Microsoft Exchange and Blackberry Server Specialists

Send Connector Creation

On This Page

  • Introduction
  • Send Connector Creation
    • Creation through Exchange Management Console
    • Creation through Exchange Management Shell
  • References

Introduction

All Exchange 2010 organisations require a Send Connector. These come in two types, depending on whether there are Exchange 2003 servers in place or not.

  1. If you already had Exchange 2003 installed and it had an SMTP Connector, then Exchange 2010 will see that SMTP connector as a Send Connector it cannot modify. You will find sections of the connector that are greyed out. This connector will have to be replaced as part of the migration procedure.
  2. If a clean installation or you want Exchange 2010 to send email to the internet or a smart host directly, then you will have to create a native Send Connector.

Send Connector Creation

There are two ways to create a Send Connector, the GUI or the command line. However the GUI only exposes the basics of the connector configuration. If you need to do more advanced configuration, such as sending to a smart host on an alternative port, then you will need to use the command line.

Creation through Exchange Management Console

Send Connectors are Org settings, so are configured under Organisation, Hub Transport. Access them on the Send Connectors tab.

  1. Choose New Send Connector from the actions menu on the right.
  2. On the first screen give the connector a name, eg "Outbound Email".
    In most cases you will chose Internet as the type. Partner can be used if you are creating a connector for mutual TLS.
  3. After clicking next, you have to enter the address space. If this is your first connector, choose Add, and then enter "*". Leave the cost as 1.
    If you want to route email in different directions, for example some email to a smart host and this is an additional connector, then add the domain as the address in the format of "domain.com" (without the quotes, no @ sign etc).
    The lowest cost wins. If two connectors have the same cost, then the closest match wins.
    Scoped Send Connector controls whether the connector can be seen by other servers in a different AD site. If you are in a single server environment, then this option should be left alone (unselected). Click next.
  4. You now have to choose whether you are sending email directly by DNS, or via a smart host.
    If you are on a static IP address and can get the DNS configured correctly, then DNS can be used. However if you are on a dynamic IP address or are creating this connector because of delivery issues with direct DNS delivery, then choose the second option.
    If your smart host requires the use of an alternative port, perhaps because your ISP blocks port 25, then you will have to use the command line to configure it.
    1. First add the smart host. Ideally this would be a host name rather than an IP address.
    2. Then click Next. You can then choose whether the smart host requires authentication or not. In most cases the smart host would use Basic Authentication. However do not enable "Basic Authentication over TLS" unless your smart host provider supports it.
  5. You can then choose the Source Server. By default the server you are running the wizard on will be selected. This is the server that will be used to send email to the internet. In a single server environment you don't have much choice, but with multiple servers you can select the one that you want to do this role.
  6. After clicking Next you get the summary. Finally after clicking Finish the command that was run is shown.
     

Creation through Exchange Management Shell

If you need to use an alternative port then at least the initial configuration of the Connector needs to be done through the Management Shell.

This example command will set a new Send Connector to use a smart host on port 2525

If you then need to adjust the authentication settings, do so through the Management Console.

References

Understanding Send Connectors: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998662.aspx