Illegal host/domain name found

[Cricket Liu]

Ralph wrote:
> I am experiencing a problem with my domain mail. I am runnning 9.2.1
> on my Mandrake box, with PacBell DSL. The webserver is seen just fine,
> but when a user sends me mail, they recieve the following bounce
> message:
> -----------------------------------------------
>   Your message cannot be delivered to the following recipients:
> 
>   Recipient address: webmaster at policing.net
>   Reason: Illegal host/domain name found
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> named-checkconf and named-checkzone both show no errors.
> 
> Dig provides the following;
> -----------------------------------------
> birch:~$ dig all www.policing.net
> 
> ; <<>> DiG 2.1 <<>> all www.policing.net
> ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
> ;; got answer:
> ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 6
> ;; flags: qr rd ra; Ques: 1, Ans: 1, Auth: 2, Addit: 2
> ;; QUESTIONS:
> ;;      www.policing.net, type = A, class = IN
> 
> ;; ANSWERS:
> www.policing.net.       147444  A       66.120.4.162
> 
> ;; AUTHORITY RECORDS:
> policing.net.   172049  NS      ns1.pbi.net.
> policing.net.   172049  NS      ns2.pbi.net.
> 
> ;; ADDITIONAL RECORDS:
> ns1.pbi.net.    168424  A       206.13.28.11
> ns2.pbi.net.    168424  A       206.13.29.11
> 
> ;; Total query time: 1 msec
> ;; FROM: birch.he.net to SERVER: default -- 216.218.130.50
> ;; WHEN: Sat Nov  9 09:39:18 2002
> ;; MSG SIZE  sent: 34  rcvd: 122
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Webserver, DNS and mail are all on the same box.
> 
> Any suggestions on where to start?

The address of the web server doesn't really have anything to do
with mail problems folks might have sending mail to user at policing.net.
(Also, use "ANY" with dig, not "ALL.")

policing.net's MX records are what matters.  Here they are:

$ dig @ns2.pbi.net. mx policing.net.

; <<>> DiG 9.2.2rc1 <<>> @ns2.pbi.net. mx policing.net.
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 60628
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 5

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;policing.net.                  IN      MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
policing.net.           7200    IN      MX      10 mail.policing.net.
policing.net.           7200    IN      MX      100 smtp-relay.pbi.net.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
policing.net.           172800  IN      NS      ns1.pbi.net.
policing.net.           172800  IN      NS      ns2.pbi.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
mail.policing.net.      7200    IN      A       66.120.4.162
smtp-relay.pbi.net.     600     IN      A       206.13.28.30
smtp-relay.pbi.net.     600     IN      A       206.13.28.8
ns1.pbi.net.            172800  IN      A       206.13.28.11
ns2.pbi.net.            172800  IN      A       206.13.29.11

This looks fine, though.  Does webmaster at policing.net forward to
another address?

cricket

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