How to create my own private email server?

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GrevenGull
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:)

Magic Banana

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Execute 'sudo tasksel' in a terminal and selects the "Postfix mail server". Then starts the difficult part: configuring it. In particular to not be blacklisted by Google & co. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Postfix#Configuration

GrevenGull
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Cool thanks, I think I'll probably stick to openmailbox for now :P as many people tell me this is hard stuff.

I actually followed the guide loldier posted here before he posted it (the arstech guide) and got stuck at finding out what my IP address is lol.

For some reason, when I look at my IP address in "connection information" it says something different then the tool recommended by arstech ( https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx ) , so yeah... flying start :D

loldier
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GrevenGull
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Yeah cool I actually followed that up until they recommended this tool for checking if your IP address is blacklisted ( https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx )

That tool tells me my IP address is something else than the "Connection Information" tells me :P so... yes :D

jxself
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You might be using NAT (Network Address Translation) behind a router, which assigns private IP addresses to machines on the local network. If so, the software running on the machine would only tell you what your private IP address is; not the public one. And your ISP should probably be able to tell you what it is. If they say it's a "dynamic" one that changes over time ask for a "static" one.

GrevenGull
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what do you mean "behind a router"?

jxself
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https://cdn.whatismyipaddress.com/images-v4/nat.png

Notice the router has two IP addresses: A public one on the right side that's connected to the Internet. And a private one (starting with 10 in this case) on the left side. In Network Address Translation (NAT) the router has the one public IP address and hands out private IP addresses to all of the machines on the left that are in your home.

This has been a way to conserve public IP addresses because you can have any number of machines connected to the Internet, all hidden behind a single public IP address.

It could also explain why you say that the IP address your computer shows doesn't match the one seen on the Internet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation

Also called "IP masquerading"

GrevenGull
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Nice!

Magic Banana

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I would actually say "ugly".

IPv6 is nice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6

GrevenGull
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Haha, ok.

But would IPv4 and IPv6 be relevant with GNS, or would completely different protocols be used. I am just in the process of trying to get started with GNS. Installing the needed dependencies atm.

Magic Banana

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Completely different layers in the architecture of the network: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_protocol_suite#Key_architectural_principles

IP (v4 or v6) is in the Internet layer, wheras DNS (or GNS) is in the application layer.

GrevenGull
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But do GNS and DNS operate with the same type of protocols?

Magic Banana

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They fulfill the same purpose (naming things on the network) but are completely different.

GrevenGull
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So they don't operate with the same type of protocols then? Or?

Magic Banana

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They both use TCP for the transport if that is what you mean.

GrevenGull
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But do they both use IPv4 and/or IPv6?

Magic Banana

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Yes, that layer is even below: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

GrevenGull
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https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/how-to-run-your-own-e-mail-server-with-your-own-domain-part-1/

A little down in this article it says: "if you want to do it for real, you'll either need to be on a business-class connection with unblocked ports and a non-blacklisted IP address"

What is "unblocked ports"?

GrevenGull
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Also what is e-mail TCP ports?

loldier
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Ports reserved for transmission control protocol and software that uses it.

Ports can be physical as in USB or serial. They can be virtual as in address space numbers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers

https://www.lifewire.com/computer-port-usage-817366

https://www.lifewire.com/port-numbers-on-computer-networks-817939

GrevenGull
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Cool, I'll have a look at those links

GrevenGull
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So I took a look and learned a little more.

But how and when does ports become blocked?