Re: email questions

Kevin Miller wrote:

>bob@estimations wrote:
>
>
>>I'm toying with the idea of setting up an email server for a small
>>business (about 10 employees). Email is currently being provided by
>>a remote webhost. The webhost has
>>
>>I have a number of questions I'm hoping I can get some feedback on.
>>
>>First of all, should I do it? What are the risks and/or rewards? I'm
>>thinking that the primary risk is that I don't know what I'm doing,
>>so may leave some security holes open in the installation, and that
>>it might be a hassle to maintain. But I'm thinking that the primary
>>reward is that I can more easily filter incoming mail, intercept spam
>>at the server, etc.
>>
>>Secondly, if I *do* try it, what is a good package? I've been looking
>>at qmail, and even found a couple of installation howto's that look
>>like something I could do. e.g.
>>
>>http://www.flounder.net/qmail/qmail-howto.html
>>http://www.qmailrocks.org/
>>
>>Does anyone have experience with qmail and/or others that they may
>>like better? Also, any recommendations on spam killer applications?
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>
>>
>
>Haven't used qmail, but take a look at MailScanner:
>http://www.mailscanner.info
>
>It can interface with multiple MTAs (Sendmail, Exim, Postfix, Qmail) and
>antivirus packages, is pretty straight forward to set up, has *great*
>support (very active mailing list) and if you're so inclined you can get a
>commercial build called SMGateway from http://www.fsl.com/products/.
>There's also a very worthwhile add-on to MailScanner called MailWatch for
>MailScanner: http://mailwatch.sourceforge.net/ which adds some web
>management functionality.
>
>If t'were me, I'd pull it down, install it on a test server, create MX
>records for mxtest.mydomain.com and start routing some messages through it.
>That way, your regular mail will continue to go where it currently is so
>there's no risk and you can pump all the messages through it that you like
>while you need to test.
>
>When you're comfortable with it, reconfigure your DNS to point to it and
>you're in the email admin business!
>
>
>...Kevin
>
>
Bob,
I support several business that meet your description. I also
personally use qmail on my business server. Its trivial to setup
following the qmailrocks.org guide (I built mine on Debian) and they
have a very good mailing list for support issues. Not to mention
several people on this list support qmail in production. But don't be
fooled you will be putting in the **time** to learn qmail or any other
product for that matter (Spam Assassin, Clamav, Squirrell Mail,
etc...). The good news is the more clients you deploy the easier this
will get.

Now don't shoot me here but Windows Small Business Server 2003 comes
with Exchange 2003 ($569 fro Dell). I just priced an entry level sever
from Dell w/SBS 2003 Standard included and the price was under a
$1,000. Being realistic you also have to budget in Windows & Office
licenses unless your clients already have them, which a majority of
business do. You will also need a Virus Scanner in place for Exchange,
I recommend McAffee Groupshield. Yes, the MS solution is going to cost
$$ but really nothing compares to the benefits your clients will absorb
from SBS ( working remotely, webmail, Active Directory, etc..). You
will have a working solutions in a fraction of the time.

Feel free to email me off list for more info.

Good Luck,
Tim
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Received on Fri Jul 1 08:41:21 2005