How to Create an SMTP Connector

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SMTP connectors are an efficient way to route Internet mail. Use the following procedure to create an SMTP connector.

Before You Begin

Before you perform the procedure in this topic, read Connecting Exchange to the Internet.

The following permissions are required to perform this procedure:

  • Member of the local administrators group and a member of a group that has had the Exchange View-Only Administrators role to view configuration, or the Exchange Administrators role to change configuration, applied at the administrative group level

Procedure

To create an SMTP connector

  1. In Exchange System Manager, right-click Connectors, point to New, and then click SMTP Connector.

  2. In Properties, on the General tab, in the Name box, type a name for the connector.

    SMTP connector properties

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  3. Select one of the following check boxes:

    • If you want this connector to use DNS names to route mail directly to the remote server, select Use DNS to route to each address space on this connector. By selecting this option, the connector uses the DNS server that is configured to route e-mail messages. If you select this check box, verify the following information:

    • Verify that you can use Nslookup to successfully resolve names on the Internet. For more information about routing topology, see Configuring a Routing Topology.

    • If you want to route mail to a smart host that assumes responsibility for DNS name resolution and mail delivery, select the Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart hosts check box. This option is often used if you route mail to a Windows SMTP server or another server in your perimeter network. If you select this check box, verify the following information:

    • If you list an IP address for the smart host, enclose the IP address in square brackets, for example, [10.0.0.1].

    • If you specify an IP address for the smart host, it should not match the IP address of this server.

    • If you specify a name for the smart host, the name should be a FQDN. For example, "Server Name" is not an FQDN; however, servername.contoso.com is a FQDN.

    • If a name is specified, it should not be the FQDN of this server.

    • If you do not have a smart host within your network, contact your ISP to find out what IP address or FQDN you should enter here.

  4. Under Local bridgeheads, click Add to define at least one bridgehead server and SMTP virtual server. To send outbound mail, the connector uses the outbound port that is configured on the SMTP virtual server.