SMTP connection timed out

[ericmsmythe]

Hi

We occasionally see errors in google servers receving email sent to our domain.
Here is one error message:

<email address>: delivery temporarily suspended: connect to alt1.aspmx.l.google.com[142.250.153.26]:25: Connection timed out

Is this a google server issue or is it something that we can configure to address?

Many thanks
Eric

[kim_nilsson]

Where do you see such error messages?

That address is not the recommended option for outgoing emails.

[ericmsmythe]

Hi kim_nilsson

Thank you for your response.

This does not occur when I send email from a gmail account or an MTA using gmail smtp.
It does occur when I send email to my Gmail registered or domains from our Amazon instance with postfix.
For example to: meterbolic.com
Here is a mail.log entry:

postfix/error[2935569]: 001B023EC8: to=<eric.smith@meterbolic.com>, relay=none, delay=0.01, delays=0.01/0/0/0, dsn=4.4.1, status=deferred (delivery temporarily suspended: connect to alt2.aspmx.l.google.com[2a00:1450:4025:c03::1a]:25: Network is unreachable)

And just as plain test, that same log entry:
postfix/error[2935569]: 001B023EC8: to=<(PII Removed by Staff)>, relay=none, delay=0.01, delays=0.01/0/0/0, dsn=4.4.1, status=deferred (delivery temporarily suspended: connect to alt2.aspmx.l.google.com[2a00:1450:4025:c03::1a]:25: Network is unreachable)

Moe than one of our EC2 instances report the same MX serves for these domains.
% dig MX meterbolic.com

; <<>> DiG 9.16.15-Ubuntu <<>> MX meterbolic.com

...

;; ANSWER SECTION:
meterbolic.com. 300 IN MX 10 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com.
meterbolic.com. 300 IN MX 1 aspmx.l.google.com.
meterbolic.com. 300 IN MX 5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
meterbolic.com. 300 IN MX 5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com.
meterbolic.com. 300 IN MX 10 alt3.aspmx.l.google.com.

In domains.google.com, here is  configurations:

1 hour

1 aspmx.l.google.com. 5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com. 5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com. 10 alt3.aspmx.l.google.com. 10 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com.

Should I change the MX records for these domains as per these guidelines for signups from 2023? https://apps.google.com/supportwidget/articlehome?hl=en&article_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.google.com...

Thank you for some more pointers or suggestions.

Best wishes
Eric

[kim_nilsson]

MX records have absolutely nothing to do with sending emails.

MX are for receiving emails.

And, like I said, you (or whomever/whatever is) should not be sending emails through the alt1 address. you should use the recommended method, or second method, that I linked to earlier.