Ask HN: Using a hosted mail server with a CNAME that isn't your domain name | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Using a hosted mail server with a CNAME that isn't your domain name

1 pointScottWhigham4 comments

I want to use a hosted, pay-by-the-mailbox email service for email but I'm concerned about getting our emails marked as spam. I'm looking at Simplicato now (http://simplicato.com) and, when I see the configs to use, I get nervous that since the CNAME is not my domain name, many ISPs will block the email or will rate it a higher likelihood of it being spam. Example:

To use the Email Hosting Service, here are the MX and CNAME records: ·Point mx record to mx1.theemailserversdomain.com with priority 10 ·Point mx record to mx2.theemailserversdomain.com with priority 20 ·Point mx record to mx3.theemailserversdomain.com with priority 30 ·Point CNAME mail.scottsdomain.com record to mail.theemailserversdomain.com

Notice how the MX and CNAME records are not my domain. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

How did this story get 0 points? Is there a downvoting button somewhere?

If there is, I don't see it anywhere

Nonsense.

You have a weird idea of what information SMTP servers care about when determining spamminess. DNS is vitally important to getting your mail delivered...but what CNAME is in your MX record is completely and utterly unimportant (it's like worrying about what the name of your mailman is...George or Franny...when the important thing is your address and zip code).

Get your DNS RFC compliant, get your SPF records correctly configured for the servers that will send mail for your domain, make sure your sending SMTP server(s) are not in any RBLs, and you'll be fine. MX records are irrelevant.

add TXT SPF Record on your domain that includes your MX record

IN TXT "v=spf1 a:mx1.theemailserversdomain.com a:mx2.theemailserversdomain.com a:mx3.theemailserversdomain.com ~all"

and then check out http://old.openspf.org/dns.html If you want on that site you can look on other domains examples.

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