Mail server setup

As the operator of our own anti-spam solution, we have seen this time and again, that it is apparently very difficult even for large companies to configure mail servers according to common standards. In this article, we would therefore like to show you what you need to bear in mind if you have your own mail server so that the email you send ends up in the recipient's inbox. First of all: there are not many "ingredients", and you can install and set up your own mail server in just a few hours.

1. Static IP and reputation

If you want to operate your own mail server at home, we recommend that you request a static IP from your Internet provider. There are various reasons for this, on the one hand a PTR must be created (see below), which only makes limited sense with a dynamic IP. In addition, the reputation of a new IP address is viewed rather critically by most recipients; one can also speak here of "warming up" the IP address. The longer an IP address is used for a mail server and it continuously delivers emails, the better. However, we do not recommend sending mass emails such as newsletters etc. to "warm up" the IP, as this can damage your reputation. The reputation of his IP address can be checked e.g. at Talos can be checked. If your Internet provider refuses to allocate a static IP, a small vServer is also suitable for operating your own mail server. 2nd PTR/rDNS entry As soon as you have received a static IP for your mail server, the next step is to create a PTR/rDNS entry. Your Internet provider will take care of this step. However, please make sure that the PTR matches the configured mail server. If you have selected "mail.mycompany.com" as the mail server, for example, the PTR must be created with this name. 3rd SPF entry The next step is to create an SPF entry and store it in the DNS server of your domain as a TXT entry. It is important that all applications that are allowed to send emails via your domain are included. If you have a website hosted by a web host in addition to your mail server, this must also be included in the SPF. There are various websites where you can create an SPF record, we will link you to what we think is a good generator for this purpose. https://www.spf-record.com/generator   If you have got this far, you have already done the most important things to ensure the deliverability of your emails, you can now optionally create a DKIM entry. How to create a DKIM entry on the mail server varies from software to software, however. Another pro tip from us, before you send the first email with your new mail server, check your settings at https://www.mail-tester.com/