Exchange SMTP Connector Mail Undelivered Until Server Restarts

[JustinWong]

Hi Friends:
My problem started 2 weeks ago, when the SBS-generated certificate expired (after 5 years). I used the internet and email wizard to create a new SBS-generated certificate and basically replaced the old ones with the new ones. Everything works (I can remote access, OWA works, IIS sites work, etc.) EXCEPT outgoing emails!!! When I send emails - whether through exchange or OWA - a new SMTP Connector will be created in Exhange's quene. And none of the mail would be delieverd - until I restart the sbs server (NOT just the smtp virtual server or Exchange. In fact, the mails within those SMTP connects will keep duplicating themselves everytime I stop and then restart the virtual SMTP server or dismount and remount the Exchange store) . Once I restart the sbs server, then ALL the mail gets delivered. So, for the past 2 weeks, I'm basically restarting my sbs server every hour just to the outbound mails in the queue can go out. I'd really appreciate insight as to why this is happening - and how to trouble-shoot and resolve it.

[EINSTEIN_007]

You can always use the postmaster account to handle all non-delivery reports (NDR) for an organization. If you are sharing a namespace with another mail system, and you want to accept mail for these users and forward this mail to the other system by designating it as a smart host, specifying undeliverable mail handling on a virtual server can be useful. More information can be found here.

[JustinWong]

I'm not so concern about the NDR, but am more interested in knowing why smtp won't properly deliver the mail in the first place. I don't have a smart host I can use. But that is also not my focus. Technically, I need to understand why it is that after installing a new certificate, the smtp virtual server will only deliver the mail at the time of sbs server restart, but not subsequently.

[JAMES_911]

You can try to create an SMTP connector in Exchange, to forward all outgoing mail to their server. After that start up ESM. Then you have to browse down to the routing groups, and right-click on the Connectors node > New > SMTP Connector and create a new SMTP connector. Select the option "Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart host", and type in the IP or FQDN of comcast's SMTP server. If you enter the IP address, enclose it in square brackets, so Exchange knows its an IP address.

[JustinWong]

Thanks James, but I think I am mistaken: Before I installed a new certificate, I did NOT have Smart Host. Everything was working just fine. Mails through smtp was being delivered. . . for 5 years. Now, I DO NOT WANT to change things, such as all of a sudden adding a Smart Host for forwarding mails. I want the system to go back to the way it was and working (i.e. NO Smart Host). I just wondering if anyone know why, in my case, mails will only be delivered when I restart my SBS server and NOT subsequently (so obviously it is not about recipients' site blocking my address, etc., because all mails delivered just fine at the point when SBS server is started) . . .