Messages held in queue in E2K

I have done the following to configure smtp ( as per 319426 - HOW TO: Configure the SMTP Connector to Link to Internet Domains in Exchange 2000 from microsoft/technet) -
# Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
# Double-click on the Servers icon in the left pane.
# Click the server that you want to configure, and then expand Protocols.
# Right-click either the default SMTP virtual server or the virtual server that you just created, and then click Properties.
# Click the Access tab, and then click Relay.
# Confirm that Only the list below is selected and that the list is empty.
# Click the Delivery tab, and then click Advanced.
# Click Configure to configure external DNS servers for this virtual server.

Then I did this for the connector:
# Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
# Right-click the Connectors container, point to New, and then click SMTP Connector.
# Type a name for the connector in the Name box.
Under Local Bridgeheads, click Add, click the virtual server that you configured in the "How to Configure the SMTP Virtual Server" section, and then click OK.
# Click the Address Space tab, click Add, click SMTP, and then click OK.
# In the Internet Address Space Properties dialog box, confirm that you entered a wildcard character (*) so that messages to all domains are routed through this connector.
Then I added mx and a records to this machines dns. I have tested dns like this, at the command prompt:
ls -t mx
and other addresses and it works fine. The company firewall allows everything outbound.
I find this an interesting statement (found in
266686 - XCON: How to Configure a SMTP Virtual Server Part 1 on microsoft/technet) -
After you install Exchange 2000, the SMTP service is ready to process e-mail. No further configuration is required to send and receive e-mail.
Hmm, then why doesn't my install, default W2K Enter. Srvr/E2Ksp3 send email?

OK - you've finally given a key bit of information that may be significant. You say that the company firewall allows everything outbound, but how about INBOUND? In order for SMTP to send email, it has to receive acknowledging messages back from theSMTP server at the other end. It will not be able to send unless it gets an acknowledgement back. What exactly happens is that to initiate the message transfer, the Exchange server sends a query - EHLO or HELO - to the receiving SMTP server. If itdoesn't get an OK (250) back, it will not proceed and will assume that the receiving server is down or does not exist. All of this communication happens over port 25. If port 25 is not open inbound as well as outbound, it will not be able to send email. Check this out on your firewall and if SMTP (port 25) is not open inbound, then you must open it and have the packets forwarded to the IP address of your Exchange server. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the tips. I have sent a message to the firewall admin, he's in Norway. Hopefully he'll answer in the next few days.

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