VPS Email Not Working — How to Restore Outgoing Mail

If your VPS is not sending or receiving emails, it's important to check SMTP server settings, DNS records, and port availability. This article provides a step-by-step guide to diagnosing and fixing email issues on your server.

Check SMTP and Mail Ports

• Ensure your SMTP server is running and listening on ports 25, 465, and 587
• Check firewall or panel settings to make sure these ports are open
• Verify your IP is not blacklisted by major email providers (use MXToolbox)
• Test sending with telnet mail.domain.com 25 or swaks

Check Your Domain’s DNS Records

• The MX record defines where incoming emails are delivered
• The SPF record lists IPs allowed to send mail for your domain
• DKIM and DMARC improve trust and prevent spam
• Use mxtoolbox.com or mail-tester.com to check

Other Possible Reasons for Email Failure

• Mail service is not running (postfix, exim, sendmail)
• Server is overloaded or temporarily blocked
• Antivirus or firewall is blocking mail traffic
• Incorrect hostname or missing PTR (reverse DNS) record

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Need help configuring email on your VPS? Contact Bit.Hosting support — we’ll solve the issue quickly!