Email downtime when transferring to GoDaddy inevitable?

anubis2010 · #1 06-02-2010, 04:20 AM

I was planning to move my hosting&email to GoDaddy (which is now my registrar only), but was turned away due to a "peculiarity" in their account setup process (for email accounts). Namely, from what they say it's impossible to migrate to them without email downtime. I know from past experience that a correctly performed migration should never incur any downtime at all (providing you set everything up at the new provider, only then update domain's nameservers, and only in a few days cancel the old provider's account).

Apparently, their (email) account's setup is tied to MX records of domain's nameservers, making it impossible for a seamless transition. So even if you set up everything on GoDaddy's side, the email account's status will still show "Pending Setup: validating MX record" for quite a while, rejecting all incoming email. After updating nameservers, the website will be accessible very quickly, but all email will be rejected with e.g.:
"188.121.52.56_does_not_like_recipient./Remote_host_said:_550_#5.1.0_Address_rejected_USERNAME@DOMAIN.TLD/Giving_up_on_188.121.52.56./"
It seems as though the account won't accept any email until it "receives" the correct MX records from a domain, and they say it can take up to 48 hours (which is especially absurd especially as they be both registrar and provider in this case).

Has anyone had experience and/or no-downtime migration to GoDaddy at all?

allin1 · #2 06-02-2010, 04:22 AM

Is your old Account with the old provider still open? If yes, keep the Emails on this account as long as Godaddy tells you that the MX Records are ready and switch then.

SiberForum · #3 06-02-2010, 04:25 AM

I wonder why are you migrating to them if you are not intersted in their services at all?

anubis2010 · #4 06-02-2010, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allin1

Is your old Account with the old provider still open? If yes, keep the Emails on this account as long as Godaddy tells you that the MX Records are ready and switch then.

Yes, of course. That's exactly what I was trying to do. But the catch was - GD will be showing "Pending Setup: validating MX record" before you update nameservers for a domain, and afterwards as well. And during this "afterwards" phase, the emails are rejected (as the domain is already pointing to GD, which is "pending" for some reason).
(Luckily I have an "extra" domain to play with before moving the big ones.)

Mark Muyskens · #5 06-02-2010, 04:34 AM

Easy solution here, Google Apps.

anubis2010 · #6 06-02-2010, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiberForum

I wonder why are you migrating to them if you are not intersted in their services at all?

Of course I'm interested - that's exactly why I try to remain an optimist, and try to figure out if there is any workaround to make the migration seamless.

allin1 · #7 06-02-2010, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anubis2010

Yes, of course. That's exactly what I was trying to do. But the catch was - GD will be showing "Pending Setup: validating MX record" before you update nameservers for a domain, and afterwards as well. And during this "afterwards" phase, the emails are rejected (as the domain is already pointing to GD, which is "pending" for some reason).
(Luckily I have an "extra" domain to play with before moving the big ones.)

That's stupid and not very user friendly.

Phynom Technologies · #8 06-02-2010, 12:34 PM

I would suggest you try out Google Apps. It is an extremely useful service because it makes sure that when you switch hosts your e-mail isnt affected, keeps them both apart. Not together.

palswim · #9 06-02-2010, 01:48 PM

Also, it's easiest if you manage your own DNS (with editdns.net or everydns.com or similar).

palswim · #10 06-02-2010, 01:52 PM

But, it sounds like GoDaddy only expects you to be linking your MX records with them on a new domain setup.

anubis2010 · #11 06-02-2010, 04:54 PM

Thanks, I'll have a look into managing my own DNS. No, they (well, the setup process, from what I learned) also expect the MX records to be linked when transferring service to them.

ldcdc · #12 06-02-2010, 07:15 PM

I'm not sure I understand the situation in detail, but you can have more than one MX record, with different priorities (likely, you can set this up at your current host via the control panel). Maybe you can use this to get past Godaddy's verifications?

anubis2010 · #13 06-03-2010, 05:55 AM

This might just do the trick after all. So I'd have to put GD's servers on the, say, third and fourth priority in MX records at my current provider, and leave it that until the GD's settings clear up?

anubis2010 · #14 06-03-2010, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phynom Technologies

I would suggest you try out Google Apps. It is an extremely useful service because it makes sure that when you switch hosts your e-mail isnt affected, keeps them both apart. Not together.

I've signed for Google Apps to try it out (Standard Edition). But one thing escaped me so far -- what nameservers do I use for a domain to point to Google Apps?

ldcdc · #15 06-03-2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

So I'd have to put GD's servers on the, say, third and fourth priority in MX records at my current provider, and leave it that until the GD's settings clear up?

Hopefully...

Quote:

But one thing escaped me so far -- what nameservers do I use for a domain to point to Google Apps?

You just change the mx records, leaving the nameservers as they are:

http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/...n&answer=33352