Connection Filtering is Enabled

Topic Last Modified: 2006-05-17

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine whether the msExchServerBindingsFiltering property of a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual server object indicates that Connection Filtering is enabled for a SMTP virtual server instance.

The Exchange Server Analyzer also queries Active Directory to determine whether the msExchSmtpConnectionRulesPriority, the msExchSMTPGlobalIPAcceptList, or the msExchSMTPGlobalIPDenyList properties indicate that Connection Filtering is also enabled at the global settings level.

The Exchange Server Analyzer displays a warning message if the following conditions exist:

Connection Filtering is enabled at the SMTP virtual server instance.
Connection Filtering is enabled at the Global Settings level.

This warning indicates that Connection Filtering is effectively enabled. Connection Filtering is generally not an issue. However, if you are troubleshooting mail flow problems involving this particular server, you may want to verify the filter configuration or temporarily disable Connection Filtering to determine whether it is incorrectly blocking mail to valid recipients.

To disable a connection filter on an SMTP virtual server

Start Exchange System Manager: Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
In the console tree, expand Servers, expand the server that you want, expand Protocols, and then expand SMTP.
Right-click the SMTP virtual server on which you want to disable the filter, and then click Properties.
In <SMTP Virtual Server> Properties, on the General tab, click Advanced.
In Advanced, select the IP address for which you want to disable the filter, and then click Edit.
In Identification, clear the Apply Connection Filter check box to disable the filter.
If you have multiple virtual servers, repeat Steps 3 through 6 for each virtual server on which you want to disable the filter.

For more information about how to configure connection filters, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 823866 "How to configure connection filtering to use Realtime Block Lists (RBLs) and how to configure recipient filtering in Exchange 2003" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=823866).

For more information about intelligent message filtering, see the Exchange Intelligent Message Filter Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=21607).