SSL Part 2: Configure hMailServer - Uniform Server Wiki System

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Contents [hide]
1 hMailServer Configuration
Configuring hMailServer
2 Mail Client Signed Certificate Project
3 Testing Uniform Server 3.5-Apollo
4 Summary

The sole purpose of running this mail server is to obtain a signed certificate from CAcert. All they expect is
a mail server running under your domain hence there is nothing special in the configuration.

The configuration steps below show how to set up hMailServer. Topics covered, how to add a domain and
user account, alias creation, how to set the server host name. The server is pre-configured to prevent
SMTP open relay and has correct settings for RFC however it is still worth checking these.

Note: SMTP can be problematic not that its difficult to set-up, invariably problems are associated with
your service provider hence be prepared for some experimentation.

hMailServer Configuration

1) Login to
Administrator

Start administrator:

Start > All programs >

hMailServer >
hMailServer
Administrator

Click Connect a pop-up

will display enter your
admin password.

2) Add domain

For a new installation

you are taken to the
Welcome page.

Click Add domain

Note: If you need to add

additional domains the
first port of call is
welcome.

3) Enter domain and

catch all address

Enter your domain

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name and a catch all

email address.

Any mail sent to your

domain not having a
matching POP account or
alias are redirected to
this catch all address.

“postmaster” is a
standard hence I am
using
postmaster@mpg123.no-
ip.org

Click Save

4) Adding email
Accounts

Every user requires an

account name (email
address) and password.
This includes the catchall
email address. Set this
account by entering
name postmaster in the
Account address field
and provide a password.

Click Save

Note: The above user

name (full email
address) and password
are required when you
set-up your email client
(such as Outlook
Express).

5) Adding additional
Accounts

To add more accounts

click on a domain
name (only one shown
however you can have
as many domains as you
like supporting your
virtual hosts in Apache)
in the left window.

This opens a page

displaying the domain
details, bottom of this
page are three buttons
allowing you to add
accounts, aliases and
distribution list.

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In the next step we are

going to add an alias
hence:

Click the Add alias

button

6) Adding an Alias

An alias is effectively a
nonexistent account, any
email sent to an alias is
redirected to a real
account.

I have set-up an alias

for admin@mpg123.no-
ip.org and redirected it
to
postmaster@mpg123.no-
ip.org. Remember to
click save.

Note: Postmaster@ is
required by RFC 2821 .
An address is required
for each domain's SMTP
host accepting mail.

Abuse@ is "required" by
RFC 2142 this is a de-
facto standard.

(Add separate accounts

or an alias for each of
these addresses)

7) Select Protocols

There are three email

services provided by
hMail, you require SMPT
and POP3 to send and
receive emails. If you
wish to support

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webmail make sure to

enable IMAP.

By default all three

services are enabled,
check by expanding the
settings menu tree on
the left, click Protocols,
all three protocols are
displayed on the right.

I am not using IMAP

hence it's not checked.

8) SMTP

Display the SMTP

settings page by clicking
on SMPT under
protocols.

A) Host name:
Required always set a
host name.
B) SMTP Relayer:
Leave blank
C) Server requires
authentication: Leave
un-checked

If you do not set a Host

name some email
servers will either not
accept your email or
mark it as spam.

The name you enter is

the full host name you
specified in your MX
records for example
mail.mpg123.no-ip.org

Note 1: Free accounts at

DynDNS and No-ip do
not allow you to set a
specific MX record.

Email servers that

cannot find an MX record
default to using the
domain name and
attempt delivery to it
(standard operation).

Hence if for any reason

you cannot set an MX

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record for your domain

make sure you set “Host
name” to your domain
name. I am using
mpg123.no-ip.org for
that very reason.

Testing: At the end of

this configuration page
you will find a test
section that assumes
you have set A) only.

Note 1: A large number

of mail servers black list
mail servers running
from a dynamic IP
addresses hence the
reason I specified my
ISP as an SMTP Relayer.

Note 2: If your mail

server is connected to a
static IP address and
your domain has correct
MX records there should
be no reason for setting
B) and C)!

9) SMPT RFC Check

It’s worth checking the

default settings for RFC
compliance.

While on the above

SMTP page click the RFC
Compliance tab. The
two-default settings
Allow empty sender
address and Allow

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incorrectly formatted
line endings should be
adequate for most
purposes.

10) Internet IP ranges

From the left menu

expand the Advanced
and IP Ranges tree.

