Lowest numbered MX record points to local host

[Wallaby]

I've searched high and low here and elsewhere and cannot find a solution which works for my problem.

Accounts on CPanel Server 1 cannot send email to accounts on CPanel Server 2. The error shown by Exim on CPanel Server 1 when trying to send is:

Lowest numbered MX record points to local host

I've checked that the domains for the accounts on CPanel Server 2 are in /etc/localdomains -- they are.

I can send mail from other (non-CPanel) servers to accounts on CPanel Server 2 with no problem.

I've restarted Exim on both servers, I've rebooted CPanel Server 2, no change.

This seems to have become an issue recently (last few months?), as the same procedures requiring these emails to be sent have been in place for a long time.

Any ideas at all?

[usman43]

I've checked that the domains for the accounts on CPanel Server 2 are in /etc/localdomains -- they are.

Make sure a duplicate entry is not present in /etc/remotedomains

[jordan.robison]

Make sure a duplicate entry is not present in /etc/remotedomains

Also the solution if you get this error: just go to your WHM, then "Edit DNS Zone". You will want to select the domain you want to fix by clicking "Edit" and then in "Save". That's all. Clicking "Save", will automatically put the entry in the localdomains.

[Wallaby]

Both /etc/localdomains and /etc/remotedomains are correct -- this is *not* the issue.

Anyone else?

[Wallaby]

OK, just for anyone else who comes across this issue, I found the problem.

Let's say Server 1 was trying to send mail to domain.com on Server 2. The MX record for domain.com was, let's say, server2mx.company.com.

The A record for server2mx.company.com in the DNS (a CPanel DNS only cluster) was incorrect -- it was pointing to the IP for server 1.

So Exim on Server 1 was giving me the correct error message; it was really saying "The mx for domain.com says I handle mail for domain.com, but I've checked and I don't!".

[garrettp]

Always always always double check your MX record settings first when having a mail problem.

[mitgib]

awk -F ':' '{ print $1 }' /etc/userdomains >> /etc/localdomains

That was a real quick and dirty fix I used for this problem