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Setting up GFI FaxMaker with Hosted Email

Author: Abas Lazem Updated

Overview

This article explains how to set up an environment for GFI FaxMaker integration with a hosted mail server. Use your preferred hosted email service to forward fax emails designated to GFI FaxMaker.

Users typically send a fax or SMS by sending an email to number@faxmaker.com and number@smsmaker.com. The mail server routes emails addressed to *@faxmaker.com and *@smsmaker.com to GFI FaxMaker. If your mail provider does not allow routing to an external domain, configure alias domains dedicated for fax and SMS (for example fax.mydomain.com).

NOTES:
  • Your hosted mail server configuration procedure may differ than the instructions provided in this topic. For more information refer to the service provider’s help.
  • These instructions apply to fax subdomains. Repeat the procedure for the SMS domain if required.

 

Information

Ensure that you have adequate permissions to create subdomain forwarding. Administrative access to the hosted email domain registrar control panel is needed to:

  • Create and register the fax subdomain
  • Create and register a new A record for the fax subdomain
  • Create and register a new MX record for the fax subdomain

From the mail host control panel, register the fax subdomain to the mail host and determine the MX record information.

 

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Process

IMPORTANT: While editing and configuring A (Host) and MX records, ensure that you are setting the records for the fax and SMS subdomains only. Changes to the A (Host) and MX records for the primary domain can disrupt email/web traffic for that domain.

Setting up GFI FaxMaker to work with your hosted email involves three main steps:

  1. Fax subdomain configuration
  2. GFI FaxMaker domain configuration
  3. Specifying the mail server details

 

Step 1: Fax Subdomain Configuration

  1. Log in to your domain registrar control panel and open the Forward Subdomains configuration to create a new fax subdomain.
  2. Choose the option to add a new subdomain.
  3. Specify a new subdomain name (for example, fax) and specify the public-facing IP address you intend to use with your fax domain.

    Adding_subdomain.png

    Figure 1: Adding a subdomain

  4. Return to your domain control panel and open the DNS Manager.
  5. In the DNS Manager, create a new A (Host) Record for your new subdomain, specifying the new subdomain name (for example, fax) and the public-facing IP address you intend to use with your fax domain.

    Create_MX_Record.png

    Figure 2: Adding a Host (A) record

  6. Create a new MX Record for the new subdomain and set the priority to 1.

    Added_MX_Record.png

    Figure 3: Adding an MX record

    NOTE: It can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours for the new subdomain changes to become active for use by your registrar.

  7. When the wait-time for propagation has passed, verify that the subdomain name is pointing to your public IP address by performing a Name Server lookup from the command prompt, for example: nslookup fax.mydomain.com. Ensure that the resulting IP address is your public IP address.

NOTE: Ensure that SMTP port 25 on your local firewall is open and forwards to the internal IP address of your GFI FaxMaker server.

 

Step 2: GFI FaxMaker Domain Configuration

Configure GFI FaxMaker to convert emails addressed to your subdomain to fax. For more information refer to Fax and SMS domain names.

  1. Open the GFI FaxMaker Email2FaxGateway properties and go to the Fax/SMS domains tab.
  2. Key in the new fax subdomain, for example fax.mydomain.com.
  3. Click OK and choose to restart your GFI FaxMaker services for changes to take effect.

 

Step 3: Specify the Mail Server Details

  1. Locate the MX record specified for your primary domain in the control panel and copy it.
  2. Open the GFI FaxMaker Email2FaxGateway properties.
  3. In the SMTP Connector tab key in the MX record for your primary domain in the Mail server name/IP and port box.
  4. In the test email area, key in a valid email address for a user in your domain and click Send test email. Ensure that the user receives a test email from GFI FaxMaker.

NOTE: When sending emails to your organization users, for example when notifying administrators of system errors, GFI FaxMaker sends the email from the email address fax@<fax domain>, for example, fax@faxmaker.com. Ensure that GFI FaxMaker can send emails via your mail server from this email address.

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Confirmation

Ensure that fax emails are being forwarded to and processed by GFI FaxMaker.

To do this, open a new message form in your web email client and send a sample fax. Ensure that the recipient’s domain is the configured subdomain. For example, send a fax to +12345678@fax.mydomain.com. Replace +12345678 with a test fax number and fax.mydomain.com with your subdomain.

Ensure that the fax was forwarded to GFI FaxMaker successfully by checking the GFI FaxMaker Monitor.

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