One of my email accounts goes through an email system which uses Exchange
Server 2003. The problem exists when I send email to someone outside my
company AND people inside my company - those inside the system get my email,
but I get an immediate email back from System Administrator saying the
message did not reach the recipient (in this case the party outside my
company) with error code: "553 Requested action not taken: mailbox name not
allowed or chunk too large". If, however, I send email to just one person
outside the company and the email system my email goes through without
problems. What's up with that?

"aewsaws" <aewsaws> wrote:

>One of my email accounts goes through an email system which uses Exchange
>Server 2003. The problem exists when I send email to someone outside my
>company AND people inside my company - those inside the system get my email,
>but I get an immediate email back from System Administrator saying the
>message did not reach the recipient (in this case the party outside my
>company) with error code: "553 Requested action not taken: mailbox name not
>allowed or chunk too large". If, however, I send email to just one person
>outside the company and the email system my email goes through without
>problems. What's up with that?

Are you certain it's Exchange that's generating the error? Check the
SMTP Protocol log and see if it might be the target server that's
sending the error. Or it could be that the sending SMTP server (based
on your description it sounds like you're using Exchange as a SMTP
relay).

The Exchange server, if it's used only as a SMTP relay, will act only
on the "RCPT TO:" commands, and not on the contents of the message
headers. If the mailbox name isn't known Exchange should reply with a
message that says the recipient is unknown, not that the mailbox isn't
allowed.

Thanks, Rich. I am using Exchange as a relay. What's odd is that if I send
a message to several within my company (same domain) with a copy to someone
outside my domain, those in the domain get the message and I get the failure
message for the recipient outside the company. What makes it odd is that if
I send an email to just that same recipient it goes through OK.



"Rich Matheisen [MVP]" wrote:
[..]

"aewsaws" <aewsaws> wrote:

>Thanks, Rich. I am using Exchange as a relay. What's odd is that if I send
>a message to several within my company (same domain) with a copy to someone
>outside my domain, those in the domain get the message and I get the failure
>message for the recipient outside the company. What makes it odd is that if
>I send an email to just that same recipient it goes through OK.

That's what you said in your first message. It doesn't tell me
anything new.

Fine, but I am missing the point of your post. If the message goes through
when sent to just that recipient, there's nothing wrong with the recipient's
mailbox.

"Rich Matheisen [MVP]" wrote:
[..]

"aewsaws" <aewsaws> wrote:

>Fine, but I am missing the point of your post. If the message goes through
>when sent to just that recipient, there's nothing wrong with the recipient's
>mailbox.

Nobody said there was a problem with the mailbox. The error said the
"mailbox name" wasn't allowed.

The point is that all you've said so far is that you get an error with
a status code and some text, and that your mail "goes through" an
Exchange server (not that your mailbox was on an Exchange server).

With no information other than that there's not a lt anyone can do to
help you find what the problem might be, or where it might be.

If your mail system (assuming it's not Exchange) is rewriting the
addresses, perhaps the rewriting is done incorrectly when there are
multipl recipients? Maybe the RCPT TO data looks like a@b?
Or a%domain.org? Or maybe your server is barfing on an
apostrophe in the <local-part> of the address? Or maybe it's some SMTP
proxy (or firewall -- Watchguard, maybe?) that's causing the problem?

Try searching for the text you got back in Google. How many hits did
you get (I got 113)? How many pertain to your (unknown to us)
hardware/software/configuration?