Setting Up a email facility on a windows 2k3 standard server

Having recently purchased a mail server from a company, i would like to know how to set up an email system. I run an SEO business and thus have many domains registered via godaddy to our company, we would now like to offer each of these companies the opertunity to have email via us aswell. I have limited knowledge on this topic all i can say is that

1) The server has POP3 services installed
2) There is something called Virtual SMTP server installed to.

Can i use these to set up a facility like i described above? If so how and is there a link / can you give me info. The company that we rent the server from want us to pay £600 for an all singing all dancing system but i would like to set it up for free if possible.

Is using the inbuilt mail facilities the best way or should i download a piece of software? if so where from?

I appreciate that this is a big question but im sure somevbody out there must have been in a similar siutuation. I would be gratefull for any help - the more the bettter and the less technical the better!

Thanks alot


Graham Wilson

You have access to this mail server with Windows Server 2003 installed?

Well, POP3 and SMTP is set up VERY differently.

SMTP is installed as part of IIS. By default email RELAYING is not enabled. First, go into the properties of the Default SMTP Virtual Server, and under the Access Tab, select the button Authentication. Select 'Basic Authentication', and LEAVE 'Anonymous Access' selected.

Anonymous access is used when your clients send to other clients of the same domain AND when external people send emails to your domain. However, due to relaying problems, and considering you won't be able to restrict this relaying based on IP addresses, you'll need to use an authentication scheme to allow your mail clients to send mail OUTSIDE your domain. All you have to do is make sure they select 'Use Authentication for Outgoing Mail'. The required username will be 'username'.

POP3 is different. Use 'Local Windows Accounts', unless your running a domain controller with Active Directory. DO NOT use Encrypted Password File. Add each domain you want to have POP3 access, and then setup the mailboxes accordingly. Thats all you really need to do for POP3. For logon, the username is 'username@domainname.com' - slightly different than the logon required for the outgoing (SMTP) server.

...That should keep you busy. I posted a big post on Authentication options in another post (Windows 2k3 SMTP Server... or something), but you don't really need to know any of this

Mike