1. What should someone consider when choosing an email hosting provider?
- It's probably going to be a central part of infrastructure, so keep that in mind. You'll use it for a long time.
- Features you need. Maybe you need to share your calendar, for example.
- Interoperability and vendor lock-in. You can move on if you want to.
2. What are the benefits of self-hosting over using a service like Gmail?
- One word: Control. You maintain control over your solution.
- If you self-host, you have more control over the product.
3. As a hosting provider, what are some of the pitfalls of hosting email?
- Reputation management. Other services that receive email have to fight a lot of spam.
- Track the reputation of domains and IP addresses.
- Properly configure domains for MX records.
4. Are there any common ways email hosting is misconfigured?
- Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARK.
- SPF makes sure email is coming from a verifies recipient (DNS).
- DKIM: Domain Keys Identified Mail. Essentially a signature (Mail Server).
- DMARK: Ties SPF and DKIM together by publishing policy and protocol. (DNS Record).
- What features in Plesk help with email hosting?
- SPF, DMARK, DKIM are built-in.
- Other UIs for important measures like rate and message size limits.
- Email Security extension with anti-spam.
