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 "Hold No Punches.." Rode brings you great shareware/freeware programs with his honest opinions in this weekly column. http://freepctech.com/rode