On 1/25/2014 1:09 PM, Garry wrote:
I would like to setup a simple email server and run it out of my
house. I have everything needed in order to do it. In fact I had one
setup successfully about a year ago and crashed it. I can't figure
out how I did it.
There's only two email addresses I would like to setup.
I would like to use postfix and dovecot; I don't need MySQL.
My ISP seems to block port 587; all other ports are open (25, 110,
etc.)
I have issues wrapping my mind around setting up mx records.
The domain is registered on namecheap.com
My IP address is static ipv4.
I'm running (would like to keep running) Debian 6 32bit.
I've followed all the various guides that pull up in search; with
each I run into problems I can't seem to resolve.
Can someone point me to a tutorial or provide me with some resources
I can follow? I am very appreciative with any help willing to be
offered. Thank you.
Not everyone is fighter pilot or race car driver material. Likewise not
everyone is mailop material. If you've made multiple attempts to set
this up and failed each time, I'd say it's pretty clear you simply lack
the aptitude and prerequisite IP networking and DNS knowledge.
How on earth will you even begin to troubleshoot when something breaks,
when you have no understanding of how the various layers of the mail
stack actually work, how SMTP works? When your mail stops arriving the
first thing you will consider is that there a problem with Postfix or
Dovecot, that -you- did something wrong. You'll blame yourself because
you know you are the weak link. So you'll start monkeying with your
Postfix configuration and break it, even though its working correctly.
In reality, 99% of the time mail flow problems are due to a routing
problem within your broadband provider's network, a down or flapping
link between your provider and one of its peers or somewhere else on the
net, a DNS lookup issue possibly caused by the former network issues,
etc, etc.
Running an MX MTA/mailbox server is 90% networking, 10% MTA/mailbox
management, especially for a family mail server with 2 mailboxes
connected via less than reliable broadband, no SLA, etc. The first
tools that get pulled out for diagnosing an MX problem are dig,
traceroute, ping, telnet, etc. NOT 'postfix reload'. Not 'vi
/etc/postfix/main.cf' or 'vi /etc/postfix/master.cf'.
If you don't have sufficient experience with such network diagnostic
tools, don't know how to use them, why you're using them, or when to use
which one, you don't have any business running an MX MTA. Attempting to
do so will simply cause you problems and burn huge amounts of your time,
and will completely overshadow any benefits you might receive from
having your mailboxes in a server on the premises.
Setting up Postfix and Dovecot should take no more than a couple of
hours each, most of it reading docs. Creating your MX and SPF records
takes a few minutes, though it may be many hours before they go live
depending on your SOA TTL. Programming an inbound TCP 25 PAT mapping on
your router should take only a few minutes. None of this is
particularly difficult. Figuring out what ports your provider does/not
block may be more difficult, as well as getting those blocks removed.
If you have a static IP, and especially if you pay extra for it, this
shouldn't be a problem.
I am not indicting your aptitude nor abilities. I am simply giving you
a healthy dose of reality so your eyes are wide open going forward.