How do I host my own email server and what's involved?

[InlineFive]

So, what is involved? What software do I need, do I need special internet, what do I have to do set it up?

Thank you! I want this so I can set my own ISP host name in the email like PorBleemo@ATForums.Net.

-Por

 

[skyking]

Most home ISP's will not allow outbound servers. You may also be violating terms of service for having any server, so check into business DSL plans or business cable plans, if available.
I would consider paying a few bucks a year for outside hosting.

 

[cleverhandle]

Please don't feel offended, but get an outside host. You don't have any idea about it entails (hence your post), and putting up a mail server on the Internet is not the way to find out. Do some web hosting, or FTP, or maybe DNS if you want to dabble with networking. But mail is not the place to start - it only looks simple.

 

[oog]

Essentially, you need to buy a domain name, run some mail software that can receive and send out email, and set up a DNS MX record so that email intended for your domain knows how to reach the machine you have set up with the mail software. But I agree with others -- don't try this at home. Host it outside.

 

[InlineFive]

Aha, I see. So If I buy a domain name do I get that email host name free?

 

[skyking]

yes

 

[Fuzznuts]

Originally posted by: skyking
Most home ISP's will not allow outbound servers. You may also be violating terms of service for having any server, so check into business DSL plans or business cable plans, if available.
I would consider paying a few bucks a year for outside hosting.

im kinda lucky there im in uk and ntl allow servers of any kind its in the contract however they are your sole responibility which is fine by me

the only incoming port they block is 135 which is no bad thing

it may be worth looking closely at the t&c for you isp to be sure.

 

[timswim78]

You can register the domain name at godaddy.com for maybe around $6 - $10 per year, and then you can get some server space at www.e-rice.net for about $15 per year.

 

[Crusty]

I have my own mail server set up. When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I opened up google and typed in linux mail server. Found XMail, read up on it. Then I found an old computer, installed Mandrake 9.1, installed XMail. Then I registered with www.no-ip.com and now I get free e-mail. It was really simple, took me just a few hours to set it up, the longest part was installing linux. It is much easier then people make it out to be. Dont be discouraged.

 

[mjquilly]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
I have my own mail server set up. When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I opened up google and typed in linux mail server. Found XMail, read up on it. Then I found an old computer, installed Mandrake 9.1, installed XMail. Then I registered with www.no-ip.com and now I get free e-mail. It was really simple, took me just a few hours to set it up, the longest part was installing linux. It is much easier then people make it out to be. Dont be discouraged.

Yes, be discouraged. You could be setting yourself up to be a playground for spammers/hackers unless you know what your are doing.

 

[Nothinman]

Setting up an open relay is extremely simple, you have to be carefull when setting something like this up.

 

[Idoxash]

It's not that it's not easy MCrusty but spamers and hackers stops at nothing to infest more and more email servers for their playful ways. That is why everyone told him it would be better for outside hosting. Hosting is cheap these days and most hosting plans at cheap prices comes with unlimited free emails. I would go get a hosting plan and get your self a DNS name.

--Idoxash

 

[skyking]

I was not bashing either, I just know the consequences of an open relay. your ISP could shut down your connection in the middlle of something important, if they discovered a ton of spam originating from within their group of IP's. That is how they handle that stuff. I suggest setting up local mail inside your lan to expiriment with first, if you are really curious about mailservers and the like. You could set it up as a client to your ISP's pop mail, and run spam assasin and other cool proggies. Just don't enable it outbound.

 

[Sunner]

I agree with cleverhandle, go for something simpler to begin with.

Hey, if you wanna learn in a somewhat controlled environment, try setting up a mailserver on a private net, then install a webserver and webmail on it, and make that work.
Will keep the mailserver itself safe, and it will teach you a bunch of useful stuff.

This is a good case for OpenBSD, and it's "Secure by default" philosophy, you'll have to learn how to enable things, not the other way around.
OpenBSD.

 

[InlineFive]

So I need to get a domain name, GoDaddy is what I am looking at. But do I absolutely need to have a server? I can get space on one but it wouldn't be dedicated.

 

[cleverhandle]

What are you trying to do at this point? If you just want email, GoDaddy has email hosting plans for an extra $10-$30 per year. That would require an MX record in your DNS, which they can also host (for free, I think). That should be easy to set up, and doesn't require any server space on your end. If you're not sure how to configure your account, I'm sure that GoDaddy will be helpful - they are, after all, the ones profitting from the email services.