Staring an email Server

[JPaterson]

Hello All,

I'm posting to get some help/advice on how to set about a small email server for a small company that have joined. I have just taken the position as I.T. Admin. Currently we have 11 computers in total. Each person within the company has their own roaming profile so they are able to move about each machine. However with regards to their email, it is stored locally on the induvidual's machine, therefore it cannot move with their H Drive.

Any suggestion was to simply get a new computer and configure it up and for it to act as the email server. Basically can anyone give me advice to start from scratch and all the steps needed to get a small, functional, but yet effective system?

Thanks

John

 

[dyarwood]

Firstly what software do you use for email? Also you need to look at you budget. What can be spent on this? What load is going to be put on this box. Will you require something like mailsweeper?

 

[JPaterson]

We all use Outlook, personally i dont like outlook epxress as it is more home user orientated. I would like to look at about £300 tops to implement this, doesnt have to be hi tech, but yet it must have good effiency and functionality. Mailsweeper would probably look like a nice piece of kit to use as i just looked it up the now.

'What load is going to be put on this box.'
Not sure what you are asking but that.

John

 

[dyarwood]

Load will be the quanitity and more importantly the size of mails being sent and received. Do you have the server already or do you have to buy that?

 

[JPaterson]

I think we do have a server, not sure, but if it is the make of it is a Dell PowerEdge 2400. The email sizes vary from the normal small size of 45kb up 4MB, obviously due to attatchments.

John

 

[dyarwood]

Personally if I were you, I would try to get an external contractor to set it up for you and make sure you watch everything they do to learn all you can. A budget of £300 might not be a lot though.

 

[ChrisAC]

Have you thought about using a gateway/firewall/mail server all in one box such as this?

http://www.equiinet.com/netpilot/

Not too expensive and very easy to set up an administer.

Chris.

**********************
Chris A.C, CCNA, CCSA
**********************

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Have you considered a Linux based solution

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/business/management/0,39020490,2132441,00.htm

& all the best.