and prerequisites to think about it. This document discusses some common problems people experience using domain name addresses with Clearnet.

Incorrect MX record

The MX record indicates where email for a domain name is processed.  An incorrect record can divert email to a server that's not prepared to handle it, or to nowhere at all.

Example MX record:

 johnsmith.co.nz   preference = 10, mail exchanger = mail.johnsmith.co.nz
 johnsmith.co.nz   preference = 20, mail exchanger = mx.clear.co.nz

The server with the lowest preference is the main server.  Email will always be delivered to the main server if it responds to a delivery request.

Then next-lowest server is the first backup server.  If the main server doesn't respond to a request, email will be delivered to the backup server.  The backup will continue periodically trying to deliver email to the main server until it responds, or until a time limit is reached, at which point it will return waiting messages to the senders with an error message to explain the problem. If the server names specified in the MX record are wrong, or if the servers reject incoming email, it will not reach the intended recipient.

Problems usually occur when an MX record is created listing the Clearnet mail server as a main or backup server for a domain name which is not hosted with Clearnet, and has also not been registered for our MX hosting service.

If this is the case, please contact our customer service team to have the MX hosting service added to your account.

Incorrect reverse record

As a way of combating spam, many email servers are configured to check a domain name's reverse record before accepting email.  The reverse record gives information on the user of the sending server's IP address - usually just the user's domain name.

If the reverse record doesn't match the information in the header file for an incoming message, it will be rejected. If you have a static IP address with Clearnet, we can add a reverse record for your server's address.  To have one created, please contact our help desk with the IP address and the domain name you would like to have entered into the reverse record.

Mail names

A 'mail name' is an email alias set up at the domain level.  When a message comes in, our mail server will check to see if the recipient address matches any existing mail names, and divert the message to the address the alias points to.  Mail names are checked before any other addresses, so if a mail name is created which is identical to an existing address, the diversion will occur before the message reaches the mailbox for the existing address.

If you know there are messages being sent to you which are never arriving or which seem to be going to the wrong mailbox, please check to see if there is an incorrect mail name operating.

Forced delivery

The Clearnet mail system allows a domain user to designate a 'default' mailbox, which will receive all email for that domain, unless it matches an existing address or mail name.  This is a very common option to select.  Occasionally, users will confuse this service with our 'forced delivery' option, which will cause all messages to be diverted to the selected mailbox, regardless of any other options selected.

If all of your email is going to a particular mailbox regardless of any other options you have selected, please check that forced delivery is not turned on.

Mailbagging

Mailbagging is a service which allows Clearnet to temporarily store any incoming email for your domain, and use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to 'push' the email to your server when it connects to the internet. 

This product is intended for users who run their own mail servers, but do not have a permanent connection to the internet.

Domain users occasionally confuse mailbagging with MX hosting, which allows immediate delivery of messages to a mail server.  If your mail server is not configured to accept incoming SMTP connections, please be careful to select MX hosting rather than mailbagging.