Google for Domains and MX Records of Death

Posted By : Dan Wilson April 11, 2007 7:43 AM

I set up Gmail for domains the other day. Part of the configuration involves 'Claiming' your domain. This is a simple process. All you have to do is copy a string, save it to a specially named file and add it to the webroot for the domain.

The next part involves setting your MX Records. This means changing the current DNS MX records and adding in the ones provided by Google. Below is the configuration:

Priority	Mail Server
1	ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM.
5	ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM.
5	ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM.
10	ASPMX2.GOOGLEMAIL.COM.
10	ASPMX3.GOOGLEMAIL.COM.
10	ASPMX4.GOOGLEMAIL.COM.
10	ASPMX5.GOOGLEMAIL.COM.

I use a control panel to manage my server. The form for changing the MX records had inputs for name, priority and the mail server to use. Figuring the name was simply a human readable title and since the name value wasn't specified in the Gmail configuration document, I used same the value as mail server. This was not a good idea.

Once the MX records have been changed, you simply click a link in the Gmail control panel and Gmail Services will verify your MX records. It mentions the process can take up to 48 hours. After refreshing the page a few times, I supposed it would be, in fact, 48 hours.

Monday I opened the Gmail control panel once again to find the MX record validation failed. I painstakingly verified the connection information once again and it was dead on. Not knowing what else to do, I contacted the fine support group at Vivio Technologies and asked them to have a look. Very quickly, the support group responded back and told me that the name input was for which domain I wanted the MX record to apply to. Since I used the mail server setting for the name, I set the mail record to point back to itself. Once that was straightened out, Gmail Services promptly verified the MX records and I was all set.

While this was ignorance on my part, I won't be the last person to make this mistake. I hope you find this entry before banging your head on your desk.

On a more positive note, Jordan Michaels and the gang at Vivio Technologies have always provided top notch support. They are courteous, responsive and knowledgeable. If you are considering shared hosting, Virtual Private Server or a Dedicated machine, have a look at Vivio Technologies.

8341 Views