Mail Server behind ADSL

[herbs]

Howdy

Have a tough one. Trying to find a simple and elegant solution to deliver and send mail.

Have an ADSL connection that serves as the connection medium for a small LAN, i.e. 10 users/workstations.

I am looking for a solution (Linux based) that serves as the in office mail server, but it also collects mail from the mailboxes held at an ISP and it holds onto mail (qeues it) until the connection returns.

Drawing:


ISP --- ADSL/ISDN ---- Firewall/Mail Server ---- LAN

As you can see it proxies mail should the connection fail.

I know mail clients usually hold onto mail until it is confirmed to have been sent, but I wish to get it off their machines as quick and painless as possible.

I have considered ClarkConnect but the fetchmail application suggested is very clumsy to setup.

Thanking you in advance.
Herbs

 

[mbs]

Why've you got multiple mailboxes at your ISP? You should preferably use just one - it's probably cheaper. Use Postfix as your mail server to collect your mail from the ISP account, and let your clients collect their mail from your server. I wouldn't even use a mail client, if 'get it off their machines as quick and painless as possible' is an issue - install Squirrelmail and let everybody use their browser to manage their mail (the mail effectively stays on the server, and is sent and received there, not on the client machines).

If you absolutely have to have multiple mail accounts at your ISP, Postfix can collect the mail from each one. If you absolutely have to have a mail client for each user machine, it depends on your desktop/window manager choice, but I would use Evolution.

This is probably the most elegant solution, but I'm sure other forum members have alternative suggestions - that's the great thing about Linux - freedom of choice!