Can Send but Can't receive

[gtgren]

Hello ,
This is my first time setting up a email service and I have a website:

abc-inc.org

The website is hosted on server in our office on a cable connection:
The static IP address 24.xx.xx.62
The DNS is: 24.xx.xx.56

All given by the cable company.

The abc-inc.org site is registered on a domain website with two nameservers:
NS1.Domain.com
NS2.Domain.com

In the Imail admin I have:
abc-inc.org as the host name

The MX record is mbk-inc.org and goes to mail.mbk-inc.org
Two Host A records
mbk-inc.org 24.xx.xx.62
mail.mbk-inc.org 24.xx.xx.62

I can send out emails but when I try to reply back to emails I get errors.

Here are my questions:
*Why I am I getting errors should I wait for the new MX to take effect?
**Can and should I use outlook to check email, how dow I set that up? (What do I use for pop. smtp, etc..)
***In the SMTP service in Imail, should I should point to the 24.xx.xx.62, DNS of NS1.Domain.com, or use the DNS that the
cable company gave me.

Thank in advance

 

[mrbusy]

If you set up MX records then they need to point to the IP address (static) of a host which is capable of receiving and dealing with SMTP. Outlook express, and most other, email applications are not capable of doing this and can only download POP3 or IMAP from a server.
I would check out

http://www.webattack.com

for freeware / shareware email servers. You should be able to find one that will accept SMTP and hold the messages and then allow you to download it through Outlook. You should also be able to use this server as an outbound SMTP gateway, but beware of becoming an open relay.
Im not sure I understand your DNS question, but I think you should probably point your client at the DNS server IP supplied by your ISP.
Hope that helps.

 

[gtgren]

I am using a Wireless Router by Dlink. I had to go the application section of the Router and open the SMTP port. Now when I go to

http://www.DNSreport.com

and put in the email test part it works. The telnet part - telnet 24.153.154.62 25, did not work though. Should it? Thanks for the help!

 

[mrbusy]

When you open a port on the external interface of a router then all your doing is allowing packets sent to that port to pass through. The router itself doesnt do anything with the packets except forward them on to a host on the LAN side of your router. The host that the router forwards these packets to needs to be ready to accept and process them.

As email applications like Outlook Express do not have the ability to handle SMTP packets coming directly to them you need an email server application to accept incoming messages.