OT - Own a domain - easiest email setup

[gjviii 48]

I recently purchased a simple domain.  i would like to set up simple email accounts for my family members (son@example.com, son2@example.com, wife@example.com, embyalerts@example.com Junkemail@example.com).  i have a qnap server on my network as well as i could add a laptop running a win server2012 if needed.   Can someone point me in a direction to get started?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or input

Edited August 8, 2016 by gjviii

[anderbytes 141]

I recently purchased a simple domain.  i would like to set up simple email accounts for my family members (son@example.com, son2@example.com, wife@example.com, embyalerts@example.com Junkemail@example.com).  i have a qnap server on my network as well as i could add a laptop running a win server2012 if needed.   Can someone point me in a direction to get started?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or input

 

Requirements to setup a mail server:

- Fixed IP (to be referenced in MX register of a DNS Server)

- DNS Server configuring MX pointing to your IP. This could be a online dns server, or your domain registrar embedded DNS Server.

- Incoming port 25 into router opened (some ISPs block this) (SSL ports 465 or 587 would be even better, if possible)

- Server always online (24/7)

- Mail server app installed in this server (lots of them online)

- Configuration of anything inside Mail server app (may be complex)

 

 

For all I know, it's not worth it, if you are not a company.

[pt1xoom 12]

I have tried to do with with some success, but it really isn't worth the headache. I suggest moving you domain to a Google app account or office 365. I think Google might be a little cheaper. I use it for personal, and office 365 for work.

[anderbytes 141]

I have tried to do with with some success, but it really isn't worth the headache. I suggest moving you domain to a Google app account or office 365. I think Google might be a little cheaper. I use it for personal, and office 365 for work.

 

From my point of view, if you are not a company... why bother?

 

There's no real glamour in it.... there's more maintenance... costs...

[gjviii 48]

i had  buddy set up a simple solution a number of years ago.  From what i remember, it was a simple laptop running a win server edition.  Then he did something with IIS?  the laptop died a few years ago and i  want to try it again.  It also was hosting my family website   i'll have to reach out to him to see how he did it.   seemed like a simple easy solution, i should have asked more questions or documented what he did  

Edited August 11, 2016 by gjviii

[pir8radio 1312]

The problem you are going to run into is your ISP....  The vast majority of ISP's block port 25 OUTBOUND, this is how your mail server would talk to other mail servers and deliver outgoing mail.  ISP's block this because it is often used by spammers, and virus that send spam, to send mass emails. You have no valid reason to have this port open, anyway due to most of the ISP's have usage terms on residential internet connections saying NO SERVERS.   So you usually have to go with a business connection.  

 

BUT should your outbound 25 be open, hMailServer Was the freeware server I used to use. Much more user friendly compared to the MS way of doing it. Great server app for small setups <100 users.

 

if you have telnet installed, you can open a command prompt and type     telnet alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25

if you get a helo response then 25 is open. 

Edited August 12, 2016 by pir8radio

[gjviii 48]

The problem you are going to run into is your ISP....  The vast majority of ISP's block port 25 OUTBOUND, this is how your mail server would talk to other mail servers and deliver outgoing mail.  ISP's block this because it is often used by spammers, and virus that send spam, to send mass emails. You have no valid reason to have this port open, anyway due to most of the ISP's have usage terms on residential internet connections saying NO SERVERS.   So you usually have to go with a business connection.  

 

BUT should your outbound 25 be open, hMailServer Was the freeware server I used to use. Much more user friendly compared to the MS way of doing it. Great server app for small setups <100 users.

 

if you have telnet installed, you can open a command prompt and type     telnet alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25

if you get a helo response then 25 is open. 

okay, so my home network doesnt have 25 opened as you guessed.   however i do have 25 open on a business line that i have access to.  i'll install hmailserver and see if i can figure it out.   Thanks for the direction

[Doonga 17]

You can always set up your isp's SMTP server as a smart host and bounce your email through it. That being said doing email correctly isn't easy. You really really don't want to make yourself an open relay. If the idea is to get a custom domain for yourself I highly recommend Google apps. It's cheap and they worry about the zillion details it takes to properly do email.

[Swynol 375]

use something like namecheap to create a forwarding email address. so i created a record which forwards all email sent to me@mydomain.co.uk to my gmail account

[dcrdev 255]

If it's for personal use only I would really not recommend setting up your own mail server, between spam filters, certificates and everything else you'll have a heck of a job maintenance wise.

 

If you must use your own domain for your email address it boils down to Google Apps or Office 365 - if you prefer Exchange then go for 365, if you like gmail go for Google Apps. With these solutions it's a one time set up with no maintenance - only thing you have to do is renew your domain name every so often.

 

I personally use Google Apps and have done for about 10 years, purely because I think gmail is the most powerful email client out there, but I use it for business as well as personal.

[Deathsquirrel 745]

One alternative, and this is what I do, is to use your domain registrar's email forwarding option.  You buy the domain 'somedomain.com'  On the registrar you setup email accounts user1@somedomain.com and user2@somedomain.com.  You configure those accounts to autoforward all email to your real email addresses, user1@comcast.net and user2@.com.

 

With this setup you can give everyone your user1/user2@somedomain.com address, the email shows up in whatever email account you're already using, and you don't have to maintain a mail server.  When you switch ISPs or otherwise decide to use a different mail provider you can just update the info at the registrar and your mail will forward to the new address.