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Help, configuration
and tips.
| | Frequently
Asked Questions
This page should help answer almost any question
you may have, please select from the list below what you would like to know.
How
can I buy Ability Mail Server?
We have now released newer newer version of Ability Mail Server, which means version 1 is no longer available for purchase. We highly recommend trying the new version which offers many new advanced features previously not available in version 1.
Why
am I unable to receive any emails?
A common cause of this error is usually
due to a router or firewall preventing incoming connections (the incoming mail).
If this is the case then read the next question below. To receive incoming mail,
you need to ensure that your domain's MX records are configured correctly. For
example, code-crafters.com is our email domain and mail.code-crafters.com
is the host address of the computer which receives our incoming mail. To ensure
the correct computer receives the mail, we have placed mail.code-crafters.com
at the top of our MX record list and have given it the lowest value priority level
(the lowest value entry is used first). It is then also important that port 25
on the computer running Ability Mail Server is open and accessible from the Internet.
This can be tested by asking a friend to telnet port 25 on your computer from
another computer on the Internet (they should type "telnet yourip 25"
into an MS-DOS prompt or Command Prompt). This will cause their computer to connect
directly to the incoming mail part of the software and they should see some kind
of welcome message. If they do not receive any response, it is likely that your
ISP is blocking port 25. Read more.
How
do I configure my router or firewall?
Configuring your router or firewall
is not such a hard task as there should be only 2 things that are required. Firstly,
ensure that any ports you are using are forwarded to the computer running Ability
Mail Server and/or allowed through. The ports used by Ability Mail Server by default
are 25 (SMTP), 80 (WebMail), 110 (POP3) and 8088 (Remote Admin). If you have changed
any of these port values then you will have to use the new value in replacement.
The next step usually only affects software firewalls, but you must ensure that
the Ability Mail Server program has access allowed to the Internet.
Why is my outgoing mail not working?
Outgoing
mail is probably the most complex part of Ability Mail Server and often leads
to problems. However, there is an easy method to help determine what is causing
the problem. The first option is to run the configuration test which will examine
and test all of your settings. If this doesn't turn up any results then you can
look at the logs (files named 'smtpout' or 'outmail'). Usually when there is a
serious problem it gets listed in the log. If you still are unable to highlight
the problem, you should check the settings of your mail client. Ensure that your
outgoing mail is directed to the computer running Ability Mail Server and that
is connecting to the correct port (which by default is 25 unless you have changed
it). Also, if you have enabled SMTP Authentication in your outgoing mail security
options, then you need to configure your client to use SMTP Authentication with
the outgoing SMTP. If you have enabled the 'IP Range Protection', then it is recommend
that you check that the computer attempting to use Ability Mail Server
for its outgoing mail is within the IP range that you have specified.
How
do I create and/or modify the WebMail templates?
You can view details
of this by clicking here.
Does
Ability Mail Server support multiple domains?
Yes, and there is no limit
on the number domains you can host. This means that any account you host could
belong to its own domain (ie. you could run email addresses such as person@surname.yourdomain.com,
person@anydomainyouown.com or even run an email hosting service).
I
want to access my outgoing SMTP from anywhere, how can this done?
There
is usually only one option for this type of use, and this is to enable 'SMTP Authentication'.
This can be done by opening the 'Outgoing SMTP Access Control' dialog, disabling
'IP Range Protection' and then simply enabling 'SMTP Authentication'. You will
then be able to specify what user name and password must be used to access the
Outgoing SMTP (or you can allow the login details of any account you host). This
will ensure you have complete control over who can use your Outgoing SMTP, regardless
of where they are connecting from. This should also provide more than enough protection
against incoming connections attempting to take advantage of your Outgoing SMTP
(ie. prevent your server being used for SPAM).
How
do I update my installation to the latest version?
There are two methods
and both should ensure your current settings, accounts and stored emails remain
intact. The methods are...
If
you have purchased a license key then you can simply select the 'Update' button
on the 'Help' dialog. Once the update process has completed, you will then need
to reload Ability Mail Server. If
you have not yet purchased Ability Mail Server, then you will need to re-download
the ams1.exe and then reinstall
the application. Before you perform the reinstallation, you will need to close
Ability Mail Server.
Please
note that updating or reinstallation may reset the 'remoteadmin' folder and the
'template1' WebMail folder. We strongly recommend that you make a backup of the
entire Ability Mail Server folder before performing any update.
How
do I configure my MX records on my DNS?
MX records are a bit like sign
posts, giving directions to incoming mails to the computer who is designated to
receive them. When you send an email from your computer, it is usually sent to
a outgoing SMTP (eg. Ability Mail Server) which is then responsible for deciding
where to send the email. It makes this decision based on the MX records for that
emails domain (the domain is the part after the @ symbol in the email address).
The MX records are stored on the domains DNS and come in the form of a table of
domains and their priority levels. The entry in the list with the lowest priority
value is used first, and upon failure, the next entry is used (in the order of
lowest value priority to the highest). All domains need at least one entry to
ensure email works, and this should be the host or IP address of the computer
running the mail server for that domain.
How
do I create a backup mail service?
The first and most important thing
you need to understand is how MX records work. If you are unsure on MX records
you will need to read the previous question.
