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---
title: Recieving Mail thru MXRoute
description: Trusted receiver
published: true
date: 2026-02-15T02:33:37.376Z
tags:
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2026-02-15T01:44:15.683Z
---
# MXroute Incoming Mail to Mailcow
## Overview
Configuration guide for using MXroute to receive incoming mail for your domains and forward to your Mailcow server.
---
## Architecture
```
Incoming: Internet → MXroute → Mailcow subdomain → Alias → Mailbox
Outgoing: Mailbox → Mailcow → MXroute relay → Internet
```
This setup allows MXroute to handle incoming mail filtering, spam protection, and then forward clean mail to your Mailcow server. Users send and receive using clean `@yourdomain.com` addresses.
### Address Structure Explained
**What users see (clean addresses):**
- `john@yourdomain.com`
- `jane@yourdomain.com`
**What happens behind the scenes:**
- Mailboxes actually exist as `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- Aliases in Mailcow map `john@yourdomain.com` → `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- MXroute forwards to `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- Users send FROM `john@yourdomain.com` (configured as default sender)
- **Users login with `john@yourdomain.com`** (Dovecot auth configured to accept aliases)
**Benefits:**
- **100% transparent to users** - they only ever see/use `@yourdomain.com`
- Clean, professional email addresses
- Easier for users to remember and communicate
- No confusion about which address to use
---
## MXroute Configuration
### 1. Add Domain to MXroute
1. Log into MXroute DirectAdmin panel
2. Navigate to **Email Accounts** → **Email Domains**
3. Add your domain (e.g., `yourdomain.com`)
### 2. Create Catch-All Forwarder
1. Navigate to **Email Accounts** → **Forwarders**
2. Create catch-all forwarder:
- **Email Address:** `*@yourdomain.com`
- **Forward To:** `@mail.yourdomain.com`
3. This forwards all mail to your Mailcow server, preserving the username
**How it works:**
- Mail to `john@yourdomain.com` → forwarded to `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- Mail to `jane@yourdomain.com` → forwarded to `jane@mail.yourdomain.com`
---
## DNS Configuration
### Update MX Records
Point your domain's MX records to MXroute servers:
```
yourdomain.com → MX 10 arrow.mxroute.com
yourdomain.com → MX 20 eagle.mxroute.com
```
**Note:** Check your MXroute account for the correct server hostnames (arrow, eagle, hermes, etc.)
### SPF Record
Update SPF to allow MXroute to send on your behalf:
```
v=spf1 include:mxroute.com -all
```
If you also send from Mailcow directly:
```
v=spf1 ip4:192.168.5.16 include:mxroute.com -all
```
### DKIM Records
1. Generate DKIM key in MXroute DirectAdmin:
- Navigate to **Email Authentication** → **DKIM Keys**
- Generate key for your domain
- Copy the DNS record
2. Add DKIM TXT record to your DNS:
```
default._domainkey.yourdomain.com → [MXroute DKIM public key]
```
### DMARC Record
```
_dmarc.yourdomain.com → v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:admin@yourdomain.com
```
**Note:** Start with `p=quarantine` for testing, then move to `p=reject` once confirmed working.
---
## Mailcow Configuration
### 1. Add Domain
Add `mail.yourdomain.com` as a domain in Mailcow:
1. Navigate to Mailcow admin → **Configuration** → **Mail setup** → **Domains**
2. Add domain: `mail.yourdomain.com`
3. Configure as needed
### 2. Create Mailboxes
Create mailboxes using the subdomain:
1. Navigate to **Mailboxes**
2. Create mailbox: `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
3. Set password and quota
4. Repeat for each user
### 3. Create Aliases for Clean Addresses
For each mailbox, create an alias so users can use clean `@yourdomain.com` addresses:
1. Navigate to **Configuration** → **Mail setup** → **Aliases**
2. Create alias:
- **Alias:** `john@yourdomain.com`
- **Destination:** `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
3. Repeat for each user
**Alternative: Alias Domain (Easier for Multiple Users)**
1. Navigate to **Configuration** → **Mail setup** → **Alias Domains**
2. Add alias domain: `yourdomain.com` → aliases to → `mail.yourdomain.com`
3. This automatically creates aliases for ALL mailboxes:
- `john@yourdomain.com` → `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- `jane@yourdomain.com` → `jane@mail.yourdomain.com`
### 4. Configure Default Sender Address
Set users to send FROM their clean address by default:
**Method 1: Per-Mailbox Settings**
1. Edit each mailbox in Mailcow
2. Under **Sender addresses**, add `john@yourdomain.com`
3. Set as default sender address
**Method 2: SOGo Webmail**
Users can configure in SOGo:
1. Log into webmail
2. Settings → Mail → Accounts
3. Set "From" address to `john@yourdomain.com`
**Method 3: Email Client**
Configure email client (Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.):
- Identity name: `john@yourdomain.com`
- Reply-to: `john@yourdomain.com`
- SMTP still authenticates as `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
### 5. Enable Login with Alias Addresses (Make Transparent to Users)
Allow users to login with `john@yourdomain.com` instead of `john@mail.yourdomain.com`:
1. SSH into your Mailcow server
2. Edit the Dovecot configuration:
```bash
cd /opt/mailcow-dockerized
nano data/conf/dovecot/extra.cf
```
3. Add the following line:
```
auth_username_format = %Ln@%Ld
```
4. Restart Dovecot:
```bash
docker-compose restart dovecot-mailcow
```
**Alternative method - Edit via Mailcow UI:**
1. Navigate to **System** → **Configuration** → **Configuration & Details**
2. Under **Dovecot**, add custom config
3. Add: `auth_username_format = %Ln@%Ld`
**Result:** Users can now login with EITHER address:
- `john@yourdomain.com` ✓
- `john@mail.yourdomain.com` ✓
Both will work for IMAP, SMTP, and webmail authentication.
