# At Home Mail Server for personal use **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [May 20, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044 "2009-05-20T06:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/1 "2009-05-20T06:37:42Z")
anyone running one? I have been thinking about calling TW and getting a static IP setup at my house. I would like to run eGroupWare and setup a central email and calendaring solution at home. I am sick of using Gmail. I do NOT like their IMAP implementation. The idea of flags just doesn’t work for using seperate mail client. Anyways, if you run your own mail server, what do you use? What are your thoughts on it? Does it take a lot of maintenance? What is your back-up plan? etc… ---
**Author:** ![Geehee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/geehee/32/7238_2.png) [@Geehee](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Geehee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/2 "2009-05-20T06:39:57Z")
I just have one hosted… ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/3 "2009-05-20T06:47:03Z")
do you manage the mail server or is it all out of your hands? ---
**Author:** ![Geehee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/geehee/32/7238_2.png) [@Geehee](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Geehee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/4 "2009-05-20T06:52:41Z")
I only touched it when setting it up. Haven’t needed to touch it again, save for some filter settings and such. I was even able to set up a discussion list. I use dreamhost. edit: I guess I should say I can use as webmail or through outlook, as POP3 or IMAP. It’s slower than gmail when going to my phone, but other than that, I haven’t had any issues in 3-4 years… ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/5 "2009-05-20T07:02:27Z")
I know lots of people who run small business servers with exchange over a TW connection… If you happen to go down for a few hours the people sending will queue the mail up anyways… You’re a Linux guy…You could try QMail with squirrel mail…spam assassin and a few other addons… Make sure you get timewarner to do reverse DNS or you will get blocked by mail servers. ---
**Author:** ![ryanmcell](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ryanmcell/32/7510_2.png) [@ryanmcell](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ryanmcell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/6 "2009-05-20T07:03:39Z")
It’s always nice to have a different email than @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc. I would look at this from a cost perspective, cost of hardware, increased electricity, and all that good stuff, if you are running just a simple mail server just throw your business to a managed service company in a colo and probably save yourself time and money. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/7 "2009-05-20T08:04:16Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > I know lots of people who run small business servers with exchange over a TW connection… > > If you happen to go down for a few hours the people sending will queue the mail up anyways… > > You’re a Linux guy…You could try QMail with squirrel mail…spam assassin and a few other addons… > > Make sure you get timewarner to do reverse DNS or you will get blocked by mail servers. I like the idea of eGroupWare, with IMAP being powered by Postfix. I don’t really know a whole lot about DNS, I will be back with those questions though. > [@ryanmcell](#): > > It’s always nice to have a different email than @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc. > > I would look at this from a cost perspective, cost of hardware, increased electricity, and all that good stuff, if you are running just a simple mail server just throw your business to a managed service company in a colo and probably save yourself time and money. cost of hardware? Zero, I have a box to run it on. Increased electricity? Already running this box, it sits IDLE for 100% of most days. It is a media box and only gets used for movies/downloaded shows and online streaming. It’s sad, but it’s a very capable box with a good CPU, great cooling, 4 GB ram, and a 1.5TB hdd. I don’t forsee a mail server with two personal accounts to chew up a lot of resources. I maybe get 10 emails per hour at the BUSIEST times. SPAM is usually low. But the spam protection will probably chew the most resources. Hopefully in the future, I will get a mac mini or a dell studio to use for the media box, and then dedicate this to being a server. Reliability shouldn’t be bad either. And actually, what I MIGHT do, is setup a backend filter to forward all mail to my [gmail.com](http://gmail.com) account. That way if I have outages, or if a drive dies, my losses will be minimal. For backups, I will probably do them onto DVDs or something, and store them in a locked drawer at work. Off-Site ftw. My biggest worry is SPAM really. Is it a lot of work to maintain the spam protection? Or is it a one-time kind of thing? Is SPAM Assassin enough protection? ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/8 "2009-05-20T08:08:31Z")
Spam assassin is good…Just utilize RBL block lists and basic features of the software. clamd + spamassassin are what a lot commercial spam filters are based off of… Edit: For reverse DNS I assume you have a domain? So you have [XYZ.com](http://XYZ.com) you would make an MX record for it say [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com) create an A record for [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com) = XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX then call Timewarner or whoever your ISP is ask for a reverse DNS record for IP to be [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com). ---
