On 2008-04-12 11:47:38 +0100, David WE Roberts said:

If you run your own SMTP server, apart from getting the software and
setting it up (and there are loads of products out there including
'sendmail' itself)

A real learning opportunity there ;-)


(3) Once you have got your domain name and you have your SMTP server up
and running any reasonable ISP should check your SMTP server to ensure
that it is not an open relay (i.e. allows other people to use your SMTP
server to relay email including SPAM) before opening port 25 (SMTP) for
incoming traffic to your IP address.

So, although it is 'doable' you will have quite a bit of communication
with people in support roles before it is all sorted.

Which with a budget consumer ISP is going to be challenging if they
allow it at all..



Alternatively (as suggested elsewhere) just get a Gmail address - you can
configure Gmail to allow you to pick up your email via POP3 and send your
email to the Gmail server via secure SMTP (although I note that I am using
my ISPs' SMTP server for my Gmail accounts). Alternatively Gmail supports
IMAP4 which again should allow you to send and receive email via the Gmail
servers and totally ignore your ISPs' servers.

I have found Gmail to be reasonable, but not always reliable - e.g.
substantial delays in mail arrival sometimes. I wouldn't trust it as
my main mail service, or for that matter Yahoo or any of the others of
that ilk. A paid mail hosting service like 1&1 seems to be rather
better.



HTH

Dave R

P.S. you could always load VMWare onto your PC and the pre-configured
Ubuntu image, then run your Linux SMTP server within XP. Requires a
certain amount of memory and 'grunt' to work well, though.

Other way up works better.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the
sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass, when Andy had ended these sayings, the people were
astonished at his doctrine:

For he taught them as [one] having authority, and not as Microsoft.