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Re: [LUG] To host or local: Mail server, groupware

 

On Fri, 5 Dec 2008 08:04:47 +0000
"Richard Brown" <rich@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Firstly, how do mail servers run please? Is it possible to host it
> locally where we pull all the mail to a machine which the users then
> connect to to collect mail?

IMAP.

> Is this a better service performed online?

The difference is speed - or apparent speed - of getting new email. If
you connect directly to the IMAP server at an ISP or webhost
(e.g. UKFSN) then you will get notification of new email immediately
that the email client connects. If you bring the mail into the intranet
then some form of polling is usually required and that introduces a
time delay. This means that even if the user connects to the local
mailbox repeatedly during a specific period, if the polling has not
happened, new email will not show up even if it exists at the external
mailbox. If you retain the external connection, people can retrieve
email outside work. If you bring it internally, you have a chance to
archive it for local records etc. Running a local mail server as an
external mailbox can be a lot of work - you have to deal with the spam
for one thing. IMHO, better to pay someone like UKFSN to do all the
spam and security stuff across a large number of email accounts rather
than try to implement your own method yourself. Users then have the
chance to use email outside work, via the external IMAP.

> They have a web hosting package but the hosting agents don't want to
> host mail. Is it possible to separate the two then?

Yes.

-- 


Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/

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