CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)Network OperationsEasy
A company's email administrator is configuring DNS so that inbound mail servers know where to deliver messages for the domain. Which DNS record type must be created?
- ATXT record
- BA record
- CMX record
- DCNAME record
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. MX record
An MX (Mail Exchange) record specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain, including a priority value for multiple servers.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. TXT records store arbitrary text (e.g., SPF data) but don't specify mail servers themselves.
- B. An A record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address but doesn't indicate mail routing.
- D. A CNAME record is an alias for another hostname, not a mail routing pointer.
MX Record
A DNS record type that identifies the mail server(s) responsible for receiving email for a domain, along with a priority preference value.
- Lower priority number = higher preference
- Points to a hostname, which must resolve via an A/AAAA record
- Multiple MX records provide mail server redundancy
Memory trick: MX = Mail eXchange — think 'M' for Mail.