Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Good email host?

news.ycombinator.com

41–50 of 71 posts

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#43
I'm currently using FastMail and I would need to have a huge money issue in order to stop using it. The main thing I like is the possibility to use "alias", which basically allows me to have different e-mails for each service I'm using. Coupling that to the fact that they support catch all adresses and I rated them best email service forever. The only thing misssing would be an automation from specific e mail alias to folder, currently it is a two step action.

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#44
post #34
post #22

I was researching this. And still am. I always come to conclusion that either I have to host mail for myself, or use Google Apps. I can't trust Microsoft to host my email, nor I want to trust Rackspace (for some odd reason, two feedbacks I received were from people who had negative experiences with them). Zoho is nice choise, but they had multi-week outage year or two ago, with somewhat unclear notification to users.…

> Self-hosting option came out to one Linode machine, plus one other VPS provider machine So, that’s what “self-hosting” means nowadays? Because of course we can’t have these infernal machines in our homes ; what are we, savages , to sully our hands with manual labor and physical hardware ? /s Note: Your home is the only place where you can host your server and be reasonably sure that the government is at least going…

Good luck in finding an ISP that will let unrestricted SMTP traffic without paying an arm and a leg for a "business account."

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#45
post #28
post #2

Run your own!

I thought there is a high chance of getting blocked by spam filters if you're not using a reputable email host. Is this true at all?

+1 for "running your own". I have a cPanel license on a personal server and it handles a lot of the rigamarole. Once you have DKIM and SPF set up, it practically runs itself.

The network your IP is in makes a difference. My mail server is currently at OVH, which is a good enough neighbourhood for Mailjet to have built an email business there.

I very occasionally have an email bounce back (once a year or less). The bounce message typically includes information on exactly why it bounced and how to contact the receiving server's operator to figure it out.

The vast majority of the work goes into the the initial setup, which takes an evening if you're using a packaged mail stack. [1]

[1] If you want a free packaged mail stack, here's a FOSS one: http://www.iredmail.org I have no experience with it but have heard good things.

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#46
post #21
post #18

I recommendation yandex domain.

What kind of privacy concerns are there with email providers based in Russia?

I agree with sakapov(sp?), it's not an answer we can really know, but I think it's safe to say most every large government is very very happy to read every email they can get their hands on. But think of it a different way, if A government is going to read your email(and it's pretty safe to say they will), then who would you rather read it, one you are beholden to, or one that probably doesn't care at all about you, since you are not their citizen, and are not doing anything against them?

Hence, why I use Yandex. As an American, what do I care if Russia reads my email?

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#47
post #28
post #2

Run your own!

I thought there is a high chance of getting blocked by spam filters if you're not using a reputable email host. Is this true at all?

Only if you using it for spam-like email marketing. With correct SPF and DKIM config, also dedicated IP, it would be no problems at all.

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#48
post #28
post #2

Run your own!

I thought there is a high chance of getting blocked by spam filters if you're not using a reputable email host. Is this true at all?

There's still a chance. I've been running my personal email myself as a learning project for a couple of years now, and the only time I've had problems was when I emailed a bunch of people on the same domain at once. Other than setup and dealing with that one bulk email, it's just normal systems administration: updates, backups, and monitoring.

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#49
post #34
post #22

I was researching this. And still am. I always come to conclusion that either I have to host mail for myself, or use Google Apps. I can't trust Microsoft to host my email, nor I want to trust Rackspace (for some odd reason, two feedbacks I received were from people who had negative experiences with them). Zoho is nice choise, but they had multi-week outage year or two ago, with somewhat unclear notification to users.…

> Self-hosting option came out to one Linode machine, plus one other VPS provider machine So, that’s what “self-hosting” means nowadays? Because of course we can’t have these infernal machines in our homes ; what are we, savages , to sully our hands with manual labor and physical hardware ? /s Note: Your home is the only place where you can host your server and be reasonably sure that the government is at least going…

Your ISP allows incoming and outgoing port 25? You're likely already in every DNSBL out there.

Re: Ask HN: Good email host?

#50
post #13

Be careful with using your own domain, there have recently been a number of high-profile attacks based on hijacking the DNS.

I haven't heard about those. Do you have a link to a web page that explains more?

The reason I'd prefer my own domain is quite simply that I'd like to avoid being locked into a specific email company.

Post reply on HN