Newbie here: VPS email setup

[Limar]

Hi All!

I'm the root administrator for my VPS that has cpanel installed on it.

I created email account but for some reason I cannot receive mail but I can send. Did I miss a step in the setup process?

I have my domain on godaddy and am curious if I have to change anything in the DNS zone file to make receiving emails possible.

Unfortunately the VPS provider couldn't offer me any help because it's an 'unmanaged' part of their service.

Any help is appreciated!

Best,
- Limar

 

[ThinIce]

If you are using godaddys dns (rather than registering your own private name servers for use on your vps itself) you will need to point the MX record in your dns zone at godaddy at a fully qualified domain name which resolves to the IP of your VPS. So for example:

1. Create an A record mail.yourdomain.com pointing at your VPS IP
2. Set this mail.yourdomain.com name as the MX record for your domain.

If you've already done this, you'll need to let us know what steps you've already taken that haven't worked for you.

 

[cPanelMichael]

Hello

I recommend registering your own private name servers at your domain registrar using the instructions at:

How to Register Private Nameservers

Then, assign those name servers to your domain name and add "A" records for those name servers on the cPanel server. This will allow you to avoid entering manual MX records at the registrar.

Thank you.

 

[Limar]

If you are using godaddys dns (rather than registering your own private name servers for use on your vps itself) you will need to point the MX record in your dns zone at godaddy at a fully qualified domain name which resolves to the IP of your VPS. So for example:

1. Create an A record mail.yourdomain.com pointing at your VPS IP
2. Set this mail.yourdomain.com name as the MX record for your domain.

If you've already done this, you'll need to let us know what steps you've already taken that haven't worked for you.

Thinice
Here is a screen shot of my DNS zone:

/http://postimg.org/image/5k2u01qlv/

Does this look ok to you?

cPanelMichael:

Do you have a sreen shot of how it's supposed to look? I read the instructions but couldn't really follow it. Maybe you can point to where I need to put my nameservers on the dns zone file on godaddy according to the screenshot?

Thanks for the replies!! Can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys. It's been a headache setting this up unfortunately.

 

[cPanelMichael]

Could you let us know which part of the instructions on How to Register Private Nameservers that you are stuck at? Note that the instructions provided by the ThinIce user are not the same thing as creating your own private name servers.

Thank you.

 

[dalem]

when you register your own name servers and point your domain to them you no longer need to use godaddy's DNS

 

[ThinIce]

I'm not directly familiar with godaddy's dns tool but nothing there looks immediately wrong provided the ip shown is that of your VPS. You can test the record by using the tool at mxtoolbox.com or similar to see what is being returned to a live request.

As others have said there are benefits to running your own private name servers on your VPS itself, however if you're running your dns on godaddy purposely so as not to have all services on the one VPS, then that won't stop you directing your MX record to it.