Click on Internet

The default settings on

this page are suitable for
most applications.

Important:

At the bottom of this

page make sure
External to external
accounts box is
unchecked.

This prevents your mail

server being an open
relay (prevents spam
and other undesirable
material being relayed
through your mail
server).

11) Start and Stop

From the left menu

window click on Status
this displays the server
status page.

Click the Server tab,

from here you can start
and stop the server.

Note: Certain settings

require a server restart
before they become
effective.

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Top

Mail Client
That completes the hMailServer configuration, to test this configuration at least one account must be set in
your mail client. The following are the settings for Outlook Express

12) Set-up Wizard

Using the set-up wizard:

1. Start Outlook Express

2. Select Tools > Accounts, Select
Mail Tab and click Add
3. Display Name: Postmaster click
next
4. Email address:
postmaster@mpg123.no-ip.org
click next
5. E-mail Server Names:
1. Incoming mail (POP3) server:
localhost
2. Outgoing mail (SMPT) server:
localhost
3. Click next
6. Internet Mail Logon:
1. Account name:
postmaster@mpg123.no-
ip.org
2. Password: test123 (use your
own)
3. Remember password: Check
box
4. Logon using (SPA): Leave un-
checked
5. Click next

7. Finished

13) General and Servers Tabs

If you are using Outlook Express view the

Postmaster prosperities account. Click the
general and servers tab corresponding
properties are shown on the right.

All mail clients are slightly different to

set-up however they all require basic
information as shown above. In particular
server POP and SMPT address is

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localhost user name is the full email

address you set.

Note: In section 8) you may need to

enter your service providers SMTP server
details into the SMTP relayer address box
(B).

To obtain this information view the

properties of the account that you
normally connect with. Click the Servers
tab and copy details in Outgoing mail
(SMTP) box.

Top

Testing
Internal routing test:

In your email client send an email to admin, remember this is an alias and will be forward to the
postmaster:

1. From: postmaster@mpg123.no-ip.org
2. To: admin@mpg123.no-ip.org
3. Subject: Test 1
4. Message: Test 1 Basic test server test

In Outlook express select Tools > Send and Receive > Receive all or use whatever method your client
requires to retrieve email.

Your inbox will display a message from “Postmaster”; this confirms hMailServer is working (and you have
an excellent test server). If for some reason it fails check the above configuration steps.

Running hMailServer on a local machine you should have no problem with this test; recheck settings and if
the problem persists it may require a trip to hMailServer site and forum to resolve the issue.

14) External Access:

If you are working behind a router make sure

to forward ports 25 and 110 (need help visit
Port Forward )

Check your mail server is on-line by visiting

mxtoolbox .

In the SMTP Diagnostics box enter your

mail server's full host name for example
mail.mpg123.no-ip.org alternatively if you
are using free services such as DynDNS or
No-IP enter your domain name (e.g.
mpg123.no-ip.org).

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Expected results, four green lights as shown

on the right. Note the open relay test.

Outgoing Email test:

Using your email client send an email from postmaster to a friend or other address, make sure their email
address is not hosted by your ISP.

1. From: postmaster@mpg123.no-ip.org
2. To: freind@some_other_ip.com
3. Subject: Test 2
4. Message: Test 2 round trip test, please reply to this email

If you receive an error message similar to this:

The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

friend@some_other_ip.com
Error Type: SMTP
Remote server (999.99.999.999) issued an error.
hMailServer sent: RCPT TO:<friend@some_other_ip.com>
Remote server replied: 554 EMail from mailserver at 99.99.99.999 is refused. See
http://spamblock.something.com/88.888.88.888

The above error is because dynamic IP's are listed in spam databases and blocked accordingly. The
solution is to reroute all outgoing mail through your ISP's mail server.

See note in section 13) pick-up your ISP's SMTP server details and insert it into the SMTP relayer address
box (B) section 8).

Repeat the above test, your email will not be bounced expect a reply from your friend.

That completes testing, you now have a working email server. Add additional accounts as required and
change settings to meet you own requirments.

Summary
You now have a fully operational e-mail server this will allow you to verify your domain at CAcert and
obtain a signed certificate.

If you host several domains using Apache’s virtual host you can map these into hMailServer and provide
mail facilities.

The next page looks at PHP’s mail function its a small digression from the main theme hence can be
skipped.

Top

Ric
Categories: UniCenter | Support | Installation | Application | Development

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