How to configure exim to send mails to LAN without DNS

Question

I am trying to configure exim to send mails directly over LAN without DNS, but I have no luck doing it...

On both ends there is a server with one Internet-facing interface and one local interface. I need to use the local interface.

When I telnet to port 25 from one server to another, it works like a charm. However, when I try to send mail via exim, it insist that I am trying to send the mail to myself.

I have added this router to server with local interface 11.11.0.1:

new_router:
  driver = manualroute
  domains = 11.11.0.2
  transport = remote_smtp
  route_list = * 11.11.0.1

and even forced the remote_smtp to use the correct interface:

remote_smtp:
  driver = smtp
  interface = 11.11.0.1

This is what I get if I try to send a mail form 11.11.0.1 to 11.11.0.2:

2014-03-16 22:11:38 1WPILK-0004YD-O1 == test@11.11.0.2 R=new_router defer (-1): remote host address is the local host
2014-03-16 22:11:39 1WPILK-0004YD-O1 Frozen

This should be the relevant part of the log:

--------> new_router router <--------
local_part=test domain=11.11.0.2
checking domains
11.11.0.2 in "11.11.0.2"? yes (matched "11.11.0.2")
calling new_router router
new_router router called for test@11.11.0.2
  domain = 11.11.0.2
route_item = * 11.11.0.1
11.11.0.2 in "*"? yes (matched "*")
original list of hosts = "11.11.0.1" options =
expanded list of hosts = "11.11.0.1" options =
set transport remote_smtp
finding IP address for 11.11.0.1
calling host_find_byname
gethostbyname2(af=inet6) returned 1 (HOST_NOT_FOUND)
local host found for non-MX address
fully qualified name = 11.11.0.1
gethostbyname2 looked up these IP addresses:
  name=11.11.0.1 address=11.11.0.1
LOG: MAIN
  remote host address is the local host: 11.11.0.2
new_router router: defer for test@11.11.0.2
  message: remote host address is the local host
added retry item for R:11.11.0.2: errno=-1 more_errno=0 flags=0
post-process test@11.11.0.2 (1)
LOG: MAIN
  == test@11.11.0.2 R=new_router defer (-1): remote host address is the local host

Do you have any idea how to convince exim to not treat 11.11.0.2 as a local address?

Thanks,

Drasha

Answer 1

It seems your exim thinks 11.11.0.2 refers to your own machine, i.e. you have some configuration setting (local_interfaces, extra_local_interfaces or hosts_treat_as_local) that includes 11.11.0.2.

By default the manualroute router is intended to give you a remote host, but that can also be adjusted by adding

self = send

to your new_router configuration, although it would be better to fix the original problem instead of patching the symptoms as you might run into all kinds of other strange problems if you have messed up what is considered local hosts and not.

BTW, what does the command exim -bP | grep local show?