Which E-mail service

[Mike]

After many Years of using orange, they are ceasing to host an e-mail service.

I prefer not to use G-mail or Outlook unless I have to, so what other basic, desk-based, simple e-mail services are out there with good security and is free that people recommend?

TIA

[Richard]

I faced the same issue and signed up for my own domain with a number of email accounts via a host I knew. I needed several accounts that were interconnected and that was the only way I knew of doing the job.

[Mike]

Thanks Richard, which host do you use?

 

[Richard]

It is a small largely private one who I knew through ex-work connections so he does not have a public face or operation. There are others who are more public but I used the line of least resistance when I went to him.  I had and certainly have too many family health issues in my life at the moment, so did not devote much time to searching the market, I know there are others. I can only suggest that you start by Googling ‘hosting services’ and variation os that theme, then look for reviews. Beware, some reviews are written by those with grudges and are works of fiction.

Setting things up can be done very quickly, the biggest task is finding an acceptable domain name. One based on my name turned up as a cartoon character! Not helpful

[Ed P]

There is always Forumite!

See Lee’s Link

[Drezha]

I use Fastmail and they’ve been very good to date.

Recently however, their junk mail filter is being a bit dim but it’s not the end of the world. Yet. Lets me use my own domain names as well.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[The Duke]

If you decide to run your own domain for email you may want to use a service like MX bulldog. You change your mx value to route all your mail through MX Bulldogs spam filter, leaving your with the clean stuff in your inbox, and a seperate spam folder.

Their rates are cheap to at $0.25 per address per month.

 

What ever you do find a good back up plan too. The reason I don’t roll my own, is the back up side of email. Google just works and has amazing spam, (and now phishing protection), and is very searchable. You can’t lose an email with Gmail.

[Dave Rice]

I agree, just get a gmail account. Google etc. already know everything about you that interests them and many things that don’t.

I have a custom email address for my business bought from a cheap hoster. I had to move the email from their free server as anything sent from it to a Virgin email address was classed as spam by Virgin and my incoming mail from my 2 major suppliers was being marked as spam by my hoster. I had no control over either.

I have an Office 365 for business account so get Microsoft to do the mail server service as part of that (you point the MX and a few other settings to them). Any email coming from the Microsoft server is trusted by third parties and Outlook gives me control over incoming spam. Outlook for Android on my phone keeps me in contact when out.

[D-Dan]

I have a VPS and host my own server. About as secure as I choose to make it.

However, some services that use email to sign up with don’t believe the addresses are real, so for those I use my (practically redundant) BT account.

Arch Linux, on a Ryzen 7 1800X, 32 GB, 5 (yes -5) HDs inc 5 SSDs, 4 RPi 3Bs + 1 RPi 4B - one as an NFS server with two more drives, PiHole (shut yours), Plex server, cloud server, and other random Pi stuff. Nice CoolerMaster case, 2 x NV GTX 1070 8GB, and a whopping 32" AOC 1440P monitor.

[Mike]

Thanks for the responses so far, still trying to make up my mind, I’ve not been impressed with g-mail tbh (the club I belong to uses it) though it does seem to get great reviews. I am wondering about Zoho or GMX mail?

 

 

[Bob Williams]

I have had a Hotmail, then Outlook account for so long I don’t remember when I first had it. Last year a couple of MS scares made me use my Google account for email. I began using that more, until then I linked them. It’s easier to pick up gmail on the mobile than it is to pick up Outlook, so I check emails on the phone and delete what I don’t want, then check on the desktop for a read.

Since we had the phones, SWMBO’s laptop and my Tablet, Google is a must and helps us sync everything. It’s much more than just emails, it lets us switch and read stuff between devices, besides backing up two Google accounts and working with photos and music in several devices.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

GMX is ok. I have a hand full of addresses, but rarely use it. Gmail just can’t be beat. It’s their search that does it for me. It is brilliant.

I must have 10k emails (about 3k unread) and searching for a email for ‘x’ years ago never fails. Long gone are the days of me organising emails. I just never delete.

[Bob Williams]

I delete one person regularly. I could block the guy, but then he might guess, I just delete every message after reading it. This wazzak decided to bad-mouth me to a mate a couple of years ago, without realising that he was talking to someone I served with for many years. Now he sends creepy messages asking if I am ill. When I get bored, I will block him, hoping one of his two faces realises that I don’t want to know. Petty, I know, but what he said was untrue, obscene, slanderous and said in the knowledge that I now live miles from him.

I wish I owed him money…. :whistle:  :unsure:

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

You should just email him back telling him your dead, make it look like an auto responce. He will them look stupid as he tells everyone about your death.

Youll get to see see who he usually bad mouths you to, as you’ll get a load phone calls form people. Just tell them you have no idea how he come to that conclusion, but you have heard his mind is on on the turn.

That’s what you do when bored. Or screw with telesales people, that can be fun too.

[Dave Rice]

As Duke says, gmail is different and I have had exactly the same experience. Strange at first but ultimately the best way to work and search is at the heart of it.

I use my work Outlook client in the same way now. Indeed for the Android Outlook client having folders is a right PITA as you don’t see them unless you specifically go out of your way to manually download their contents. But the search works the same as the desktop client.

I love the fact that it gets rid of all the spam like nothing else and sorts out my emails into Primary, Social and Promotions with uncanny accuracy.

[Tippon]

The Duke wrote:

You should just email him back telling him your dead, make it look like an auto responce. He will them look stupid as he tells everyone about your death. Youll get to see see who he usually bad mouths you to, as you’ll get a load phone calls form people. Just tell them you have no idea how he come to that conclusion, but you have heard his mind is on on the turn. That’s what you do when bored. Or screw with telesales people, that can be fun too.

Either that, or go with ‘Oh. Oh, he’s not drinking again is he? I thought he’d stopped for good after the last time, you know, after the incident in the church’  :mail:

[Bob Williams]

Your responses made me think, Steve & Tippon. Having not seen or spoken to The Guilty One since I left Notts in 2003, I phoned the mate who told me about the muck-spreading: apparently the Guilty One’s wife has left him and he was then busy bad-mouthing his ex in the local, when her brother walked in, decked him and walked out. The guy is now steadily boozing away his sad life, he is in his fifties, quite a bit younger than me. Never understood why he chose me as a target, but he has no friends at all now. It also reminded me of my old village and the way everyone solved certain problems, by the swift application of a right hook.

Karma.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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