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

 

James Fidell wrote:
> Neil Williams wrote:
> 
>> 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.
> 
> Eh?  So if you run an IMAP server internally, it doesn't work the same
> way as an IMAP server hosted elsewhere?
> 
> James
> 

It does, but if the internal server has to download the mail from an 
external server there is a delay between the mail being sent from the 
original sender and it being received on the internal server.

For instance my server downloads mail every 5 minutes from my mail 
provider via POP3.  Thunderbird then checks my internal server mailbox 
every minute for new items.

If someone sends me an e-mail it can take up to 6 minutes to arrive at 
this end.

But... as I don't sit there watching Thunderbird waiting for new mail it 
doesn't really make much odds to me if the mail arrives in 10 seconds or 
  6 minutes.

I did think about changing my mail provider so I could receive SMTP mail 
direct to my internal server (I can do this on my DynDNS account) but I 
figured it wasn't worth the hassle.

As regards to Spam, my mail provider picks the majority of it up and any 
that does come through is sorted out via Thunderbird anyway.

I also do have the option to send mail from my laptop when I'm on a 
remote network, I send mail through Secure SMTP to my server although 
the server isn't configured to accept mail from anyone, I have to get 
Thunderbird to login (the same as if I was sending mail through my mail 
provider anyway).

Rob


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