Bulk Email Server Guide

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide

A​ ​Complete​ ​Guide​ ​how​ ​to​ ​setup​ ​a​ ​Perfect​ ​Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​and​ ​use​ ​it​ ​for transactional​ ​or​ ​newsletter​ ​emailing​ ​without​ ​any​ ​sending​ ​limits,​ ​with​ ​IP rotation,​ ​domain​ ​masking,​ ​automatic​ ​bounce​ ​processing,​ ​Feedback​ ​loops and​ ​everything​ ​else​ ​that​ ​is​ ​required​ ​for​ ​perfect​ ​deliverability.

By​ ​PowerMTA​ ​NiNjA

This​ ​guide​ ​is​ ​meant​ ​for​ ​those​ ​that​ ​would​ ​like​ ​a​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with​ ​email​ ​marketing​ ​or​ ​those​ ​that already​ ​do​ ​it​ ​but​ ​want​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​their​ ​current​ ​system​ ​setup.

It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​with​ ​your​ ​double​ ​opt-in​ ​list,​ ​a​ ​list​ ​you​ ​bought​ ​online,​ ​a​ ​list​ ​you​ ​scraped​ ​off some​ ​site,​ ​etc.​ ​This​ ​really​ ​doesn't​ ​matter.

Why​ ​did​ ​I​ ​decide​ ​to​ ​publish​ ​it?

Mostly​ ​to​ ​help​ ​my​ ​customers​ ​with​ ​their​ ​system​ ​setup​ ​and​ ​configuration.​ ​Now​ ​they​ ​can save​ ​their​ ​money​ ​and​ ​my​ ​time​ ​by​ ​following​ ​this​ ​guide​ ​to​ ​add​ ​new​ ​IPs,​ ​domains,​ ​SMTPs, or​ ​to​ ​even​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​new​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​system​.

Another​ ​reason​ ​is​ ​to​ ​help​ ​newcomers​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with​ ​a​ ​perfect​ ​system​ ​setup.​ ​It​ ​took​ ​me years​ ​to​ ​get​ ​everything​ ​to​ ​the​ ​point​ ​where​ ​it's​ ​working​ ​how​ ​I​ ​want.

Isn't​ ​that​ ​nice​ ​from​ ​me?​ ​Yes​ ​and​ ​no.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​from​ ​experience​ ​that​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​those​ ​that​ ​will follow​ ​my​ ​guide​ ​will​ ​need​ ​my​ ​help.​ ​Even​ ​tho​ ​you​ ​will​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​step​ ​by​ ​step​ ​guide​ ​it doesn't​ ​mean​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​easy.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​do​ ​manage​ ​to​ ​get​ ​it​ ​to​ ​work​ ​(even​ ​if​ ​it's​ ​on​ ​your​ ​fifth try)​ ​I​ ​salute​ ​you.​ ​You​ ​obviously​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​skills​ ​and​ ​a​ ​nice​ ​work​ ​ethic​ ​to​ ​do​ ​even bigger​ ​things.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​interested​ ​contact​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​always​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​bright​ ​people​ ​to help​ ​me​ ​with​ ​my​ ​projects.

If​ ​you​ ​do​ ​decide​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​my​ ​guide​ ​please​ ​read​ ​everything​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start.

Have​ ​fun​ ​and​ ​don't​ ​send​ ​me​ ​an​ ​email​ ​from​ ​your​ ​new​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​system.

