Using Domains in Kerio Connect

Overview

This article provides information on the use of domains in Kerio Connect. The article covers the following content:

• Domain Names
• Primary Domain
• Internet Hostname
• Removing Domains

Information

Domain Names

An email domain is a unique identifier that is used to recognize the server for delivering email messages. In an email address, the domain identifier follows the @ symbol. It is important to note that the email domain can differ from the name of the server where Kerio Connect is installed. For example:

• Domain name: abcxyz.com
• Email domain name: mail.abcxyz.com
• User email address: user@abcxyz.com

Domains are managed in the Configuration > Domain section of the Kerio Connect admin interface. To display information in different columns, right-click any column name and select the items that you want to display in the interface.
 

Note: Kerio Connect may include any number of email domains with user accounts defined separately for each domain. Therefore, domains must be defined before creating the user accounts.

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Primary Domain

One domain in Kerio Connect must be set as primary. Users defined in the primary domain only use their username for authentication, not the full email address.
 

Note: By default, the first domain that you create is set as the primary domain. You may change the primary domain or add new domains in Kerio Connect.

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Internet Hostname

To make messages deliverable, you must specify the DNS name of the server where Kerio Connect is installed. This serves as the Internet hostname for Kerio Connect.

Kerio Connect uses this Internet hostname when establishing SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) traffic. When the SMTP connection is established, the EHLO (Extended HELO) command is used for retrieving the reverse DNS record. The server that communicates with Kerio Connect can perform checks of the reverse DNS record. 

Note: If Kerio Connect is running behind NAT (Network Address Translation), use the Internet hostname of the firewall. To change the Internet hostname, refer to the Changing Internet Hostnames article.

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Removing Domains

When decommissioning the Kerio Connect domains, especially when you migrate to another server, it is recommended to remove them from the Kerio Connect Administration. To remove a domain, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Domains.
2. Right-click on the domain.
3. Click Remove.
    
   
    
4. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the domain.
    
   
    

If the domain is not deleted after a migration, the emails that are being sent from the server towards the migrated domain will be sent to the Kerio internal domain. This happens due to the local DNS, which will always resolve the recipient's address to the internal domain. As a result, the email will never leave the server.

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