Verify the Windows NT TCP/IP DNS Settings

Whenever possible, the TCP/IP DNS host and domain names should match the Microsoft Exchange Server organization and site names.

To check the Windows NT TCP/IP configuration

In Control Panel, choose Network to open the Network dialog box.

If you do not maintain a DNS server in your organization, you have to work with your Internet service provider to ensure that the correct DNS records are specified for your organization.

It is important to understand how address (A) records and MX records are used to verify their accuracy. The A record should match the domain name in the Windows TCP/IP configuration. If the site name does not equal the host name specified in DNS, you need an MX record. For more information, see Microsoft Exchange Server Operations.

For example, suppose the TCP/IP host name is tucson03 and the domain name is fab.com. The SMTP site address is @NAmerica-SW.fab.com. It is likely that a message will be sent user@fab.com rather than user@NAmerica-SW.fab.com, so an MX record is needed to correlate NAmerica-SW with fab.com. The A record and MX record for this example are shown here:

Tucson03.fab.com.	IN A 10.31.67.198

NAmericaSW.fab.com IN MX 10 Tucson03.fab.com.

For more information about DNS, see Microsoft Exchange Server Concepts and Planning, Microsoft Exchange Server Operations, and your DNS server documentation.