Windows based SMTP Server

[(Shovel)]

Ooh, I'm feeling flash so...

all my email runs through outlook and comes from different pop3 addresses. I'm ok with that.

However, I quite fnacy playing with a smtp server to send my mail - rather than using ntlworlds. It's partially for the hell of it, though it would be nice also not to have to change it every time I went away to uni and couldn't get on it any more.

Now, I know... "Use a proper OS"...

Sadly the Linux router downstairs probably isn't up for being a mail server as well - it's very old - so I'm restricting this to windows XP based servers/services as that - currently - is my main OS.

Are there Windows version of sendmail? Or the like? I'm not sure what to look for really, pumping "Windows SMTP server" into Google gives lots of results that don't a lot to me, and a lot of Outlook account setup tutorials.

Thanks

 

[(Shovel)]

Playing with "Mail Enable" (www.mailenable.com).

Having poke the "SMTP Authentication" a bit I've got it set up rather nicely. Also runs a rather nice internal mail address too. Which is useless for me, but kinda cool.

 

[Quige]

I'm using Mercury32 at the moment. It's free and you can usually get it from http://www.pmail.com (site seems down for me at the moment), or a google on Mercury32 shows a few places to get it. Here for example http://risc.ua.edu/pegasus/mercury32/m32-332.exe

It's got various different protocol modules you can run. I use it's SMTP engine to send direct ,and also to receive mail to addresses at my domain. It has a POP3 client and Server to. So I have the POP3 client pick up mail from various mailboxes on my ISP - these get delivered to a single mailbox that Outlook checks via the POP3 Server over my local network. SMTP received can go into the same single mailbox. So you can have lots of email addresses all over the place and just check one mailbox to see them all. 'course you can have more than one user.
It's a bit fiddly to set up at points (or maybe that's just me!) but the help files are pretty good and there are quite a few good fairly active mailing list's. You can search the archive of one here http://bama.ua.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=mercury if you get that interested.

Pegasus Mail and Mercury Support Knowledgebase here http://kbase.pmail.gen.nz/search.cfm

I don't know how it would run on XP though W2K seems fine.

 

[Quige]

... though the MailEnable product looks an entirely sexier packaged bit of software. Mercury32 scores nil points on interface design! A bit Windows3.11 so to speak. I might well check it out - it seems to do everything you'd need except the webmail bit. (not that Mercury does by default, tho I think there is a way using the IMAP server module and another bit of software I forget the name of now.)

 

[Quige]

Had a look, and if I didn't already have a set up working OK I'd probably go for this. I'd almost be tempted to pay for the professional version anyway, which has a POP client as well as the server, and webmail built in, and chuck Mercury32 - but at c£110 per server it's a bit steep for me at the moment.

 

[(Shovel)]

I must say, I do rather like this Mail Enable.

The UI could be better (it's all done using a Microsoft Management Console module) but it works, and it has a lot to offer.

So, once again, I can't find the motivation to install *nix...

 

[Any]

Exchange?

 

[Quige]

Originally posted by Any
Exchange?

a bit over the top I'd say for a home user, unless just for the interest and experience ... any modern version is going to need a Windows 2000/2003 AD server to install to as well I think.

 

[]SK[]

/me loves his linux mail server

 

[Xavier]

if you're running 2000 or XP just install IIS as a windows component with the built in SMTP server, shimple.

 

[Will]

Just please make sure it is very patched and firewalled.

 

[PR.]

Originally posted by Will
Just please make sure it is very patched and firewalled.

as you should do with a linux or windows solution!

I've got my eye on you Will, I'll not have you spreading your anti-ms propoganda here

 

[Will]

IIS has been the victim of a large number of exploits. I'd call it a bit of a security issue, but what would I know.

Don't forget things like the Code Red worm, which was predicted to break the interweb.

Not biased at all.

 

[(Shovel)]

Originally posted by Xavier
if you're running 2000 or XP just install IIS as a windows component with the built in SMTP server, shimple.

Running XP Home - has the added security of not having IIS

Current system is rather nice actually - Apache webserver (purely for testing and web dev really), own SMTP server, mySQL runs nice too - been playing with the Control Centre, might be a good alternative to access - though not as useful for compatibility with uni projects - which would be a pain.

Hmm.. need to make a backup methinks.

 

[Quige]

Originally posted by ]SK[
/me loves his linux mail server

when I can afford to replace my current day-to-day PC I'm planning on turning it into a linux mail and web server, and get those services off the W2K box. Then once I'm competent & confident with the linux server I can ditch the Windows one and set it up as a linux file and print. Well that's the plan, anyway, as long as the raid controller can be got to work in Linux.

At work we're all Windows save for 3 lonely ancient Sun boxes amongst the racks of Dells and Compaq's, that we're not allowed near ... some other guy from somewhere else in the organisation comes along occasionally to do anything to them. God forbid he's run over by a bus. So not much oportunity to get *nix experience there. Unless he's run over by a bus

 

[Quige]

Originally posted by Will
Just please make sure it is very patched and firewalled.

I hear that MS have worked hard on IIS6, and that it's meant to be much more secure. Time will tell, no doubt - haven't had time to have a look at it yet.

 

[]SK[]

Take a look at www.clarkconnect.org, nice package that.