I have a single server and a few XP workstations.

The workstations get their mail directly form the ISP presently.

As I see it I have one of two options for email configuration on the lan:

1) Keep the mailboxes at the ISP and have system generated mail for root &
fax etc redirected to the ISP mailbox using aliases.

2) Setup local mailboxes, with POP3 access via dovecot, and have the isp
mail collected, translated and delivered to the local mailboxes using
fetchmail.

I am interested in comments regarding both setups:

Thanks in advance...

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Dear McHenry,


McHenry wrote:
> I have a single server and a few XP workstations.
>
> The workstations get their mail directly form the ISP presently.
>
> As I see it I have one of two options for email configuration on the lan:
>
> 1) Keep the mailboxes at the ISP and have system generated mail for root &
> fax etc redirected to the ISP mailbox using aliases.

Disadvantage: if you cannot use encryption, all your configuration
failures will be send in clear text over the internet. Due to logfiles
extracts being mailed daily.

So I would not do this. Keep root's email local.

>
> 2) Setup local mailboxes, with POP3 access via dovecot, and have the isp
> mail collected, translated and delivered to the local mailboxes using
> fetchmail.

Depends on how much diskspace you have. If you choose this mail
configuration, use user or group quota on the 'mailbox filesystem'. If
you do not use user quota everbody may keep the emails for ever on your
mailserver.

> I am interested in comments regarding both setups:
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
>

Kind regards,


Jan Gerrit Kootstra RHCE

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In article <447d025b$0$7882$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>,
McHenry wrote:
> I have a single server and a few XP workstations.
>
> The workstations get their mail directly form the ISP presently.
>
> As I see it I have one of two options for email configuration on the lan:
>
> 1) Keep the mailboxes at the ISP and have system generated mail for root &
> fax etc redirected to the ISP mailbox using aliases.
>
> 2) Setup local mailboxes, with POP3 access via dovecot, and have the isp
> mail collected, translated and delivered to the local mailboxes using
> fetchmail.

This is what I currently do and it works great. I'm able to use SpamAssassin
and ClamAV to keep the mailboxes free of spam and viruses. Keep in mind that
you can also use IMAP instead of POP3..

> I am interested in comments regarding both setups:

In my home network, my Linux server also provides DHCP and Dynamic-DNS to th
e
Windows XP clients.

Kevin

--
Unix Guy Consulting, LLC
Unix and Linux Automation, Shell, PERL and CGI scripting
http://www.unix-guy.com

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