Feature-request: Use DNS SRV lookups when configuring IMAP/SMTP accounts

asked 2014-01-03 15:50:08 +0300

dazo gravatar image

updated 2016-05-08 15:26:46 +0300

Sebix gravatar image

Many domains use DNS SRV records to make the e-mail account configuration easier. Please consider to add this as well when configuring IMAP/POP/SMTP accounts.

A typical use-case would be:

  • Go to Settings -> Accounts, choose "New account" in the pull-down menu
  • Select E-Mail and continue
  • Fill out e-mail address, extract the domain part from the e-mail address

  • A DNS query for these entries:

    _imaps._tcp.$DOMAIN
_imap._tcp.$DOMAIN
_pop3s._tcp.$DOMAIN
_pop3._tcp.$DOMAIN
_submission._tcp.$DOMAIN

Prefer imaps/imap over pop3s/pop3 and imaps/pop3s (with SSL enabled) over imap/pop3 (unencrypted).

Further, connect to the _submission._tcp.$DOMAIN server and see if it supports STARTTLS, if it does, enable TLS. If the server also accepts AUTH, presume it wants authentication as well.

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Comments

They do? First time I hear about something like this. Any good pages about it ?

onion ( 2014-01-03 16:07:28 +0300 )edit
4

It's even an RFC for it: http://tools.ietf.org/search/rfc6186 ... It works like this on many Android devices, even the K9 e-mail client.

dazo ( 2014-01-03 16:09:37 +0300 )edit

I'd heard of them, though I didn't know they were so well used. Just updating my domain...

Andy Branson ( 2014-01-07 10:22:12 +0300 )edit

Just adding that most cPanel based servers support AutoConfig. cPanel is the most popular control panel for shared webhosting providers. Here's how admins configure it

http://docs.cpanel.net/twiki/bin/view/AllDocumentation/WHMDocs/AutoDiscover

aegis ( 2014-03-06 22:29:01 +0300 )edit

Yes, that's also an approach. However AutoDiscover/AutoConfig is something completely different and far more complex. That approach requires first a DNS query for autoconfig.example.com, and if that matches, it does an HTTP/HTTPS query which returns an XML with possible configuration options. This approach is usually only deployed server side by bigger companies who also can setup the HTTP side. While the DNS SRV (RFC6186) can be configured by everyone with a DNS server, and that's all!

dazo ( 2014-03-06 22:37:28 +0300 )edit