**Author:** ![deliverator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@deliverator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/deliverator)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/9 "2009-05-20T10:05:18Z")
Have you tried using **gmail for domains**? Their imap implementation works fine with Evolution (linux), Mail.app, and my iphone’s mail program. And I still use my own squirrelmail install as my webmail client, just using gmail’s imap backend instead of my own. I don’t use windows, so can’t speak for that platform. I ran my own smtp/imap server for about seven years and finally decided two years ago that with gmail for domains available for free, maintaining a personal mail server just didn’t make sense anymore. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/10 "2009-05-20T10:14:34Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > Spam assassin is good…Just utilize RBL block lists and basic features of the software. > > clamd + spamassassin are what a lot commercial spam filters are based off of… > > Edit: For reverse DNS I assume you have a domain? So you have [XYZ.com](http://XYZ.com) you would make an MX record for it say [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com) create an A record for [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com) = XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX then call Timewarner or whoever your ISP is ask for a reverse DNS record for IP to be [mail.xyz.com](http://mail.xyz.com). I will buy a domain name through [godaddy.com](http://godaddy.com) or something. Does this setup go on my box? Or do I have to configure this through godaddy? ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/11 "2009-05-20T10:22:46Z")
Nah you configure the DNS stuff on Godaddy…or whoever hosts your DNS. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/12 "2009-05-20T10:24:29Z")
ok, that is what I thought. I’ll have to call TW Business and see what I have to do in order to setup my static IP. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/13 "2009-05-22T11:23:19Z")
I just use OpenXchange on a server. Suck down my email from Gmail and also my own domains email. \<3 push contacts, email, calendar. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/14 "2009-05-28T18:49:17Z")
WTF, why would this be happening? Note the alternating response from the host command boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [mail.tmaniaci.com](http://mail.tmaniaci.com) [mail.tmaniaci.com](http://mail.tmaniaci.com) mail is handled by 0 [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com). boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 68.178.232.100 [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) mail is handled by 0 [smtp.secureserver.net](http://smtp.secureserver.net). [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) mail is handled by 10 [mailstore1.secureserver.net](http://mailstore1.secureserver.net). boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 68.178.232.100 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) mail is handled by 10 [mailstore1.secureserver.net](http://mailstore1.secureserver.net). [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) mail is handled by 0 [smtp.secureserver.net](http://smtp.secureserver.net). boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ host [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) has address 70.63.137.145 boardjnky4@mailsrvr:~$ I just changed this in godaddy? Could it be a propagation issue, or maybe I have to flush my DNS cache? ---
**Author:** ![evane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6bbea6/32.png) [@evane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/evane)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/15 "2009-05-28T21:12:38Z")
> [@boardjnky4"](#): > > anyone running one? > > I have been thinking about calling TW and getting a static IP setup at my house. > > I would like to run eGroupWare and setup a central email and calendaring solution at home. > > I am sick of using Gmail. I do NOT like their IMAP implementation. The idea of flags just doesn’t work for using seperate mail client. > > Anyways, if you run your own mail server, what do you use? What are your thoughts on it? Does it take a lot of maintenance? What is your back-up plan? etc… Ok firstly, do yourself a favor and slap your head for even considering egroupware, manage a production instance here at work and my god is it fucking horrible. It is worse since the asshat who built it used qmail, my distaste and hatred of qmail is undescribable. If you really want a groupware solution that doesn’t suck use Zimbra Community Edition. [http://www.zimbra.com/products/product\_editions.html](http://www.zimbra.com/products/product_editions.html) ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/16 "2009-05-29T03:32:16Z")
root@wifi:~# dig mx [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) ; \<\<\>\> DiG 9.3.2-P2 \<\<\>\> mx [tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com) ;; global options: printcmd ;; Got answer: ;; -\>\>HEADER\<\<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 57642 ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;[tmaniaci.com](http://tmaniaci.com). IN MX ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/17 "2009-05-29T03:33:37Z")
> [@evane](#): > > Ok firstly, do yourself a favor and slap your head for even considering egroupware, manage a production instance here at work and my god is it fucking horrible. It is worse since the asshat who built it used qmail, my distaste and hatred of qmail is undescribable. > > If you really want a groupware solution that doesn’t suck use Zimbra Community Edition. > > [http://www.zimbra.com/products/product\_editions.html](http://www.zimbra.com/products/product_editions.html) QMail works great if you set it up right from the get go… ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/18 "2009-05-29T05:14:26Z")
it’s working consistently this morning from the office I’ll see how it is from the home machines later. edit:can’t ping though, fuck me. I hope my IP address didn’t change edit2: weird, I can ssh in, but no ping. Pinging the IP directly doesn’t work either. Maybe my router doesn’t respond to it. ---
**Author:** ![walter](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/walter/32/7202_2.png) [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/19 "2009-05-29T07:02:13Z")
its like $3/mo for my hosting service and $10/yr for the domain (which you’d need anyway). I’m sutre they’ll charge you more for the static IP, and this way you don’t have to fuck with it. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044/20 "2009-05-29T07:32:12Z")
It’s all about the learning experience man. I like to tinker with this shit. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/at-home-mail-server-for-personal-use/68044.md?page=2)