On 06/06/2025 01:32, Ralph Ronnquist via Dng wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 05, 2025 at 06:14:14PM +0100, Peter Duffy wrote:
>> Sorry, this is a bit off topic: I'm looking for advice on a particular
>> problem, and am hoping that someone in the group has faced it
>> themselves.
>>
>> I need to move the domain on which my principal email address is
>> defined (pwduffy.org.uk) to a new provider. The reason is that my
>> current provider's email server is constantly getting blacklisted by
>> antispam agencies (another of the provider's customers is apparently an
>> incorrigible spammer) - and this is apparently resulting in my outgoing
>> emails often ending up in recipients' spam folders, or not arriving at
>> all. (I've just discovered that a really important email that I sent a
>> few weeks ago didn't arrive, and it's resulted in massive problems: I
>> should have followed it up when the recipient didn't reply, but
>> unfortunately failed to do so.)
>>
>> The main thing that I'm worried about is the disruption whilst the
>> domain is in the process of being transferred, and particularly of
>> incoming emails bouncing, and the senders flagging up my address as
>> non-existent (for example - I'm anticipating having to resign
>> temporarily from this list, and from others to which I've subscribed,
>> and then rejoin when the email's working via the new provider). It's a
>> massive faff, and I've been literally putting it off for years - but
>> after the latest incident, I really need to bite the bullet.
>>
>> Has anyone been through the experience of having to move a domain on
>> which an important email address is defined? It would be useful to know
>> the process which was followed, and any particular pitfalls and
>> workarounds.
>
> It sounds like you only need to have a different outgoing MTA whilst
> you may still use what you have for receiving emails ?


Sounds right.


> The setup for sending an email begins with the user's client, which is
> configured to send via a chosen MTA (configured as smtp host for that
> client). In addition you need to have set up an SPF declaration in the
> DNS configuration for your sending email domain that the particular
> MTA as allowed to send emails from your email domain.


Most mail clients have special ways to guess the names of the incoming
and outgoing SMTP servers from the domain part of the email address.
But it must always be possible to set them up by hands.


> And of course you need to have agreement with the MTA owner that they
> do deliver from you. This can be done by having an account with an
> email provider and then simply register "@pwduffy.org.uk" as an
> additional "identity" for them. They will then send out emails from
> "@pwduffy.org.uk" by means of an smtp login to your account. (You may
> then also use that new account for sending and receiving emails under
> its domain)


I'd start with moving the domain name to a new DNS provider. Preferably
one who does just DNS, if any still exist. That allows you to freely
define which server does what for your domain.


> With such a set up, your emails from "@pwduffy.org.uk" will go out
> from that MTA, and emails sent to "@pwduffy.org.uk" will be received
> there as now.


Eventually, you can move also the incoming SMTP host, the MX, to the new
provider if that's more convenient. Use rsync (if possible) or
fetchmail to sync mailboxes as needed.


Best
Ale
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