Preferably free; web-based e-mail server?

[Per Hansson]

Hi guys, a little background before I ask my question...

As you might be aware I'm an editor here at Techspot, that means I receive allot of mail, both legitimate and spam...

Using an e-mail-filtering program like Cloudmark SpamNET did make life allot easier for me. With one apparent drawback being that when I download mails from my Techspot account those mails are deleted from the server.

Since I'm quite often on the move and need access to my e-mails wherever I happen to currently be this proved to be quite a hassle, since I became locked to my home PC...

So therefore I setup my web based Yahoo account to also retrieve mail from the Techspot account and that works really good, now I have the freedom I want but with the drawback that was fixed with my other solution of using SpamNET… Catch 22 anyone?

If I don't check my Yahoo account every day those free 6mb of storage will soon have been filled up by both legitimate mail and spam. (Not to mention how much worse this has become with the recent Sobig.F virus where every mail is 100kb in size...)

Thus now I have the mobility but no spam filtering, so I also have to read about how to best please my partner which someone else than me seems to think they know better while looking for the legitimate mail...

What I had in mind was to set up my own SMTP server which I will have 100% control of, now the only question is what sort of software I should use... I.e. do you know of/have you tried a good (preferably free) web based e-mail server?

Absolutely best would be if the company making it had servers that worked under Windows, Linux, and perhaps even Netware… (free or not)

 

[MattG]

i would HIGHLY suggest using a linux server for this need. While offering the SMTP service you need, you will have a higher secruity and a better feeling about it not being down more than its up if you were to run windows.

Running linux server also provides you with protection(better than windows offers) from hackers, and most virus's that were made on Win32 OS's. So you wouldnt have to worry about your linux box being virused to all heck.

And, linux is FREE, and open source.

You also have the option of leaving messages on the SERVER itself and not actually downloading them.

As far as spam mail goes..there are some good ones and some bad ones.

Postini is what my local ISP uses, i have done NO research on this and quite frankly not even sure if its linux/unix compatable.

you can probably do a search on sourceforge.net or tucows com for a nice spam filtering system.

Hope this helps you ease some of whats on your mind.

 

[MattG]

Oh, if you choose this route, post on the Alternate OS Thread for help setting it up, if you so need it!

We all will be glad to make it a nice LONG post.

cough* phantasm

 

[Per Hansson]

Thanks for your input...

The reson I wanted it to run Linux is because that's what I use for my firewall and I thought I could just install a mail server lika a deamon on it also right?

However I'm very aware of how to secure a Windows OS since I simply have much more hands on experience with it... So I think if I set up a Windows mail server behind my firewall I would be able to make it quite secure really...

But the thing is that just like you I don't have any idea what sort of software would do me good... I mean it's not like I need the kind of software an ISP does... This would just be for me and maybe a few friends...

Well anyway, the Linux choice would be my primary choice if it's possible to run it on the firewall, if it is not then the Windows route would better suite me...

 

[MattG]

If you take the windows route, i would still put up a firewall on the windows box..you can always.."go around" a firewall, etc im sure you already know that part.

But for windows email software, check out www.tucows.com they offer tons of system software and just various programs ranging from pay-freeware.

As far as setting up a linux mail server, i havent done that. Youd have to ask one of the bigger honchos on that one.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

http://www.linux.org/apps/all/Daemons/Mail.html

 

[Per Hansson]

Wow, lotsa software there guys!

Anything you prefer over the other?

Thanks for the links!

 

[Per Hansson]

No-one have any personal recommendations?

 

[Per Hansson]

I've invaded quite a few forums now and have after recommendations decided to go with Squirrelmail for my Web-based e-mail server...

I will set it up under Red Hat Linux v9.0 in console mode, when/if I complete this I will post back here the details on how to set this up yourself...

At first I also thought I would need to pay 20$ for the mail forwarding services at Yahoo but appearently there are free solutions for this available and after recommendation I might go with one called YahooPOPs!.
It however is designed to be used with a e-mail client software so in that case I will need to create a script that downloads mail though YahooPOPs! and then forwards them to my own Squirrelmail server...