Since you mentioned IPFW, I'm going to assume your server is running FreeBSD. I haven't used FreeBSD in some time, but I think I remember enough to be able to offer a few suggestions.
If you're using IPFW, you should check your firewall configuration (/etc/rc.firewall?), turn on logging (net.inet.ip.fw.verbose=1 in /etc/sysctl.conf?), and try sending yourself mail from Gmail with your firewall disabled (firewall_enable="NO" in /etc/rc.conf?). Also, if your intent is to use only IPFW, make sure you have not inadvertently enabled PF, IPF, DenyHosts, or any other firewall application. DenyHosts, or something else that selectively blocks traffic only from certain hosts while allowing other traffic to get in, definitely needs to be ruled in or out as a suspect here. Switching from Postfix to Sendmail would really be pointless if something on your server is preventing SMTP connections from some outside hosts from getting to your mail software at all. While I understand the feeling that you've got to do *something* in order to alleviate the panic of your situation, doing things that can't possibly fix (or even pinpoint) the problem won't do anything but waste your time and get people even more upset. Rich Wales ri...@richw.org
