I started running my own e-mail servers in the days when there was no other way to have e-mail. I used to consult for ISP and co-location companies who let me install my own hardware in their racks, but I transitioned out of that in 2009.
For over a decade, I've done all of this with BuyVM — https://buyvm.net/kvm-dedicated-server-slices/ — on a dedicated KVM slice running Debian. I pay $10 per month, but that's a grandfathered plan; they have current shared-CPU plans starting at $2 per month and dedicated-CPU plans starting at $15 per month. I've been very happy with ServaRICA — https://servarica.com/all-offers/ — and have their "Horse" plan (3TB storage for $10 per month), but have not run a mail server there although I'm fairly sure they allow it. Many independent vendors offer excellent deals on Low End Box — https://lowendbox.com/ — and most would allow e-mail. If your budget is in the $100-200 per month range, we've had superb corporate service from In Motion Hosting — https://www.inmotionhosting.com/dedicated-servers — but that involves serious mission-critical commitments to a public-facing WordPress host, as well as e-mail, and live 24x7 support. -- Mike On 12/30/22 14:33, Benjamin Scott wrote: > Hi everybody! > > Can anyone recommend a VPS/VM host that understands people might want to use > email? (VPS=Virtual Private Server, VM=Virtual Machine) > > I (and GNHLUG) have been with Digital Ocean for several years now, and > they've generally been good, but their attitude towards email has devolved to > "Go away" and that doesn't meet my/our needs. > > I'm not looking for someone to hold me hand or run a relay for me. As long > as they (1) allow use of mail service ports, (2) don't tell me I don't want > to run email, and (3) respond to abuse reports against their other customers, > I'm good. > > Linode, for example, blocks mail ports by default, but provides a > reasonable-sounding procedure to get them unblocked, and claims to care about > mail abuse. But that's one provider of many; I'd like to hear if others have > experience. > > I/we need to be able to: > - Receive email directly (run an SMTP listener on TCP port 25) > - Send email directly (initiate outbound connections to TCP port 25) > - Run a web server (HTTP/SSL listener on TCP ports 80 and 443) > - Run an SSH listener on a non-standard port (remote access) > - Run a DNS server on UDP and TCP port 53 (authoritative name server) > - Install and run arbitrary Linux software > - Fairly low volume for all traffic (mail, DNS, web, IP) > - Fairly low CPU, disk, and RAM usage > - Hand-holding software like "CPanel" is actively unwanted > > All I/we want the provider to do is: > - Provide some kind of UI for low-level VM maintenance > - Installation of operating system (canned images are fine) > - Recovery of OS when SSH can't be used > - Make sure the VM doesn't go down due to power or hardware fault > - Make sure IP traffic keeps flowing > - Respond to abuse reports to keep reputation at least somewhat OK > > -- Ben > _______________________________________________ > gnhlug-discuss mailing list > gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org > http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/ _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
