MX Records: The email Record

MX (Mail Exchanger) records are a crucial component of the Domain Name System (DNS) that enable email communication across the internet. They specify the mail servers responsible for accepting email messages on behalf of a domain. Without properly configured MX records, email delivery to a domain would fail.

How MX Records Work

When an email is sent, the sending mail server performs an MX lookup on the recipient's domain. The MX lookup queries DNS to retrieve the MX records associated with the domain. These records contain a priority value and the hostname of the mail server responsible for accepting emails for that domain.

The priority value determines the order in which the mail servers should be contacted. The server with the lowest priority value is tried first. If the first server is unavailable or fails to respond, the sending server moves on to the next highest priority mail server until the email is successfully delivered or all the servers have been tried.

Configuring MX Records

To set up email delivery for a domain, you need to configure the MX records in your domain's DNS settings. This is typically done through your hosting provider.e.g GEN.

When configuring MX records, you specify the hostname of the mail server and assign a priority value. It's common to have multiple MX records for a domain to provide redundancy and load balancing. For example:

example.com.  MX  10  reliance1.gen.network.
example.com.  MX  10  reliance2.gen.network.

In this example, reliance1.gen.network and reliance2.gen.network will handle email for example.com, and because their priority is the same, either can be used. If the priority was different, then the one with the lowest priority would be tried first.

Importance of MX Records

Properly configured MX records are essential for maintaining reliable email communication. With more than one record, they allow for redundancy or load balancing, but you don't have to have more than one, having one MX record is just fine for smaller setup's. 

Troubleshooting MX Records

If you experience issues with incoming email, checking the MX records should be one of the first steps in troubleshooting.

Use our Email Testing Tool (at www.gen.uk, then Tools, then Email) to verify the MX records are correct, and look for common configuration issues.

Conclusion

MX records are essential for enabling email delivery in the internet's infrastructure. They specify the mail servers responsible for handling incoming email for a domain. Properly configuring and maintaining MX records ensures reliable email communication and prevents email delivery failures. Understanding the role of MX records is crucial for anyone managing a domain's email setup.

If you're having issues with MX Records, feel free to contact the HelpDesk for assistance.