Grandad needs help with the computer again
January 29, 2016 9:07 AM   Subscribe

I have a domain, and website that runs on AWS. How do I go about setting up an email account? Where do I do it?

I have a domain registered with UK company Fasthosts. DNS points to AWS. The website is up and running in an S3 bucket. No problem there.

But I need email addresses to go with it. Here, I haven't got a clue.

I've signed up for email with Fasthosts, associated my domain with it and point my domain's MX record to their name server. I have no idea if that's the right way to go about things... it doesn't work anyway. Can't connect to it. (Though I can send email to it without receiving a failure message from my usual email server.)

I think I'd rather have my email server running somewhere else. I'm not really keen using Fasthosts.

There's an SES package on AWS. Is that what I'm meant to use? I don't think it is... What am I meant to do? Do I set up an EC2 instance and install a mail server? Is there a simpler way?

I'm confused. Someone, please point me in the right direction!
posted by popcassady to Computers & Internet (9 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Broad answer - maybe a sys admin sort can jump in with more details.

I'd get a Google apps account or an Office365 account. They can give you introductions on pointing the MX records, etc. to get the accounts working for email@yourdomain.com.
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:22 AM on January 29, 2016


I've been using google domains for this. With google domains, you basically switch to them as your registrar. It's pretty simple and they walk you through it and provide some tools. You can have them set up an MX record for you, and set up a list of email addresses at your domain, and the gmail account you'd like those directed to.

Of course, this means you need to use gmail, but, eh, I was using it already anyway.

It's the most painless way I've found to do it, personally.
posted by RustyBrooks at 9:28 AM on January 29, 2016


Response by poster: Google domains isn't available to me. I'm in the UK and it's only available in the US.
posted by popcassady at 9:50 AM on January 29, 2016


I really, really like Fastmail. Jumped ship from Gmail after getting heartily sick of Google making change for the sake of change, paid Fastmail $100 for three years of an Enhanced account, and have had nothing but positive experiences with them. Oh, and their webmail facility craps upon Google's from a great height.

I got the Enhanced account purely because I liked the amount of storage it offered, but according to their domains page you can use one to run email for your own domains. I haven't done that myself, but the setup instructions look fairly straightforward and I've found their support folks to be both competent and helpful.

Hosting your own email is not for the faint-hearted. I'm a netadmin, and I'd rather pay Fastmail for mine.
posted by flabdablet at 9:53 AM on January 29, 2016 [4 favorites]


point my domain's MX record to their name server. I have no idea if that's the right way to go about things...

Doesn't sound right to me. I'd expect to point my domain's MX records on their name server to my mail exchange server.
posted by flabdablet at 9:58 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]


Google apps for domains/Office365/Fastmail are all good options here. Any of those will have very straightforward instructions as far as setting up the MX records and should be able to automatically verify your configuration once you've done it.

Amazon doesn't really have a product in this area right now (SES is for email going out from your applications).
posted by AaronRaphael at 10:38 AM on January 29, 2016


Fastmail or Tuffmail if you just want old-school email.
posted by holgate at 10:57 AM on January 29, 2016


Best answer: FastMail is excellent but if you've already signed up for Fasthosts e-mail service you might as well configure it and try it out first.

According to this help page you should add an A record pointing mail.yourdomain.com to the address 213.171.216.114 and set the MX record for your domain to point to mail.yourdomain.com.

Then add a mailbox for your username in their control panel per these instructions.

Then you can use their webmail or set up your e-mail client to IMAP mail from mail.yourdomain.com according to these instructions.
posted by nicwolff at 11:43 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks. I hadn't set the A record. All sorted now.

For any future travellers:
Fasthosts DNS pointed to Route 53
A and MX records for mail.domain.com pointing to Fasthost MX address
Connected to IMAP in mail.app

Not sure if that's the best way but it's working for me!
posted by popcassady at 12:53 PM on January 29, 2016


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