DirectAdmin VPS Setup Guide

Install, Configure, and Run a DirectAdmin VPS

How to Run a Live Email Test on a Mailbox

Prepared by
Jeffrey Thomas Baygents
Lead Systems Engineer — DirectAdmin VPS & Self‑Managed Hosting

Overview

This is how to conduct a live email test on an admin mailbox on a VPS you’re configuring for a new domain, usually the account domain (the first domain on a server). While the example references an outside email address using Gmail, it can be any type of exterior mail address.

Run the Email Test Checklist

It’s important to test both sending and receiving, even if 1 of them fails. That way, you’ll see which ports work and which ones don’t, which is necessary for the recommended resolution, if needed.

  • From DirectAdmin Control Panel | User, go to <Extra Features> | <Webmail: Roundcube>.
    • Tap to a new email.
      • Change “From” (selecting dropdown box) to be the admin of this domain being tested.
      • Make the “To” recipient be someone with a Gmail account or other popular external mail account. The Gmail type of email address is among the strictest mail server requirements so that’s why this is a suggested test use case.
      • Populate the subject and content briefly.
      • Click <Send>.
    • From a Gmail (or other popular brand) account, send a test email to that admin’s mailbox.
      • It might take a 2-3 minutes delay to receive.

Email Test Failed: Resolutions

While there are numerous possible causes and fixes, this is easier to diagnose if you’re in the VPS configuration stage of adding the initial account domain.

Server Operations

Consider to restart the server and try the mail test again.

Consider Submitting Open Ports Request

First, be certain you’ve performed all the VPS & domain prerequisites before sending this request. Look over the steps found in the Complete Setup Guide .

After that, if one or more of the above email tests continue to not get received nor sent out, consider to proceed with Submitting an Open Ports Request to your VPS host provider. You can be more certain if a port is blocked (or shows a failure) by reviewing the error received or the server log.

Next Steps

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