12. 05. 09
Very often it is necessary to test that your SMTP server is working.
The simplest way to do this is with the
telnet command.
This lets you talk directly to the email server in its own SMTP protocol script language.
Here's how...
telnet server name or IP address 25
HELO aaaa
mail from: <tom@fromdomain.com>
rcpt to: <fred@todomain.com>
data
Enter your message text
.
quit
Along the way you should see feedback from the server to each command entered
See below
Sponsored Links
e.g.
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.localdomain (127.0.0.1).
Escape character is '^]'.
220 mailserver.local ESMTP Exim 4.43 Tue, 12 May 2009 10:31:00 +0100
helo aaaa
250 mailserver.local Hello mailserver.local [127.0.0.1]
mail from: <tom@fromdomain.com>
250 OK
rcpt to: <fred@todomain.com>
250 Accepted
data
354 Enter message, ending with "." on a line by itself
A message for myself.
.
250 OK id=1M3oKj-0006Sn-9u
quit
221 mailserver.local closing connection
Connection closed by foreign host.
11. 05. 09
This is an SMTP server like the one your ISP provides. It is targeted at Windows users and sells as a quicker and more flexible alternative.
I don't like to be negative about the efforts of others but, I do find it diffucult to see what advantage this server application gives you over the already available SMTP component that Windows XP gives you. If you are looking for improved email delivery times then Windows can do this already. PostCast Server does provide a greater level of control and reporting but if you already send large quantities of email messages then you will already have a form of recording your activity.
It suggestes that you don't have to be on line to be able to queue-up your messages. Well the vast majority of systems keep messages ready to re-send when an SMTP server is not available.
Perhaps I'm just being a party pooper but it just seems a bit pointless to me.
Why don't you try adding the Windows SMTP server component and try it out?
Control Panel - Add or Remove Programs - Add/Remove Windows Components - Internet Information Services (IIS), Click Details, select SMTP Service, OK, Next, End.
Tweak your email client to use "localhost" and away you go.
10. 05. 09
There are a huge range of email server products available.
I won't beat around the bush, in my honest opinion, most Postfix based systems are by far the most practical and effective. The main reason for this is that Postfix is free and flexible.
A fantastic, sophisticated and clever email server software system is the
Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) Open Source Edition. When I first attempted to install it, things got sticky. The main issue for me was that it needs a DNS server present which needs to point to itself (internal IP address) for all domains you add to your Zimbra system.
When I eventually figured out how to install and configure BIND on my email server, everything started to flow.
Zimbra does complain here and there but, after your third or fourth install attempt you will find it works with very small extra effort. Go ahead and try it. Once you figure out the requirements, I promise you'll be impressed.
