Internal Email

[heresahandle]

I have a small problem with our network. More like a lack of experience with this subject. Two of our offices' networks were built by someone else before I came on board. My main office doesn't have any type of internal email setup, but the other office does. I'm still new at this type of project so I haven't had my hands on anything like this before.

All I really need to know is a little general knowledge about how internal email works. What type of software should I expect to see on that network? Can it be configured with a PDA that's on the road...or would that depend on the software in use?

Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[Shift838]

You can see various types of email software, most commons are Exchange Server and Lotus Notes. You can configure the PDA to access the mail system, but since PDA's are wireless your network would have to support a wireless connection and this opens up many security vulnerabilities.

 

[search66]

I'd recommend using Exchange.

 

[heresahandle]

I probably should have specified that the PDA is the PocketPC Phone edition with cell phone and internet/email capabilities. Not just bluetooth or WiFi. For internal email, would he have to be in the office with the PDA for INTERNAL email? Internal email is already configured on his dektop pc.

That's a big part of it. He's the boss and he wants his PDA to be able to get his internal email. no questions...no mysteries. he's one of those "just make it work" bosses.

Any other info you might need?

 

[juvin]

I would go with Exchange for email. As far as accessing the internal email on the PDA, your cheapest solution would to be putting a docking station for his PDA at his PC so he could syncronize all his email before he left.

If he wants to access his internal email while on the move, your going to look at more cost and overhead and headaches.

Just my 2 cents and with inflation and all that dont amount to much

 

[heresahandle]

Personally, I would love to be able to just tell him to buy Exchange...but cost is a major issue in that solution.

I'll probably just have to set up this AutoReply software(which works well, by the way, in my opinion) to forward all mail to his PDA's email address. I don't think that he'd accept me telling him that he'd have to stop back at the office to dock his PDA.

Part of being IT is learning how to tell people they can't always get what they want.

I did find out that we're using Microsoft Mail on the server, so I'm not sure if that might help someone answer my questions. You've all been helpful so far...thanks.

 

[jrbarnett]

If all you need is a simple email solution, then Exchange, notes and Groupwise are overkill, especially if you don't need shared mailboxes, public folders, calendars etc.
There are plenty of small servers that just support multi drop POP3 accounts from one into multiple boxes, and forwarding of SMTP mail. For example: WinGate , NetProxy , WinProxy, WinRoute etc will do the shared internet connection, and you can use VPop3 or Gordano Mail for the email.

John

 

[franktcmiles]

I work for Miles Technologies and all of our clients like to use IMail. I have used it a few times myself (adding users, changing password)This program is really easy to use I understood a great deal of the program the first time I started to use it. If you want any additional info on it just let me know. I'll get you a link to it.

 

[heresahandle]

I'm trying to look for more info for all of this software you guys recommend, but I don't see too much about how to check your internal mail from the road.

anybody know if these programs can do this?

 

[jrbarnett]

Hello,

For viewing internal only email on the road, there are two options:
1. an internet connected pc with a public IP address running a web server for web mail features. There must be an easy way of tracking the IP address of the host on the internet, so preferably not DHCP allocated.

2. Use rules to autoforward any messages for a specific account to an external webmail account hosted on Yahoo or Hotmail for example.

John