### 6. Allow MXroute IP Addresses
Add MXroute server IPs to Mailcow's trusted networks to skip spam filtering:
1. Navigate to **Configuration** → **Configuration & Details** → **Options**
2. Under **mynetworks**, add MXroute IPs
3. Or edit via command line in `data/conf/postfix/extra.cf`:
```
mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8 [::1]/128 192.168.0.0/16 [MXroute IPs]
```
### 7. Disable Greylisting for MXroute (Optional)
If you experience delays:
1. Navigate to **Configuration** → **Configuration & Details**
2. Find your domain
3. Under **Greylisting**, add MXroute IPs to whitelist
---
## Testing
### 1. Test Mail Flow
Send test email from external provider (Gmail, Outlook):
```
From: test@gmail.com
To: john@yourdomain.com
```
**Expected Flow:**
1. Mail arrives at MXroute for `john@yourdomain.com`
2. MXroute forwards to `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
3. Mailcow receives at `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
4. Mailcow alias delivers to `john@mail.yourdomain.com` mailbox
5. Mail appears in John's inbox
### 2. Test Reply
Have John reply to a message:
**Expected behavior:**
- Reply FROM: `john@yourdomain.com` (clean address)
- Reply goes through Mailcow → MXroute relay → Internet
### 3. Check Headers
Review email headers in Mailcow to verify:
- `Received:` headers show MXroute server
- `To:` shows `john@yourdomain.com`
- `Delivered-To:` shows `john@mail.yourdomain.com`
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC all pass
- No spam flags
### 3. Monitor Logs
**MXroute Logs:**
- Check DirectAdmin → Email Logs
- Verify forwarding is occurring
**Mailcow Logs:**
```bash
docker-compose logs -f postfix-mailcow
```
Look for incoming connections from MXroute IPs.
---
## Example Configuration: gnarlypandaproductions.com
### Mailcow Setup
**Domain:** `mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
**Mailboxes:**
- `admin@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- `contact@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- `info@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
**Alias Domain:**
`gnarlypandaproductions.com` → aliases to → `mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
This automatically creates:
- `admin@gnarlypandaproductions.com` → `admin@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- `contact@gnarlypandaproductions.com` → `contact@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- `info@gnarlypandaproductions.com` → `info@mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
### MXroute Setup
**Catch-all Forwarder:**
```
*@gnarlypandaproductions.com → @mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com
```
### DNS Records
| Record Type | Name | Value |
|-------------|------|-------|
| MX | @ | 10 arrow.mxroute.com |
| MX | @ | 20 eagle.mxroute.com |
| A | mail | 192.168.5.16 |
| TXT | @ | v=spf1 ip4:192.168.5.16 include:mxroute.com -all |
| TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:admin@gnarlypandaproductions.com |
| TXT | default._domainkey | [MXroute DKIM key] |
### User Experience
**Users use clean addresses for EVERYTHING (completely transparent):**
- Send FROM: `admin@gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- Receive AT: `admin@gnarlypandaproductions.com`
- Login with: `admin@gnarlypandaproductions.com` (and password)
- SMTP/IMAP Server: `mail.gnarlypandaproductions.com`
**Users never need to know about the `mail.` subdomain!**
---
## Troubleshooting
### Mail Not Being Forwarded
1. **Check MXroute forwarder configuration**
- Verify forwarder exists in DirectAdmin
- Check destination address is correct
- Review MXroute email logs
2. **Verify DNS propagation**
```bash
dig MX yourdomain.com
dig TXT yourdomain.com
```
3. **Check Mailcow firewall**
- Ensure port 25 is open
- Verify MXroute IPs aren't blocked
### SPF/DKIM Failures
1. **SPF not passing**
- Verify `include:mxroute.com` in SPF record
- Check for typos in SPF syntax
- Use SPF checker: https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx
2. **DKIM not passing**
- Confirm DKIM record published in DNS
- Verify selector matches (usually `default`)
- Check DKIM record format (no spaces in key)
### Mail Delayed or Bouncing
1. **Greylisting delays**
- Disable greylisting in Mailcow for MXroute IPs
- Or wait 5-15 minutes for retry
2. **Mailbox full**
- Check quota in Mailcow
- Increase quota or clean mailbox
3. **Spam filtering**
- Check Mailcow spam folder
- Whitelist MXroute IPs in Rspamd
---
## MXroute Server Information
### Common MXroute Mail Servers
- arrow.mxroute.com
- eagle.mxroute.com
- hermes.mxroute.com
- zen.mxroute.com
**Your assigned server:** Check MXroute DirectAdmin welcome email or DNS settings
### MXroute IP Ranges
Consult MXroute documentation for current IP ranges to whitelist in Mailcow.
---
## Advantages of This Setup
- **Spam filtering:** MXroute handles initial spam filtering
- **DDoS protection:** MXroute absorbs mail-based attacks
- **Reliability:** If Mailcow is down, mail queues at MXroute
- **Deliverability:** MXroute IPs have good reputation
- **Offload processing:** Reduces load on your Mailcow server
---
## References
- [MXroute Documentation](https://mxroutedocs.com/)
- [Mailcow Documentation](https://docs.mailcow.email/)
- [Email Forwarding Best Practices](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5321)