I just installed Debian Linux and the virtual mail server using Falko's tutorial (located here). Everything seems to be working fine, but I have 1 question. How do I connect to the server using my email client? When on the server, I can see that the user is receiving the mail (mail is located in the user's folder), but I can't seem to get my email client (on another computer) to connect to the server to download the messages. I am using Thunderbird as my email client, and my girlfriend uses Microsoft Outlook. Any help with this would be extremely appreciated. Thanks, Paul
You can use any FQDN or IP address to connect to the server. Use the IP address for now to rule out DNS problems. Also, make sure that the ports 25 and 110 are open on the mail server.
Can you please explain to me how to make sure the ports are open? I am new to linux and am not exactly sure how to do that. I tried the "telnet localhost 25" that you mentioned in your tutorial, and everything showed as ok. Also, do I need to use server authentication, tls, ssl, or anything like that to connect to the server with my email client? Thanks for your reply.
UPDATE: using the inside network IP Address of the server (192.168.xxx.xxx), I was able to connect and download the messages. My replies either don't go out, or are just taking a while to send. using the FQDN [servername].[domainname].com, my email client says it's connecting, but then gives me an error. Everything except for the IP Address changed to the FQDN is the same. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
What's in the mail log then? Did you enable "Server requires authentication" in your email client? I guess [servername].[domainname].com is pointing to a public IP address. Please check with dig [servername].[domainname].com and look for the Answer section. If it's pointing to a public IP address, you must tell your router to forward the ports 25 and 110 to your mail server. And your router must support loopbacks into the local network.
all seems to be working fine after some minor configuration to the email client (for me). My girlfriend's email client cannot connect. She is using MS Outlook. I can't seem to get it to connect. She is outside the network (I am inside, but using domain name to connect). I am trying to setup Outlook the same way that my Mozilla Thunderbird is set up, but I can't get hers to connect. She can receive, but not send. What settings in Outlook need to be set? Thank you very much for your help!
The error received is: The specified server was found, but there was no response from the server. Please verify that the port and SSL information is correct. To access these settings ..... I don't have any SSL information set. I don't know how to get Outlook to use TLS. Can someone please help? Thanks
I have Thunderbird setup using the FQDN, and it is running fine. The server and the computer Thunderbird is on, are on the same network, but with using the FQDN, doesn't it still need to leave the network to find out where to go? Plus, the error message on the computer outside the network is saying that it found the mail server, it just isn't responding to it's request to send mail. Does it use a different port to find it, then it does to send mail?
I think this means it found the mail server in DNS. That doesn't mean it can connect to the server itself.
