Telnet to Exchange 2003 POP3 mailboxes and using SMTP to send e-mail for troubleshooting purposes

Some basic information about POP3 and SMTP

POP3

Short for Post Office Protocol, a protocol used to retrieve e-mail from a mail server. Most e-mail applications (sometimes called an e-mail client) use the POP protocol, although some can use the newer IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol).

There are two versions of POP. The first, called POP2, became a standard in the mid-80′s and requires SMTP to send messages. The newer version, POP3, can be used with or without SMTP.

Source: Here

Beginning with Exchange 2003 we have to activate POP3 support after the Exchange installation, because Microsoft has disabled some services for security reasons (POP3 communication is unencrypted per Default – but you can use TLS to ensure security).

SMTP

Short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an e-mail client using either POP or IMAP. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server. This is why you need to specify both the POP or IMAP server and the SMTP server when you configure your e-mail application.

Source: Here

Let’s begin

Connecting to POP3

Open Telnet (Start – Run – CMD – Telnet) and write the following line:

TELNET Servername.Domain.TLD 110 (in our example TELNET some.domain.com 110).

Figure 1: Connecting to your Exchange Server via POP3

What do we see here?

+OK                                             - The Exchange Server accepts Connection to Port 110

Exchange Server 2003 POP3           – It is a Exchange 2003 Server

Version 6.5.7226.0                             – The Exchange Version Number

some.domain.com                                – The FQDN of the Exchange Server

These are some helpful information about our connection.

Let’s go further:

Figure 2: POP3 communication

What do we see here?

USER MSEXchangeORG     – The name of the user to connect to the mailbox

PASS Fake001                  – The password of the user (transmitted unencrypted over the network)

LIST                                 – Lists all E-Mails in the mailbox

RETR 1                             – Display the selected E-Mail

A very interesting part is the displayed body of the E-Mail. You can see the encapsulation of the E-Mail, MIME type, Message ID and much more helpful information.

POP commands

Connecting to SMTP

Open Telnet (Start – Run – CMD – Telnet) and write the following line:

TELNET Servername.Domain.TLD 25 (in our example TELNET some.domain.com 25).

Figure 3: EHLO commands

SMTP supports two verbs: HELO an EHLO

The HELO or EHLO verbs in SMTP are how the client identifies itself to the server. Clients that use single-label domain names, or domain names that the server cannot look up in the DNS database, are broken or misconfigured.

EHLO is the successor of the HELO verb and supports many more commands. The supported EHLO verbs are different from Mailserver to Mailserver. Exchange 2003 supports the EHLO verbs displayed in (Figure 3).

A very important EHLO verb is AUTH. AUTH lists the supported authentication methods for connecting to the SMTP Server. Exchange 2003 supports GSSAPI, NTLM and LOGIN.

Some ISP SMTP servers doesn’t support AUTH. They use SMTP after POP. SMTP after POP authenticates a user through a successful POP3 connection and lets him use the SMTP protocol with the applied credentials through the POP3 connect.

In our example we use the basic HELO command to connect.

Figure 4: Write a e-mail through telnet

What do we see here?

220 some.domain.com            – the Server listens on the given SMTP port

Microsoft ESMTP Mail Service         - This Server supports Extended SMTP

Version: 6.0.3790.0 ready             - This SMTP Service is hosted by Windows 2003

HELO                                           - Initiates connection (requires domain name by most SMTP

servers)

250 some.domain.com            – Server accepts connections on IP address 111.111.111.111

MAIL FROM: Name@domain.tld       - The Sender of the Message

RCPT TO: Name@domain.tld          - The Reciepient of the Message

DATA:                                          – Input e-mail data for subject and body

SUBJECT:                                     - the subject line of the message

Enter the data for the message body. At the end of the message click <CRLF> “.” <CRLF>

The message will be transmitted through the destination address through exchange.

SMTP commands

Conclusion

Related Links

POP3 RFC
Here

SMTP RFC
Here

Administering POP3/SMTP/IMAP
Here

Articles Original Posted by: Here

• Published: Jul 29, 2004
• Updated: Jul 29, 2004
• Author: Marc Grote

The queue keeps filling up. 2k messages in 2hrs. I have enabled message
filtering and check there is no relay. I tested using one of the microsoft articles
and I don’t get 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for user@spam.com -or- 250 2.1.5 user@spam.com
I get unrecognized email address.

I created a forward mail to (111.111.111.111) to try and stop the messages so i can clear it but they keep coming.

I am trying to use this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324958
but the queue never stops filling up.
Right-click Small-business SMTP Connector, and then click Properties. If you
have more than one SMTP Connector, the one that you want to work with in the
following steps is the one that contains the “*” (asterisk) for the SMTP
address on the Address Space tab.
3. Click the General tab. Make a note of all the settings on this tab. You
have to return these settings later in this article.
4. Click Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart
hosts.
5. In the field provided, type a false IP address and enclose it in
brackets. For example, type [111.111.111.111].
6. Click the Deliver Options tab .
7. Click Specify when messages are sent through this connector.

