Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Reseller Hosting : POP Auth

[slaquer]

I know this has already been discussed at some length, but exactly how does an end user use Alabanza's POP Authorization to send mail?

[ODE]

This was taken from Alabanza's knowledgebase.

you have to have root access

To allow access to your mail relay:

1. Get, from the customer, the full domain name of their local ISP, that is, connection service.

2. Add this ISP to the file "/etc/mail/relay-domains"


Example:

SSH to server box, type at the command prompt:

~# vi /etc/mail/relay-domains

[press <Shift+G> to go to the end of the file]
[press <i> for insertion mode]

[add domain, like the following example:]
-------------
wcom.net

[you can also add IP ranges]
209.241.123.
[this would add all IP's from 209.241.123.1 to 209.241.123.255]

209.241.
[this would add all IP's from 209.241.1.* to 209.241.255.*]
--------------
<Esc>
<:wq>

Try to keep this as limited as possible, the more IP's in a range, the greater chance of a server being exploited for spam.

Do not use '*' as a wildcard. Just leave a dot at the end and it will work as a wildcard.

Now update the database by running command:

~# /etc/mail/updatedb

Also, sendmail will need to be restarted:

~# /etc/rc.d/init.d/sendmail restart

[kosmo]

Alabanza will install POP/Auth capable SMTP (I think 8.10.something) on all their servers in about 2 weeks. The IP based solution isn't of much use for people travelling around or accessing their server through Internet Cafes (yes, I am on the road at least 50% of my time and I am forced to use my yahho account to send email -- not very professional looking).

kosmo

[webfors]

POP-Auth means that a user must authenticate by checking there mail before the server will allow you to relay mail.

Therefore, check your mail on the server before you send an email. Just set your mail client to check your email every time you start it, or if you leave your computer on all the time like me, just set your email client to check your email every 10 or 30 minutes.

Now, I don't know how long the smtp server will allow you to relay. That depends on how you set it up. On my server with Dialtone the users current IP is stored for 2 hours after authentication. After that 2 hours is up you must authenticate again by checking your email.

Very simple procedure to prevent unauthorized use of your smtp server and pratically transparent to the end user.