What's your email set up

[ChemicalKicks]

Debating if it's worth setting up email on my server, apparently it would save a lot of headaches just to have sendmail working and run SMTP through Google Apps.

So what's your email setup and why?

 

[Liam D.]

I run my mail through Google Apps. Less spam, less memory usage on my server, and lesser problems when e-mail goes into other people's spam box. Win-win situation.

 

[lasertits]

I run my mail through Google Apps. Less spam, less memory usage on my server, and lesser problems when e-mail goes into other people's spam box. Win-win situation.

Are you using the free account? If so, you don't surpass the 500 daily limit? I figure with lots of users, and the forum sending out emails whenever you get an alert or other, that count would add up fast, maybe I'm mistaken. How big is your forum?

Sorry for all the questions, I've just been meaning to setup a mail server for a while now as I've been building my XF site, but perhaps I won't have to after all.

 

[Liam D.]

Are you using the free account? If so, you don't surpass the 500 daily limit? I figure with lots of users, and the forum sending out emails whenever you get an alert or other, that count would add up fast, maybe I'm mistaken. How big is your forum?

Sorry for all the questions, I've just been meaning to setup a mail server for a while now as I've been building my XF site, but perhaps I won't have to after all.

Not really. I run a free hosting site on that server (TheHostingTool + xenForo). My site isn't that big so it isn't really sending more than 5000 mails everyday, and yeah I use the free account. Also, I just use PHP mail() on my script, and then use the username of the Google Apps e-mail as the sender, and that works. The e-mail goes to the inbox and not the spam box, and I can still receive the e-mails, or send out one of my own manually.

My forum used to have 1,000+ posts. But due to my previous host being down, I had to revert back to an old backup, putting in 700+ posts. Oh well.

 

[Lost]

Outgoing mail is sent from my server, incoming mail goes to Google Apps.

 

[Sim]

Outgoing mail is sent from my server, incoming mail goes to Google Apps.

Same here.

 

[ChemicalKicks]

So use a mta on the server for outgoing mail then Google Apps for incoming. So even though my server would be sending mails from admin@ Google would catch anyone emailing that address to.

Benefits to this set up are less set up and maintenance with a fully fledged mta and less likely to be flagged as spam?

If I decided to run the email through smtp with Google, what's the limit 500 or 5000?

 

[Liam D.]

I think 5000 is the limit for free users. Not sure for the Business packages.

 

[ChemicalKicks]

I think 5000 is the limit for free users. Not sure for the Business packages.

But if I'm the only user and my server is using sendmail for outgoing I shouldn't get hit by anything, that right?

 

[Liam D.]

Yeah, you won't hit that limit, in my view.

 

[Mouth]

Each Standard Google Apps account can still only send to 500 external recipients per day. Business and Education users can send to 2000 external recipients per day.

 

[Liam D.]

500 emails a day shouldn't be a problem for small forums. When the forum gets bigger, you can always buy an upgrade.

 

[Biker]

I handle my own mail via exim. Of course, I'm using a dedicated server and can be strict on how the mail server handles traffic. Lot to learn when you do it yourself, but I prefer it this way rather than letting a 3rd party handle aspects of my site.

It's definitely not for the faint of heart, though! But there is a deep satisfaction when you go through the logs and see all those #@#$(*&^@#(* spammers being thwarted.

 

[ChemicalKicks]

I handle my own mail via exim. Of course, I'm using a dedicated server and can be strict on how the mail server handles traffic. Lot to learn when you do it yourself, but I prefer it this way rather than letting a 3rd party handle aspects of my site.

It's definitely not for the faint of heart, though! But there is a deep satisfaction when you go through the logs and see all those #@#$(*&^@#(* spammers being thwarted.

Far play to you, email is something that although I could have handled wasn't worth the extra hassle (in my case anyway)

As it stands I have in place that all forum emails go through exim and then anything coming back goes through google, it's worked out well for me.

 

[Mouth]

As it stands I have in place that all forum emails go through exim and then anything coming back goes through google, it's worked out well for me.

My setup too, although this comes with the hassle of having to manage and deal with Hotmail when they block your sending IP address and you have to join their JMP program and liase with your hosting provider to get it happening. Then if you change IP adresses etc, or get too many users marking emails as spam (rather than using the unsubscribe function), Hotmail can block you again. Ensuring your SPF records on your domain are correct, etc.

Amazon SES is also another great and cheap delivery service!

 

[Biker]

I have permanently banned any and all Amazon services from the server. They're not too picky on who they lease server space to.

 

[Liam D.]

I'd handle mails via an internal mail server like Exim, but most of the e-mails sent from it arrive in the recipient's spam folder 90% of the time.

 

[TheBigK]

Why not simply use Amazon SES to send mails? We've 50k mails/day limit. Since it's from Amazon, email always ends up in inbox and not in bulk/spam.

For incoming mail (personal), I love Google Apps.

 

[Hoffi]

Outgoing mail is sent from my server, incoming mail goes to Google Apps.

Same here. Outgoing from Server via Postfix bind on my URL. Accepting no other for security reasons.

 

[Liam D.]

Why not simply use Amazon SES to send mails? We've 50k mails/day limit. Since it's from Amazon, email always ends up in inbox and not in bulk/spam.

For incoming mail (personal), I love Google Apps.

I don't have a credit card.