Mail Server software like Hotmail?

Hi,

I am new to the mail server world. A friend and myself have setup our
own website and we have our own domain (mydomain.com). We want to be
able to let our users create their own email address with our domain
name, like how hotmail does. Example: name@mydomain.com

We dont want to have a limit of the number of mailboxes that can be
created. Furthermore, we dont really want to spend the time developing
a webpage where users can check their mail online, and we want users to
be able to create a mailbox online.

Is there software available that will allow us to do the above? We
really don't know what we need to do to setup a mail server of this
sort (we are hoping to get thousands, even millions of users to have an
email address with name@mydomain.com).

Thanks for your help.

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

On Wed, 8 Feb 2006 farhanvirji@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am new to the mail server world. A friend and myself have setup our
> own website and we have our own domain (mydomain.com). We want to be
> able to let our users create their own email address with our domain
> name, like how hotmail does. Example: name@mydomain.com
>
> We dont want to have a limit of the number of mailboxes that can be
> created. Furthermore, we dont really want to spend the time developing
> a webpage where users can check their mail online, and we want users to
> be able to create a mailbox online.
>
> Is there software available that will allow us to do the above? We
> really don't know what we need to do to setup a mail server of this
> sort (we are hoping to get thousands, even millions of users to have an
> email address with name@mydomain.com).
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
>

Good luck! Mydomain.com is already taken but, ironically, they might be
useful to you.

--
Alan

( If replying by mail, please note that all "sardines" are canned.
There is also a password autoresponder but, unless this a very
old message, a "tuna" will swim right through. )

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

I just used mydomain.com as an example...We have just registered our
own domain name and are in the process of finding some software to
mimick that of hotmail or gmail...

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

Bottom line: You'll need to program your own app to do everything you
require.

-Frank

"falu09" wrote in message
news:1139617378.740144.297360@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com.. .
>I just used mydomain.com as an example...We have just registered our
> own domain name and are in the process of finding some software to
> mimick that of hotmail or gmail...
>

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

I can program my own app to allow users to check email online (webmail)
but there must be some kind of software, like Microsoft Exchange
Server, that I need to purchase in order to create and maintain
thousands of mailboxes...correct? Does anyone suggest I go with
Exchange Server, or is something else better?

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

>I can program my own app to allow users to check email online (webmail)
>but there must be some kind of software, like Microsoft Exchange
>Server, that I need to purchase in order to create and maintain
>thousands of mailboxes...correct? Does anyone suggest I go with
>Exchange Server, or is something else better?

Please let us know the domain name you registerd. I like to add it to
my blocklist imediately.

Thousands of free mailboxes hosted by someone asking this kind of
questions and considering exchange - shudder.

Markus

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

"falu09" wrote in message
news:1139628642.962693.30670@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I can program my own app to allow users to check email online (webmail)
> but there must be some kind of software, like Microsoft Exchange
> Server, that I need to purchase in order to create and maintain
> thousands of mailboxes...correct? Does anyone suggest I go with
> Exchange Server, or is something else better?
>

Your *problem* requirement is that anonymous users have to be able to create
their own mailboxes. You'll have to program your own app to do that.
Everything else can be done with any mail server.

-Frank

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

Thanks for the response Frank

Markus, I am just someone looking to dive into a new venture. That is
why I am asking these questions. If I knew what the answers were, I
wouldnt be asking.

Re: Mail Server software like Hotmail?

>Markus, I am just someone looking to dive into a new venture. That is
>why I am asking these questions. If I knew what the answers were, I
>wouldnt be asking.

No offense, but there are already enough sources of spam and abuse
around, bear with me if I'm a bit nervous.

The main problem is the fact that you intend to offer a service where
users can open up their accounts by themselfes. If you offer this
option you will be targeted by abuse. You therefore need an abuse
departemetn able to terminate accounts if they are used to either send
spam or if they serve as 419 (also known as nigeria scam) drop boxes
INSTANTLY.

You will be HEAVILY abused if you do not make sure that accounts can't
be opened by software specifically developped for this purpose. I.e.
open up an account with hotmail, yahoo or the like to see what I mean.
There you have to interprete some graphics and type it into a field in
order to verfiy yuo are a human being and not a program. Even these
techniques are IMHO already cracked (at least partially).

Now adressing your plans to use Exchange. Exchange is having a long
history of being notoriousely insecure. This is based on Exchange
itself, but also based on the fact that it runs ontop of MS-Windows.

So, I strongly sugest you use a free BSD or open BSD server and
mailserver/webserver software on top of it. If you don't have the know
how yourself, get help from parties which have experience in this
field.

If you do not follow these suggestions you will be heavily abused and
then have lot's of trouble with being blocked, maybe even disconnected
from the internet by your upstream or faced with legal issues etc.
etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the position to cause you trouble
(and don't intend to do so if I'm not faced by abuse going back to
your new venture). I mean this as a good advice since being blocked
etc. will cause you lot's of grief and cost money.

Markus