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Date:  Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:14:08 -0500
From:  Chris Gebhardt - VIRTBIZ Internet <cobaltfacts (at mark) virtbiz.com>
Subject:  [coba-e:10378] Re: more than 1 mx record or not
To:  coba-e (at mark) bluequartz.org
Message-Id:  <46955630.7080409 (at mark) virtbiz.com>
In-Reply-To:  <003901c7c3b6$8a825550$7800000a@pc11>
References:  <!~!UENERkVCMDkAAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAAAAAAAAARDhjVlX2aEuqbKE5moo4BsKAAAAQAAAAYbFIshuVP06hoIf6SrlO0AEAAAAA (at mark) xnet.com.mx> <469434A1.6050603 (at mark) zbronx.com> <469480A5.60506 (at mark) enavn.com> <46949CD6.3040006 (at mark) zbronx.com> <4694A91F.4050906 (at mark) enavn.com> <003901c7c3b6$8a825550$7800000a (at mark) pc11>
X-Mail-Count: 10378

Steffan wrote:
> Hello List,
> 
> Just wondering.
> im using grey listing etc
> And using 2 mail servers for my clients domains
> But reading on Internet I see more posts that say that today the day
> Is is better not to use more than one mx record for a domain
> But just use one mx record
> When this is down the mail bounces back but the server will try again later
> 
> Im just wondering what the ideas of the experts are in the list :-)
> Do you stil need today more then one mx record for a domain ?

 From what I have seen, this advice is given because the author assumes 
that the spam filtering on the "secondary" will be less effective than 
what is on the "primary" MX.

In my experience, there are many spammers that will intentionally ignore 
the MX preference, or actually use the lower preferenced MX to send mail 
to a domain.   The thought process is that the spam filtering may get 
bypassed in this way.

We run 2 MX relays for all of our virtual hosting customers.  They are 2 
separate systems in 2 different datacenters and 2 different networks. 
Both servers run the same filtering rules, and sync themselves every 
hour.  So no matter which MX is used, the filtering is the same.   If 
something ever happens to one of the MX's, the other is standing by, and 
there is NEVER a bounce or a delay.

Everybody has their own opinion, but obviously, my company feels that 2 
MX's with identical configurations is preferable to a single point of 
failure.

However, if you were in a situation where your primary MX was the spam 
filtering system and the secondary was not filtered, then go with the 
single MX and save yourself and your customers from the spam.

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
VIRTBIZ Internet Services
Hosting, Collocation, Dedicated Servers, Internet Access
(972) 485-4125 | http://www.virtbiz.com