The concept of a backup mail service is that one computer is the primary recipient
of incoming mail and one or more other computers are the backup recipients, which
on receiving an email will attempt to forward it onto the primary server. If the
primary server is off-line, a backup mail server should then hold all the incoming
mails for a given period, during which it should keep trying to forward the mails
on. To configure Ability Mail Server to act as a backup server you will need to
create a domain map for each domain the server is backing up. In this entry you
should select 'No Conversion' and enable 'Via SMTP', giving the host / IP address
of the primary server. You then need to set is the 'Additional Re-send Attempts',
which allows you to increase the number of attempts the outgoing mails will be
given (the maximum holding time). This correct value depends entirely on your
Outgoing Mail setup, but as a guide we use the following configuration:-
Outgoing
Mails... Max Re-send Attempts = 4, Re-send Delay = 900 seconds Domain
Map (code-crafters.com)... Additional Re-send Attempts = 92
The
last thing that needs to be set is the 'Visible to Incoming SMTP' option, which
controls if the Incoming SMTP will accept email addresses on this domain. This
will then ensure that emails sent to code-crafters.com will be held for up to
24 hours if our primary server goes down. It also means that the backup server
will keep trying the primary server every 15 minutes. Once Ability Mail Server
is configured correctly, you can then specify the host / IP address as an additional
(higher value priority) entry in the MX records for that domain. The will then
ensure that if the primary server goes down, the backup server will then begin
receiving the mails for that domain.
How
do I update my Remote Admin or WebMail templates to support the latest features?
You can view details of this by clicking
here.
How
can I setup a domain specific catch-all (anythinghere@mydomain.com) account?
There are two methods in which you can configure this...
If
you want to run several accounts at a domain but also want to receive any mails
to that domain that do not exist (eg. miss spelt email addresses) then you can
use a special alias entry. You will need to create an account (eg. yourname@mydomain.com)
which will be where all mails are delivered (or you can use an existing account).
You will then need to add an alias address of @mydomain.com (a @ symbol
followed by the domain) which will instruct the mail server that this is the catch-all
for mydomain.com. Any incoming mail received via SMTP or WebMail directed
at mydomain.com will then be guaranteed delivery either to an account which
uses that address or the catch-all account which contains the @mydomain.com. If
you want all the emails sent a domain placed into a single account without even
checking to see if there is any local accounts with that address, you can use
domain maps. You will need to create an account (eg. yourname@mydomain.com) which
will be where all the mails are delivered. You will then need to create a domain
map for your domain and select 'Convert Email Address' and enter your new account's
email address in the text box. Now instantly all emails to your domain will be
redirected into a single account (so long as your MX records are setup correctly).
If you don't want all the emails to be stored locally, simply skip the account
creation and enter your external email address into 'Convert Email Address'. The
server will then redirect all the emails to that address instead.
Why
can't I send email to AOL accounts?
This is a common problem for home
DSL users who run their own mail server. Usually the reason why is basically that
AOL believes you are a SPAM threat and blocks your mail. This is usually determined
by your IP address and there is usually only 1 option for getting around this.
If you have access to another SMTP (your ISP usually provides one), you can reroute
all AOL mail via that. It is less likely that AOL would block your ISP and so
this makes an invisible fix to the problem. Rerouting can be setup by creating
a domain map (Settings->Advanced Tab) for aol.com and setting the 'Via
SMTP' to the host address of the other SMTP. Ensure that 'Visible to Incoming
SMTP' is un-ticked (you don't want your mail server being used for SPAM-ing to
AOL accounts). Once the domain map is created your mail to AOL should now be safely
be rerouted via an acceptable SMTP and delivered successfully.
How
do I obtain a DNS host address for outgoing mail?
The easiest method of
getting this information can be done by contacting your ISP and asking them. However,
if this isn't preferred then you can attempt to extract the information from your
computer.
Firstly it depends on how your network is setup at home. If you're
using ICS or a proxy to share the Internet connection amongst multiple computers,
and Ability Mail Server is located on another computer without direct access to
the Internet, then you need to retrieve the information from the computer which
is sharing the Internet connection. If Ability Mail Server is running directly
on the computer with the Internet connection, then you are fine to get the information
off just that computer.
The method of retrieving the DNS information depends
on your operating system...
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT...
Open an MS-DOS prompt.
Type "winipcfg" and hit the ENTER key.
On the dialog that appears, select the correct network device from the drop
down list. You should now see details of your computers Internet connection, one
or two of which should be the DNS servers.
Windows XP and higher...
My
ISP is blocking some of my ports, what can I do?
This is a common problem
which many of our customers experience and what to do completely depends on what
port is being blocked. If port 110 (POP3) is being blocked then it is a simple
matter of changing the port value... and informing your users to use that port
instead. If port 80 is being blocked (WebMail) then you can also change that port
and then access your WebMail interface via something like... http://your-host-address-or-ip:portnumber.
However, if your ISP is blocking port 25 and you intend to receive email off the
Internet, then you have a much bigger problem. This is because SMTP needs port
25 and cannot just be changed. However, a company called No-IP have a solution
to this which will allow you to change the port... click
here for more details.
How
can I redirect incoming mail to multiple accounts?
Although each account
has a redirection option, this only supports redirecting to one another account.
If you require the mail to redirected to multiple accounts then this is possible
using a mailing list. Simple create a mailing list for the email address which
should perform the redirection then add the destination email addresses. You must
then ensure you enable 'Visible to Incoming SMTP'.
If
this page has not solved your issue or you have a suggestion then please don't
hesitate to contact us. |
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