Today I will show you how to set up Exchange Server 2010 so that you can host your own emails. For the purpose of this tutorial I will be using Exchange 2010 already installed on Windows Server 2008 R2. This tutorial will only cover how to set up Exchange to receive and send emails and not extras like Outlook Web App (OWA) and SSL Certificates which I will cover in future tutorials.
Prerequisites
1. You have already installed the Exchange 2010 package onto Windows Server 2008 R2 with the Transport, Client Access and Mailbox Roles (Typical Installation)
2. Install the 2007 Office System Converter Microsoft Filter Pack.
3. You have received a static public ip address off your ISP.
Hub Transport Configuration
Open up the Exchange Management Console (EMC) and expand Microsoft Exchange On-Premises – Organization Configuration – Hub Transport.
Next click on Accepted Domains (shown below). Your domain should be visible by default.
In the Actions pane (right side of screen) click New Accepted Domain and add the name of the domain you wish to use for email addresses.
Now we need to set up a Send Connector so in the Actions pane click New Send Connector. This will start the wizard.
Choose a name and then set the intended use as Internet. Click Next. This will bring you to the Address Space page. Enter the domain you want to use for emails (mine would be comtech.com) and make sure that you check the box to include all subdomains. Click next.
On the Network Settings page unless you are routing your emails through an upstream host select Use domain name system (DNS) “MX” records to route mail automatically.
For the rest of the wizard click Next.
Now expand Server Configuration – Hub Transport and right click on Default and go to Properties.
On the Properties page go to the Permissions Groups tab and check the box for Anonymous users. This will allow your Exchange server to accept incoming mail from remote mail servers.
Now you need to give your users email addresses and you do this by expanding Recipient Configuration – Mailbox and then going to New mailbox in the Actions pane. Create email addresses for all your users.
Configuring DNS Records
The final piece to the puzzle is to configure your external DNS records. You are going to require both an A record and an MX record.
In DNS configure the following:
A Record
mail.comtech.com = 123.56.2.14
Replace comtech.com with your domain name and 123.56.2.14 with the static public ip addresses obtained from your ISP.
MX Record
mail.comtech.com (Preference 10)
You can set as many preferences as you like but mail will be sent to the lowest preference first.
You will also need to contact the company who hosts your domain name (either ISP or external hosting company) to add the same records to their DNS records.
About the Author
Hi I am Chris Wakefield the owner of ComTech IT Support. I provide Windows and Linux based IT Support, laptop repairs and computer repairs to both business and personal clients in and around Stirling.
For a list of what I can offer you why not visit my website www.comtech247.net where you will find a list of my services, testimonials, blog and much more.
Amazing website. A lot of useful info here. I’m sending some friends and also share tasty. And, of course, thank you for your hard work!
Managed Network Services Dallas
Sorry mate if I offended you but I’m just too sensitive when it comes to SBS and how it is configured. If it is Standard server you are right on your part.
BTW, you and me have worked couple of times in past on SBS. I’m Nitin from Microsoft (SBS team). I hope you remember me…:-P
Nitin if you read the blog it states that the tutorial only covers how to set up Exchange 2010 so that it has the ability to send and receive emails. It also states that options such as SSL certificates and OWA will be covered in future tutorials. I would also like to point out that this method is not ‘absolutely wrong’ as it has been tried and tested several times.
There seems to be some confusion over this tutorial. This purpose of this blog was to show the user how to set up Exchange Server 2010 and not how to set up Exchange Server 2010 on Small Business server 2011. In hindsight using Small Business Server as the basis of this tutorial was not a wise option and I have amended the blog as a result. Sorry for the confusion.
Hello Chris,
I’m sorry to say that this method is absolutely wrong. First, the recommended method is to use Internet Address Management wizard.
The method described above will not configure any of the VD’s in IIS or other functionality of Exchange like Active Sync and Outlook Anywhere etc.
You also made a mistake while configuring Default connector, the typical installation of SBS2011 will have “Default connector” however the range from which default connector will receive email will only be internal so either you have to reconfigure the IP range of Default connector or you need to create a new connector and give the entire IP range to receive emails from internet.
Also instead of giving each mailbox email address, you need to define a email address policy that will make life simpler.
There are lot many things which will require configuration so it’s up to you to run the wizard which configure everything in 2 minute or configure everything manually which could take hours if you miss on anything.
Cheers
Nitin
Had you titled your blog, setting up Exchange on a Small Business Server 2011, it might have reached the better audience. But as one of the Microsoft Small Business Server MVPs since 1997, the number 1 issue we see where folks run into issues, is when they don’t use the wizards. Ask any of the nearly 50 Microsoft SBS MVPs around the world what the number 1 rule of SBS is and they will tell you, USE the Wizards. And if this were the standard products, you don’t cover the actual installation of Exchange 2010, which has a number of prerequisites. You don’t cover certificate requirements. etc.
Hi Cris. I will attempt to answer some of your queries. As stated in the tutorial I used Small Business server 2011 Standard because that is what small businesses will normally use. In my experience small businesses rarely have the in house know how to set up Exchange so usually call in an IT person to set it up for them. This tutorial is aimed at that IT person (that is the reason I posted it on LinkedIN in the IT groups). It is all good and well using the wizard to set up Exchange on SBS 2011 but surely it is better to know how to set up Exchange full stop (tutorial works on SBS 2011 and Windows Server 2008 R2. What happens when this IT person has to set up Exchange on Windows Server 2008 R2 if they only know how to use the SBS 2011 wizard? As for the title of the blog I do give instructions on how to set up the Exchange Server so it can receive and send email.
I think you do a big dis-service to folks and possibly are leading some folks down the wrong path by using Small Business Server 2011 as the basis for your example. If you’re using SBS 2011, all you need to do is run the Setup Your Internet Address Wizard in the SBS console and it does all these things automatically. The number one rule when running SBS is USE THE WIZARDS. The title of your blog leads one to believe you’re going to go from installation of a new Exchange Server, through all the configurations. How to create a send connector, How to create a receive connector, etc.