Member Avatar for btech

Let me make sure I am clear. If i plan to host my own domain name all I need to do is:
1. purchase a domain name of my choosing
2. setup my server accordingly to host my site
3. setup an email server to host my mail

is this correct. or do i need to purchase email accounts as well. I was a little confused when i went to purchase my domain name and the site asked me first if i wanted my site to be hosted. then it asked if i would like to purchase email addresses? please someone clarify. it sounds like you would purchase email addresses if you were having them hosted as well but i cannot find anything on the web to confirm.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by extofer

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Short primer for (and thanks to for the DNS direction): registering a name and running mail/web services are separate decisions. A registrar sells the name and DNS delegation; hosting providers or third parties (or your own box) provide the actual web and mail services. Buying “email addresses” from a registrar is just paying them to host mailboxes for you — optional if you run/mail elsewhere.

Practical checklist when you run your own mail server

  • Host the DNS (registrar nameservers or a DNS provider) and create an MX record that points recipients to your mail host.
  • Ensure that host has a stable public IP and an A record; set a matching PTR (reverse DNS) with your ISP/host for reliable delivery.
  • Enable authenticated submission (port 587 or 465) and TLS for clients, and open necessary firewall ports for incoming SMTP only if you accept inbound mail.
  • Publish SPF and DKIM, and add a DMARC policy to improve deliverability and reduce spoofing.

Quick examples to test and configure

example.org.    IN MX 10 mail.example.org.
mail.example.org. IN A 203.0.113.45

Troubleshooting and production notes

  • Many residential ISPs block outbound port 25; check that before relying on a home connection.
  • Mail reputation matters: monitor blacklists, rotate logs, and keep software patched.
  • If you prefer not to manage mail ops, use a hosted mail provider or the mailbox service sold by your registrar/host.

Further reading on DNS and MX basics is available from general DNS guides and email-auth standards; see the MX record primer at Cloudflare and DMARC basics at dmarc.org for implementation details.

Member Avatar for extofer

Let me make sure I am clear. If i plan to host my own domain name all I need to do is:
1. purchase a domain name of my choosing
2. setup my server accordingly to host my site
3. setup an email server to host my mail

is this correct. or do i need to purchase email accounts as well. I was a little confused when i went to purchase my domain name and the site asked me first if i wanted my site to be hosted. then it asked if i would like to purchase email addresses? please someone clarify. it sounds like you would purchase email addresses if you were having them hosted as well but i cannot find anything on the web to confirm.

the registar will point your domain name to a Domain Name Service, or DNS. For instance, yourdomain.com points to IP , or yourserver.domainzone.com. Then at that point, the server needs to allow that domain in your "zone". If you register your domain and host at the same place, that should not be a problen. Usually, once the DNS is pointed, the host of servers points the services accordingly, like POP for e-mail of FTP, Telnet, etc. Usually, when you register a domain at a host site, it all comes easy. FYI, if you are purchasing e-mail accounts seperately, you are being ripped off. I register my domains at www.joker.com and point those domains to two servers, one on Linux (www.cscweb.com) and one on Windows (www.brinkster.com). Both give me a large amount of email account at no additional charge. I do however, point the DNS to their servers.

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