Is there a better solution for this email setup?

R

Red Squirrel

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I run my own email server online with postfix and dovecot, but my local mail server at home is what actually stores all my email so I use that server with imap. When I send emails I use my online SMTP server since lot of RBLs block ISP residential IP ranges. The only issue is that because I don't want an open relay, I have it setup so only my home IP can send. Now sometimes my home IP changes, like if my modem is disconnected for a long time. Then I have to go on my server and change that setting.

Is there a better way of handling this? Or should I just look at getting a static IP for home? How do web hosts do it? Do they have a system where when you authenticate through pop3 it puts your IP in the SMTP white list? Is there a way to set that up with dovecot/postfix? If it matters, I'm using pop3 secure, and not just plain pop3.
 
Dynamic DNS with your router/firewall set to update it when the IP changes. Then use an SMTP relay for actually sending your mail, then it won't appear to be coming from your home IP address. I have had exchange 2010 running at home for almost year exactly like this.
 
Biznatch said:
Dynamic DNS with your router/firewall set to update it when the IP changes. Then use an SMTP relay for actually sending your mail, then it won't appear to be coming from your home IP address. I have had exchange 2010 running at home for almost year exactly like this.
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What a wonderful world it would be if all people had reading comprehension.

OP: A VPN to your server would work as well. You wouldn't have to expose your mail server at all.
 
I forgot about SMTP auth, I'll have to read up on that and on how to set it up, that may be my best option. I can also ensure to have it setup with fail2ban so if someone tries to brute force it their IP will get banned.
 
In addition to authentication you can change the port to something not typically used for SMTP.
 
D-EJ915 said:
In addition to authentication you can change the port to something not typically used for SMTP.
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How would that work?

When someone sends me an email how would the sending email server know that my domain's smtp server is on a different port? Or is it possible to put just the relay portion of the smtp on another port?
 
Red Squirrel said:
How would that work?

When someone sends me an email how would the sending email server know that my domain's smtp server is on a different port? Or is it possible to put just the relay portion of the smtp on another port?
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In your Postfix configuration you would just change the port for the one you will use authentication on.

Since my IP doesn't change I just set up a firewall rule so I'm not sure on the SMTP authentication configuration but changing the port is simple.

http://www.linuxmail.info/postfix-change-port/
 
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