Hosting email on seperate mail server?

[davenet]

Hi all,

I hope this is the right forum to ask this question. I am currently using Plesk as my control panel, but am interested in possibly changing to something different. I have been following DA with a high level of interest.

I am also trying to solve spamming problems and one thing I have discovered that could help reduce incoming spam is to put the mail server on a separate server since many spammers now try to deliver mail to the A record of a domain instead of the MX record. If I host the mailboxes on the same server the A record points to, this increases the amount of spam that bypasses any spam appliance I may put on my network that contains the valid MX record for the domains.

My dilemma is that I want to offer the spam filtering through the spam appliance as an upgrade. So I would prefer to have the mail server separate from the web server as it would make my configuration task easier.

Is anyone running a mail server separate from the main web server using DA? I know it DA by default does not do this, but wondering if someone has changed things around a bit? The fact that the mail server is seperate from the web server is one thing I like about HSphere, but setting up resellers on that panel is a big pain in the rear.

David

 

[xemaps]

I suggest you to offer only filtered mail...
Convainc costumers, there is an increase of 100% in 2006 ! aso

On your server, you just need good cpu power compared to mail volume, good bandwith and enough memory.

There are pro and against having other server for mail.
Seems you must check volume. The time ratio is 1:100 for time if you filter both virus & spam.

I had hsphere (digiweb - irish server) (very good panel) before DA ! tried cpanel, plesk and other panel unsatisfied.

 

[nobaloney]

I don't think xemaps addressed your point.

You can achieve similar functionality by reserving an IP# specifically for incoming email, assigning that IP# to the mail servicename in all zone files, and having MX point to mail.

Then block port 25 on all other IP#s.

Jeff

 

[davenet]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your instructional reply. I hadn't thought of it, but it makes perfect sense.

Now I can go on and figure out what I want to do about migrating...

I have never used the Exim mail server software before. How will it be different for me if I make the switch compared to the Qmail setup I've been using now?

David

 

[nobaloney]

It'll work. It'll follow RFCs.

That said, I'm prejudiced against qmail, and also against any other mailservers which haven't been maintained by their author since 1999, so I'm probably not the best place to look for qmail information.

By default exim uses mbox and qmail uses MailDir, but you can use MailDir with DA (look for threads searching for maildir or [/b]dovecot[/b].

Jeff