I checked these settings and they are correct.

Verify that your Exchange computer is not an open mail relay. To do this,
follow these steps:

a. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft
Exchange, and then click System Manager.
b. In Exchange System Manager, expand the following object:
ServersYour_Exchange_Server_NameProtocolsSMTP
c. Right-click the virtual SMTP server where you want to prevent mail
relay, and then click Properties.
d. Click the Access tab, and then click Relay.
e. By default, open relay is blocked. The default settings are as follows:
? The Only the list below check box is selected.
? The Allow all computers which successfully authenticate to relay,
regardless of the list above check box is selected.

Problem:

Outgoing emails not sending.

Solution:

Changing the SMTP settings from (mail.yourdomain.com) to
(Your provider) Having problem sending using
mail.yourdomain.com.
Suggested that if for some reason it stops working you
should call Hosting Company to tell them that you can’t
connect to send email using there SMTP server.
(There is a few reason why it would have stopped.
Your server is sending spam if infected by virus. Someone
is using your server for sending emails if you have not locked it down.)

How to move Exchange databases and logs in Exchange Server 2003
View products that this article applies to.
For a Microsoft Exchange 2000 version of this article, see 257184 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257184/EN-US/ ) .



SUMMARY

Exchange Server 2003 does not include the Performance Optimizer program (Perfwiz.exe) that is included with previous versions of Exchange Server.
This article describes how to move log files or database files in Exchange Server 2003.

MORE INFORMATION

If you want to move log files or database files to another drive, use the following procedures.
Back to the top
To move log files

1. Start Exchange System Manager.
2. Click Administrative Groups.

Note If Administrative Groups does not appear, it may not be turned on.
To turn on Administrative Groups, right-click Exchange Organization in Exchange System Manager,
and then click Properties. Click to select the Display Administrative Groups check box.
3. Locate the storage group where you want to change log file paths,
right-click the storage group, and then click Properties.
4. Click the General tab, click the Browse button next to the Transaction log location box,
and then specify the new drive or folder location for the log files.



To move databases

1. Start Exchange System Manager.
2. Open the administrative group that contains the database that you want to change.
3. Under Storage Group, right-click the mailbox store or the public folder store that you want to change, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Database tab.
5. Next to the database that you want to change, click Browse, and then specify a new drive or folder location for the files.



Notes

* With the databases, you can decide to move the Exchange Database (.edb file), the Exchange Streaming Database (.stm file), or both.
* If the databases are still mounted, you receive the following message:
You are about to perform the following operation(s):
- change Exchange database location
To perform the requested operation(s), the store must be temporarily dismounted which will make it inaccessible to any user.

Do you want to continue?
Click Yes to dismount the database automatically and move the location.
6. When you finish moving the databases, remount the databases manually.

You can move the log files and database files to any folder that you want to create. When you move logs and database files, you may want to create the Exchsrvr\Mdbdata file structure for consistency reasons, but you are not obligated to do so.

You must grant the following default permissions to the new Mdbdata folder that contains the log files and database files:

* Administrators: Full Control
* Authenticated Users: Read and Execute, List Folder Contents, Read
* Creator Owner: None
* Server Operators: Modify, Read and Execute, List Folder Contents, Read, Write
* System: Full Control

Note Only assign permissions to the Server Operators group if the Exchange server is a domain controller. Otherwise, assign permissions to the Power Users group. Only domain controllers should have permissions to the built-in Server Operators group. Stand-alone and member servers should have permissions to the built-in Power Users group.

You may also have to grant the following permissions to the root drive that contains the new Mdbdata folder:

* System: Full Control

During the process of moving log files and database files, your store is temporarily dismounted. Because the store is temporarily dismounted, it is inaccessible to your users until the process is completed. Moving log files or database files invalidates all existing incremental and differential backups; therefore, make a full backup after these changes.

Do not delete or rename the Old MDBdata Folder path after you move the Exchange database. If you want to delete the old MDBdata folder, make sure that the following working directory parameter in the registry points to the new location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem
Value name: Working Directory
Value type: REG_SZ
Value data: C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Mdbdata
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
298415 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298415/ ) Messages that have attachments are not delivered as expected, and Event ID 12003 and 327 messages are logged in Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003

Do not move databases to the root of a drive. Instead, move databases at least one subfolder down from the root drive. For example, do not use C:\ as the path of the database or log files. Instead, you could use the C:\Subfolder path. In an organization that uses Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2007, the 2007 management tools will flag database or log files that are the root of a drive as an error. For more information, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc411334(EXCHG.80).aspx

MS SBS 2008 & MS Exchange Server 2007:

Microsoft Exchange Information Store service stopped working and will not start working.
I tried to restart the Exchange Information store it would load half way then i would get an error 0

So how did i fix this problem !

I found that my NIC card was using IPv4 and i remember that both IPv4 and IPv6 where running when i installed SBS 2008 server
When I clicked on IPv6 to activite it and click apply and went to the Service Panel to Start the Exchnage Information Store it worked.

Hope this help !