Some notes on the final TLS pieces to the SMTP puzzle

2025-09-23 22:01:00

While setting up all the DNS records needed for the Mailcow server, I ran into a few small snags. Troubleshooting was made so much easier, thanks to three tools:

• CheckTLS.com - Check Send, which has you send them an email and you get a full report of what's good and bad about your config.
• CheckTLS.com - Test Receiver, which runs full connection tests to your SMTP server, to see if counterparties will send you mail. This tool reminded me to setup an _smtp._tls record for my domain.
• MXToolbox - Email deliverability, which also has you send them an email and they give you a detailed report.

Setting up my DANE record was eased by using the tool at Huque.com.

Michael Lucas' "Run your own mail server" book has been an indispensible read! It's clarified quite a few things I didn't understand yet, about the email ecosystem.

kilala.nl tags: sysadmin,

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