Create a Send connector to send email to a partner, with Transport Layer Security (TLS) applied

  • Article

Applies to: Exchange Server 2013

If you want to ensure secure, encrypted communication with a partner, you can create a Send connector that is configured to enforce Transport Layer Security (TLS) for messages sent to a partner domain. TLS provides secure communication over the Internet.

Interested in scenarios where this procedure is used? See the following topics:

What do you need to know before you begin?

  • Estimated time to complete: 10 minutes

  • You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure or procedures. To see what permissions you need, see the "Send connectors" entry in the Mail flow permissions topic.

  • See Deploy a new installation of Exchange 2013 if you are beginning your installation. After the installation you can use the steps in this topic to create your outbound connector.

  • For information about keyboard shortcuts that may apply to the procedures in this topic, see Keyboard shortcuts in the Exchange admin center.

Tip

Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at Exchange Server.

Use the EAC to create a Send connector to send email to a partner, with TLS applied

To create a Send connector for this scenario, log in to the EAC and perform the following steps:

  1. In the EAC, navigate to Mail flow > Send connectors, and then click Add Add Icon..

  2. In the New send connector wizard, specify a name for the send connector and then select Partner for the Type. When you select Partner, the connector is configured to allow connections only to servers that authenticate with TLS certificates. Click Next.

  3. Verify that MX record associated with recipient domain is selected, which specifies that the connector uses the domain name system (DNS) to route mail. Click Next.

  4. Under Address space, click Add Add Icon.. In the Add domain window, make sure SMTP is listed as the Type. For Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), enter the name of your partner domain. Click Save.

  5. For Source server, click Add Add Icon. In the Select a server window, select a Mailbox server that will be used to send mail to the Internet via the Client Access server and click Add Add Icon. After you've selected the server, click Add Add Icon. Click OK.

  6. Click Finish.

Once you have created the Send connector, it appears in the Send connector list.

How do you know this worked?

To verify that you have successfully created a Send connector to send email to a partner, with TLS applied, send a message from a user in your organization to a recipient at the partner organization. If the recipient receives the message, the connector was created successfully.

For more information

Create a Send connector for email sent to the Internet

Create a Send connector to route outbound email through a smart host