2003 server and email server at home

[monkey333]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum.

I'm a newbie when it comes to server 2003, I'd like to setup a box at home that will also be an email exchange server.

Any advantages of doing a file server versus xp peer to peer sharing at home?

Any guides or direction someone can share to get started?

thanks!


Thread moved to Operating Systems.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

 

[Nothinman]

Unless you plan on just email other people at your house you first need to find out if your ISP allows inbound SMTP traffic.

 

[monkey333]

ok, good to know, will be moving, so I will have to wait to determine that one.

 

[Nothinman]

And while home email servers are a cool idea, I have my own, they're overkill for most people with services like GMail available now.

 

[monkey333]

it's the nerd in me...

 

[Nothinman]

Your nerd must be different than mine because Exchange and IIS are like my kryptonite...

 

[monkey333]

Ha! My ignorance must be bliss..

Heck, I need to find something to do, now that the wife got a brand new job and I will be working on "hobbies" all day.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Unless you plan on just email other people at your house you first need to find out if your ISP allows inbound SMTP traffic.

And Cox blocks outbound SMTP traffic, too, unless you have a business account. You might be able to use Cox's SmartHost service, though.

Do you have free software? Exchange is pretty pricey unless acquired through Small Business Server.

If you just want to play with this stuff, get a trial version of SBS 2003 or SBS 2008 and install it inside Virtual PC or Virtual Server or VMWare. It'll be MUCH easier to get everything functioning correctly if you use SBS and do some reading on how to do the installation correctly.