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Exchange Connector FAQ: Configuring Exchange Server to Send Outbound Email when Exchange Connector is used to Retrieve Email

Quantum Software Solutions' Exchange Connector product does not handle the sending of email � it only processes inbound email. In some environments where Exchange Connector is used, it is not practical for Exchange Server to communicate directly with other mail servers on the Internet when sending outbound email:

  • The network on which the Exchange Server resides has a dynamic external IP address
    A dynamic IP address will cause many mail servers to reject all mail as spam. It is also likely that a large volume of outbound mail which is accepted will fail SPF validation, and will be considered spam.
  • Firewall or ISP restrictions prevent outbound communication on port 25 (SMTP), except to some destinations
    Some ISPs block outbound access on port 25 to all mail servers except a specific list of white listed servers, to reduce the likelihood of viruses on a user's system sending spam and causing the network to be blacklisted.
  • The network on which the Exchange Server resides is not authorized as a mail server in the domain's SPF settings
    This will cause all outbound mail to fail SPF validation and there is a high risk it will be marked as spam.

In these situations, the recommended approach is to configure Exchange Server to route all outbound mail via a valid external mail server.