Anyway to create SMTP Server on Windows 7?

Question

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Implementing a SMTP server on a personal computer (windows)

I'm thinking of a case where I can use a SMTP Server on my own system to actually send email from thunderbird to whoever it's being sent to, this could be a way just to I can manage how I want my mails sent and also if I want to scan them with an antivirus etc.

Is there any way that emails can be routed through by just installing an SMTP Server and changing my settings to reflect them. (e.g. server 127.0.0.1 port 25)

I have installed hMailServer, and looked at the configuration but I feel that I am missing something.

Thanks

Answer 1

Yes, you can just install hMailServer or Mercury Mail to have a SMTP server.

The big problem, however, is spam.

1. Many (almost all) mail servers will block messages coming from residential connections, due to massive spam problems.

   Your ISP may be blocking all SMTP connections on port 25 as well, for the same reason.

2. Most mail providers these days use SPF, which restricts the servers allowed to send messages from their domain.

   In other words, messages with From: [e-mail] can only be sent from Google's own servers. If you use your own server, the messages are much more likely to be marked as spam or rejected entirely, due to the failing SPF check.

In other words, you will not be able to just send mail directly. You will still have to configure your SMTP server to relay everything through your mail provider's servers.

Aside from that, computers only work when they are on. If you send a message and the recipient's server has problems, your server will retry the delivery – but it can't do so if you turn it off for the night. On the other hand, your mail provider's servers are always on.