MX (Mail Exchange) records are DNS entries that specify the mail servers responsible for receiving emails for a domain. A typical MX record configuration looks like this in DNS zone files:
@ IN MX 10 mail1.example.com. @ IN MX 20 mail2.example.com.
Each MX record contains a priority value (10, 20 in this case) that determines the order of mail server usage. Lower numbers indicate higher priority.
Yes, you can absolutely set multiple MX records for the same domain. This is actually a common practice for:
- Email redundancy (failover)
- Gradual migration between email providers
- Hybrid email solutions
For your specific case combining Live Mail and Google Apps, here's how the DNS configuration might look:
@ IN MX 10 live-mail-server.example.com. @ IN MX 20 aspmx.l.google.com. @ IN MX 30 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
When configuring multiple MX records for different providers:
- Priority Management: Set your primary email provider with lower priority numbers
- TTL Values: Use lower TTL (Time To Live) during migration for faster propagation
- SPF Records: Update your SPF record to include all sending servers
Example SPF record for hybrid setup:
@ IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all"
After configuration, verify using dig or nslookup:
dig example.com MX +short
Sample output showing multiple providers:
10 live-mail-server.example.com. 20 aspmx.l.google.com. 30 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
You might encounter these challenges:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Emails going to only one provider | Check priority values and DNS propagation |
| Delivery delays | Ensure proper retry configuration on all servers |
| SPF failures | Include all sending IPs in SPF record |
For more granular control, consider setting up email forwarding rules on your primary provider. For example, in Exchange Online PowerShell:
New-InboundConnector -Name "GoogleAppsRouting" -SenderDomains "example.com" -RequireTls $true -CloudServicesMailEnabled $true
MX (Mail Exchange) records are DNS entries that specify the mail servers responsible for receiving emails for a domain. Contrary to common belief, you can indeed have multiple MX records for a single domain. This is actually a recommended practice for email redundancy.
example.com. IN MX 10 mail1.example.com.
example.com. IN MX 20 mail2.example.com.
In your case of using both Microsoft Live Mail and Google Apps, the configuration would look like:
@ IN MX 10 msnhst.microsoft.com
@ IN MX 20 aspmx.l.google.com
@ IN MX 30 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
The priority values (10, 20, 30) determine the order of attempted delivery. Lower numbers have higher priority.
When implementing multiple MX records, consider these technical aspects:
- TTL Settings: Set appropriate Time-To-Live values to balance between DNS changes and caching
- SPF Records: Update your SPF record to include all sending servers
- DNS Propagation: Allow sufficient time for global DNS propagation
After configuration, verify your setup using these commands:
nslookup -type=mx example.com
dig mx example.com
For a more comprehensive check, use online tools like MXToolbox or Google Admin Toolbox.
Common issues with multiple MX configurations include:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Email loops | Ensure proper forwarding rules |
| SPF failures | Include all providers in SPF record |
| Delivery delays | Set appropriate priority values |
Here's how a company might split email handling between Google and Microsoft:
; Primary - Google Workspace
@ IN MX 1 aspmx.l.google.com
@ IN MX 5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
; Backup - Microsoft 365
@ IN MX 10 example-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
This configuration ensures Google handles all primary email traffic, with Microsoft serving as a backup.