On 18 May 2003, at 12:24, Brad Feuerhelm wrote:

> I have a small network at home. 2 workstations, 2 servers (file/Internet
> and Print) and a test machine.
> Both workstations have several web based and ISP based email accounts.
>
> Question 1
> What will if anything will having an email server do for me? Just the
> basics guys!

  Without some additional work, nothing.

  If you have an always-on connection (e.g. DSL or cablemodem) and your own
domain, you can have whoever hosts DNS for your domain (probably your ISP)
add an "MX" ("Mail eXchanger") record, specifying that mail addressed to
users in your domain should be delivered to your server.

  Mail clients are typically told only about the name/address of a single
server for outgoing mail.  Mail servers will typically retrieve these domain
records in order to deliver mail to the right destination.
  Several large ISPs actually have their networks configured so you cannot
do this yourself -- your *must* go through THEIR server for outbound email.
  (Many spam-sending programs incorporate this functionality, in order to be
able to abuse mail servers configured as "open relays" to try to hide the
true source of the messages.  These ISPs are acting to prevent their
networks being used this way.
  Note that determining how to configure your email server to NOT be an open
relay is rarely automatic, and can even be rather difficult with some server
implementations....)

  Running your own email server would really start to pay off at the point
where most of your sent email is to other users within the same domain.
This is common in corporate and institutional networks, but fairly unlikely
in the size of home network you describe.

David Gillett

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