DNS/CNAME issue

I created a box to run ispconfig with the name (not real) box1.domain.com

then after all was installed I made a new site called domain.com and had the wizard create MX record and all other appropriate DNS entries. (MX is pointed to box1.domain.com)
***all same IP address
Now www work but testing email from outside I get:

Looking up IP address for box1.domain.com.
There is no A record for box1.domain.com..

First off did I mess up by naming the box in the same domain name the site is?

Anyway I figure I could add a CNAME box1 to www and all is well but that does not work.

I even tested making up a fictitious A record (which resolves from outside) but when I add a cname..that does not work either.

I went into the bind conf dir and looked at the PTR for that domain and the syntax was:

box1 CNAME www.
(including the period)

I tried a variety of ways taking off the period and adding the IN according to the bind how-to's.

Is there something I am missing or an easy way to just resolve box1.domain.com to the outside ?

Thanks in advance

 

you can't use a CNAME for an MX record.

 

If it's no real (registered) domain, that it can't be resolved from outside.

 

it is a real domain.

Its registered at godaddy with the name servers pointed to this box.

 

What does the zone file look like?