Questions about Exchange Server

[crobusa]

At present, I have ~10 users using a web host. They have Win2003 server AD domain, but I never bothered with Exchange because I didn't think it was worth it..

I have a few questions, after goolging and reading..

1. What I've read is mail bounces if it can't contact the server. So I should have an external SMTP server outside our office that forwards e-mail to Exchange?

2. Do I need ExMerge to convert the pst files to the exchange server?

3. I plan on using Smoothwall, a linux firewall. All it needs to do is open port 25 to the internal server? Is this safe?

 

[Wizkid]

1. If it can't contact the server it will try a few times before it bounces (this # of times that a server will try to send depends on how the server is configured). If you have an internet connection with decent uptime then I wouldn't even worry about it, although it never hurts to use an external server (that forwards to exchange) as a backup mail server.

2. That will probably work (although I've never used it). You can also just import the .PST after you connect Outlook to exchange.

3. Yeah, that's all you need assuming DNS is setup correctly. You will need to keep on top of the security updates for Windows & Exchange though.