MailHop Backup MX How-To

Creating and configuring MailHop Backup MX from start to finish

Step One: Domain Registration and DNS

Before you begin, your domain name will need to be registered and have some form of DNS service. If you do not have registration or DNS for your domain, you can purchase DNS and domain registration from DynDNS.

Step Two: Creating MailHop Backup MX Service

First, you will need to add the MailHop Backup MX service for your domain using the Add Zone Services wizard. Enter your domain name (domain.com, not www.domain.com) and select "Yes, I need MailHop Backup MX for this domain" under E-Mail, and click Next. (If you are also purchasing domain registration services or DNS services, you can select these as well.)

The Backup MX service does not have any specific options that need to be enabled at this time, so you will be asked to choose a Service Period from one to five years and the service will be added to your shopping cart. You can continue shopping or check out to complete the creation.

Step Three: Configuring Your MX Records

After the service has been purchased, it can take up to fifteen minutes to activate, so please be sure to wait a little while before changing your MX records. When you are ready, you will need to add mx2.mailhop.org to the MX records for your domain. (You can learn more about MX records here.)

If you are using Custom DNS, you can use the Configure for MailHop link to automatically create the necessary MX record for your domain. If you are using the Expert interface, you can manually create the records using the Add New Record form like so:

MailHop Backup MX Screenshot

If you are using third-party DNS service, you will need to add this MX record to your domain's zone file through their interface. Remember, you need to set mx2.mailhop.org at a lower than primary Preference, or you will experience mail rejection errors.

Once the MX record has been created, email for your domain will be directed towards our mail servers during downtime, and they will redeliver the mail to your primary server when it returns to service. (If you changed existing MX records, the old information may still be cached, and it may take some time for mail to reach MailHop Backup MX. You can learn more about DNS caching here.)

Do not use mx1.mailhop.org for Backup MX service. Only mx2.mailhop.org will be configured to accept your mail.

Important Note: In any case of a dynamic IP address, it is possible for someone else to receive your mail if you drop offline, and they come online with your old IP address, with a mail server configured to receive your mail. To prevent this, we would recommend the use of our "Offline URL" functionality to redirect your host to a server which will not accept mail while you are offline. See the documentation for the appropriate service for more information on this. We cannot be held responsible for mail delivered to a host which is online at your IP address but not controlled by you.