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Best option to replace a POP3 connector?

I'm currently helping a colleague with his SBS2003 server.

She's been having problems with her email and I noticed she is using a POP3 connector on the server and I've advised her to change this to SMTP as I have always used this without problems.

Reading up on this, I see there is TURN, ESMTP and ETRN.

Which one of these is best for a 12 user SBS 2003 network and would they all work through a smarthost?

Thanks for any ideas,

Alan Hardisty

Is the SBS03 server using a fixed Public IP address?

If it is, change the MX record to point mail directly to the Public IP and disable the POP3 collection after 48 hours.

If not, then you might want to keep the POP3 connector in place or replace it with something like POPCON.

Alan

Alan Hardisty

If you do change the MX record to point to the Public IP, make sure port 25 is open and forwarded on their firewall and install some good anti-spam software such as Vamsoft ORF Fusion for SBS www.vamsoft.com.

Alan

carolinems

ASKER

Thanks Alan, yes they do have a fixed IP.

Their email company does provide excellent spam filtering and they would like to continue using them, which is why I mentioned the smarthost, in case the software solution isn't as good.

Is there a good compromise? The main issue is the time delay of the POP3 connector.

Alan Hardisty

SBS by default only allows a minimum 15 minute interval POP3 collection, but POPCON (which I have used) or other similar software (which I haven't used), allow a minute interval, so if everything works and you just want quicker delivery, look at something like POPCON.

Vamsoft is good, but if they are happy with the 3rd party filtering, there is no need to change it.

Does the 3rd party offer the option to send mail to the server as opposed to having it collected?

Alan

carolinems

ASKER

Popcon looks good for what they need but they do not have individual mailboxes on the mailserver.

I'm sure Vamsoft is really good, but they have never received one suspect email in 9 years,

If they do send mail to the SBS 2003 server, what would be the connection method?

Thanks,

Caroline

Alan Hardisty

POPCON can handle mail from a single mailbox destined for multiple mailboxes.

No spam email in 9 years is hard to beat.

If the ISP can send mail via SMTP, you can restrict the SBS server to only receive mail from the ISP and no-one else.

Alan

carolinems

ASKER

Thanks Alan, that would be good if they could send it by SMTP, what is the normal delay time with this as mine is direct and therefore immediate?

Is this method known as TURN or ETRN?

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Alan Hardisty

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carolinems

ASKER

Thanks Alan, I will suggest the ETRN and Popcon and see which they would prefer.