I previously had been using a free service to act as a dns server/url forwarder because i was not running one on my webserver box. Now i need to setup an email server for the domain i own. I have never done this before but am running into some problems. I have 2 computers acting as servers on the network - 1 is running redhat 9.0 and is acting as the apache webserver and the other is running win2k and is used for VPN connections and all this is connected through a 3com router/firewall/switch to verizon dsl. I am not quite sure what i should use for software for all this though. should i do this on the linux box or the win2k box? what email server should i run? and what would i want to use to configure the dns server and get that up? I am assuming i need to cancel this dns forwarding i have with this free service as it would conflict with my own dns server. once i get this dns server up on my box how long would it take to go into effect on the internet? i really need some help here and i can provide more technical details if needed. thank you very very much!

Install the package postfix on your RH9 box and edit /etc/postfix/main.cf. All mail users should have an account on the RH9. You don't need to install a name server, just point the box to the name server of your ISP. If you really want to have your own DNS, install bind9. I would prefer postfix to sendmail. There are others like Exim or Qmail. Your choice! Mike

how would verizons name server know how to translate my www address to my ip though? if i did that how long would it take to go into effect?

First of all you need a domain. Registered at your local registrar, e.g. Internic. Next you need a fixed, registered IP. You can get that from your ISP. A fixed IP makes things easier to handle. Call your ISP and ask for a nameserver entry. You can have both www and mail on one IP address, no problem. Usually the name servers are updated during the night (local Timezone). Next morning everything should be fine. You can do it without a fixed IP too, but it is more work, and it depends on what the purpose of the whole setup is meant for. If you're using it for your private email only, DynDns will do as well. Mike

i have the domain. ive actually had it for over a year now but now i need this email server so the current config is going to have to go. i didnt know i could get a nameserver entry though. im going to call verizon and ask about that tomorrow. is this something usually available from verizon business dsl? im assuming it is.