IntraOffice only w/ Exchange

[Homerboy]

I'm setting up a small office LAN this weekend where only a few people will have external email through the ISP (no domain name etc.. just ISP provided accounts).

The office will have an install of SBS2003, w/ Exchange.
The question is, can I set up Exchange so that everyone can send receive intraoffice emails/messages/tasks/calendaring etc etc? Just not with the outside world?

I'd imagine so hey? I've never admin'ed a Exchange server so this will be my first tinkering with it.

/me waits for RebateMonger 🙂

 

[spyordie007]

Sure you could set it up that way. Inbound would be no issue (just dont open up the SMTP port on your firewall and dont register the server in DNS); use it right out of the box.

Outbound would require minimal configuration, basically crippling it so it wont connect to the outside.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: spyordie007
Sure you could set it up that way. Inbound would be no issue (just dont open up the SMTP port on your firewall and dont register the server in DNS); use it right out of the box.

Outbound would require minimal configuration, basically crippling it so it wont connect to the outside.

Well I'm not ovely worried about outside as of yet, as their inet hook-up has been delayed now until next month (the 2 owners just using dial-up for now).

But if I could just configure Exchange so they could send msgs/email internally (I dont think 99% of the staff will even need external email for now) that will rock

 

[RebateMonger]

I haven't really dealt with this one.

You can go to the Exchange System Manger, to the Connectors menu, and in the "Smallbusiness SMTP Connector Properties" select the "Delivery Restrictions" tab.

In the Delivery Restrictions, you could say to "Reject" messages from everyone, except for the Users that you put into the "Accept messages from:" box. Or, do it backwards, and accept email from everyone except those in the "Reject messages from:" box.

Everyone should still be able to SEND internal mail, and should be able to RECIEVE both internal and external mail (if you give them external email aliases in the User Exchange Properties tab of the main SBS User Properties panel).

Edit: I just tried it on an SBS 2003 Server. So far, it DIDN'T work. Maybe I have to restart the SMTP service to get the restrictions to take effect.
Edit: Well, a restart of SMTP Services STILL didn't work. I see there's an MS KB on this topic.
Edit: OK. It's working now. I found the right Registry area, created the Key from Microsoft KBQ277872, and restarted the Microsoft Exchange Routing Engine Service and then the SMTP Service.

I'm able to send/receive internally, but the restricted user can't send to an external email address. I didn't test incoming external emails, since this test server isn't set up to receive any external email. It OUGHT to work, though.

 

[spyordie007]

Or you could have just forwarded everything to the smarthost 127.0.0.1 😉

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: spyordie007
Or you could have just forwarded everything to the smarthost 127.0.0.1 😉

Yeah, that one should work without giving ongoing errors from your OS or Exchange. Somehow, I thought that the O.P. wanted some users to be able to send external email.

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Somehow, I thought that the O.P. wanted some users to be able to send external email.

Yes he does, but they use the ISP's email service (not Exchange) for sending/recieving email with the outside so it's safe to disable this functionality entirely from Exchange.

 

[Homerboy]

thanks guys...

Correct. What I want is basically Exchange but only for INTERNAL exchanges of info (think MS PostOffice if you can go back that far). There are, for now, 2 users that will just be using the ISPs email service to send/receive external emails. Eventually a domain name, hosting etc will be aquired as they will be integrating some online purchasing and order taking schemes etc. and emails wil be sent/received from other employees....

 

[RebateMonger]

Homerboy,

If you can possibly get them to go solely with Exchange email, for both internal and external email, you'll find it a LOT easier to manage. And likely a lot more reliable than your ISP accounts.

Taking total control of your email is SO easy with Exchange. All you need is the SBS Server, a $10 Domain Name, and a business-class Internet account that doesn't block TCP Port 25 traffic. That's it.

In return, you get unlimited email accounts and (almost) unlimited mailboxes, the ability to screen incoming mail for SPAM and viruses at the Server, reliability, and a consistent email account naming structure.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Homerboy,

If you can possibly get them to go solely with Exchange email, for both internal and external email, you'll find it a LOT easier to manage. And likely a lot more reliable than your ISP accounts.

Taking total control of your email is SO easy with Exchange. All you need is the SBS Server, a $10 Domain Name, and a business-class Internet account that doesn't block TCP Port 25 traffic. That's it.

In return, you get unlimited email accounts and (almost) unlimited mailboxes, the ability to screen incoming mail for SPAM and viruses at the Server, reliability, and a consistent email account naming structure.

yeah we'll be doing that "soon"
this place has not a SINGLE computer right now with 12+ employees and 100+ orders a day, so step 1 is just getting some PCs in there, networked and running.

Exchange WILL be their email server once everything is set.