EAP Controller 2.4.7 Mail Server settings

[drasche]

Model :

Hardware Version :

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ISP : [/COLOR]

Hey all,

I just finished setting up my EAP Controller 2.4.7 and have 3 EAP225 APs connected. Now I want to set up a notification service by using the "Auto Mail Feature". During configuration I stumbled about the fact that I can only use mail addresses, which have a 100% official domain name. I am running my own mail-server and for internal mail I use my domain naming scheme and the domain ends with .local (like a default internal Microsoft domain).

I can´t use my internal mail addresses, because once I try to save the settings in the Auto Mail Feature dialog, the form field gets a red rectangle and does not continue. Using an official mail address that ends with t-online.de e.g does work. But I don't want to send these mails outbound.

Anyone having the same issue? And maybe a solution on this?

Kind regards
Dirk

[R1D2]

Anyone having the same issue? And maybe a solution on this?

You need a DNS server to resolve the .local domain name into an IP. To be able to also use official domains, your local DNS needs to forward DNS queries to an official DNS servers then. A good solution would be to use dnsmasq as a simple, but powerful DNS server if you have a Linux system somewhere in your network. But it would be much easier to use the IP address of the local mail server in EAC instead of a domain name, so you don't need to set up a local DNS service.

[drasche]

THX for the feedback R1D2,

BUT: I am running an Active Directory with a full featured DNS Server. On top I have an Exchange server running plus the necessary MX record in my DNS server. So from this perspective I guess I am ready.

The issue I am facing here seems to be buried deep in the EAP controller. It appears that the EAP controller does run a plausibility check on the entered mail address :-( Maybe one of the developers is reading this as well an is able to change this in the next version.

Bye

[R1D2]

It appears that the EAP controller does run a plausibility check on the entered mail address :-(

I doubt that the firmware checks mail addresses in those times where top-level domains are added to the DNS system every other day. They would need to keep a list of meanwhile 1,528 TLDs up-to-date to be able to just recognize local domains. I did not find such a list in the EAP firmware sources, so I can't imagine such a function in the EAC, too.

Why don't you try with an IP for the mail server instead of a domain name for it as a short test? This would clarify this issue without too much expense.

[DocJones]

They would need to keep a list of meanwhile 1,528 TLDs up-to-date to be able to just recognize local domains.

It's 1,530 now

But yes, try the IP first. Also, what happens if you open the command prompt on your EAP server and type "ping mymailserver.local" ? Does it resolve? If not, your EAP controller's OS isn't connected to the AD DNS so it can't pull the mailserver's name in the first place.

[R1D2]

It's 1,530 now

Yes, two more every other day.

[drasche]

It's 1,530 now

But yes, try the IP first. Also, what happens if you open the command prompt on your EAP server and type "ping mymailserver.local" ? Does it resolve? If not, your EAP controller's OS isn't connected to the AD DNS so it can't pull the mailserver's name in the first place.

You are right, both of you :-) I too doubt that it does a positive check on TLD, but maybe it does a positive check on a .local-domain because that is only one :-)

Apart from that mailing does work. The server that runs the EAP is part of my AD and DNS definitively works and when I enter a mail-address (TO or FROM) which has a valid TLD in the name, then mailing is fine. The form field in the EAP just does not accept the .local mail address.

Any idea?

[R1D2]

The form field in the EAP just does not accept the .local mail address.

My EAC running on an AWS instance accepts a .local TLD w/o problems.

Again: try an IP address instead of a domain name to find out what causes this error. That's not that difficult!

I'm pretty sure it's MS Windows which makes problems here (as usual).

[drasche]

My EAC running on an AWS instance accepts a .local TLD w/o problems.

OK, so it is not a general problem. Good to know...

Again: try an IP address instead of a domain name to find out what causes this error. That's not that difficult!

I did that from the very beginning :-) The mail server is not the problem. I can ping it also by its FQDN directly from the server that is running EAP.

On the EAP you have three form fields. One for the FROM-address, then a TO-address and the mailserver address.

Mailserver I have entered with its IP, but the TO and FROM fields do not accept a mail address that ends with .local. So for example "bugs@bunny.local" does not work, but "bugs.bunny@yahoo.com" does work.

I'm pretty sure it's MS Windows which makes problems here (as usual).

I fully agree :-)

[R1D2]

On the EAP you have three form fields. One for the FROM-address, then a TO-address and the mailserver address.

Ah, I see. You did try on EAP, not EAC, right? Anyway, there are bad news regarding .local:

The TLD local is an officially reserved special-use domain name as described in RFC 6762 of February 2013. Didn't know that, I use .lan for local networks since decades and local mail works there like a charm even with EAP/EAC.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.local and note the contrary statements from Microschrott about the use of the .local domain. They seem to still have not decided wether its use in Windows is actually good or bad. Obviously, TP-Link's firmware is enforcing to not use the reserved TLD .local, but it even doesn't accept any variation of .local such as .localdomain, .localbunny or .localbugs in the EAP's form. The latter might be a bug.