Before​ ​We​ ​Begin Let​ ​us​ ​make​ ​one​ ​thing​ ​clear​ ​first.​ ​Even​ ​tho​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​step​ ​by​ ​step​ ​guide​ ​you​ ​still​ ​have​ ​to think​ ​on​ ​your​ ​own​ ​and​ ​what​ ​is​ ​even​ ​more​ ​important.​ ​You​ ​MUST​ ​have​ ​more​ ​than​ ​basic knowledge​ ​of: ● Linux ● How​ ​email​ ​works ● How​ ​the​ ​internet​ ​works I​ ​can​ ​not​ ​write​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​that​ ​will​ ​be​ ​copy/paste​ ​from​ ​start​ ​to​ ​finish.​ ​We​ ​aren't​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​an email​ ​account​ ​in​ ​Outlook.​ ​We​ ​are​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​a​ ​PERFECT​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​server​ ​and​ ​even tho​ ​you​ ​are​ ​following​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​adjust​ ​some​ ​parts​ ​so​ ​everything​ ​will​ ​work with​ ​your​ ​domains​ ​and​ ​IPs.

I​ ​have​ ​to​ ​say​ ​is​ ​this ● Don't​ ​rush​ ​or​ ​you​ ​will​ ​end​ ​up​ ​with​ ​a​ ​system​ ​that​ ​is​ ​full​ ​of​ ​errors​ ​and​ ​you​ ​won't come​ ​close​ ​to​ ​perfect​ ​10/10​ ​score​ ​on​ ​mail​ ​tester. ● Read​ ​everything​ ​from​ ​start​ ​to​ ​finish​ ​and​ ​don't​ ​just​ ​blindly​ ​follow​ ​this​ ​guide​ ​without knowing​ ​what​ ​is​ ​coming​ ​in​ ​next​ ​steps. ● Start​ ​the​ ​guide​ ​with​ ​your​ ​head​ ​clear​ ​and​ ​rested​ ​as​ ​I​ ​can't​ ​do​ ​the​ ​thinking​ ​for​ ​you.

If​ ​you​ ​mess​ ​up​ ​your​ ​emails​ ​might​ ​not​ ​get​ ​delivered.

We​ ​have​ ​all​ ​been​ ​there.​ ​At​ ​some​ ​point,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​my​ ​first​ ​time​ ​and​ ​I​ ​know​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​mess.​ ​I didn't​ ​know​ ​what​ ​I​ ​was​ ​doing,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​sweating​ ​like​ ​crazy,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​tired​ ​but​ ​full​ ​of​ ​adrenaline so​ ​I​ ​couldn't​ ​stop​ ​or​ ​even​ ​leave​ ​my​ ​computer​ ​just​ ​to​ ​make​ ​me​ ​a​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​coffee.

Before​ ​you​ ​begin,​ ​get​ ​yourself: ● Some​ ​snacks ● A​ ​bottle​ ​of​ ​water ● A​ ​cup​ o ​ f​ ​coffee​ ​or​ ​an​ ​energy​ ​drink Don't​ ​drink​ ​beer.​ ​We'll​ ​come​ ​to​ ​that​ ​during​ ​this​ ​guide​ ​so​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​some.​ ​Or maybe​ ​you​ ​prefer​ ​something​ ​else​ ​as​ ​I​ ​do.

This​ ​one​ ​is​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​tricky​ ​since​ ​you​ ​are​ ​an​ ​adult,​ ​but​ ​think​ ​about​ ​your​ ​health​ ​and​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the toilet​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​like​ ​me​ ​you'll​ ​forget​ ​about​ ​the​ ​world​ ​around​ ​you​ ​once you​ ​begin.

Oh,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​kids​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​sleep.​ ​It​ ​took​ ​me​ ​some​ ​time​ ​to​ ​master everything​ ​to​ ​the​ ​point​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​everything​ ​as​ ​it​ ​should​ ​be​ ​while​ ​the​ ​little ones​ ​were​ ​running​ ​around.

Remember Read,​ ​Think​ ​...,​ ​Do And​ ​don't​ ​blame​ ​me​ ​if​ ​you​ ​fail

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Ready?​ ​Set…​ ​GO! Before​ ​we​ ​begin​ ​you​ ​need​ ​a​ ​server​ ​first.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​must​ ​be​ ​thrilled​ ​you are​ ​following​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​with​ ​such​ ​useful​ ​tips.​ ​And​ ​more​ ​are​ ​on​ ​the​ ​way!

No,​ ​seriously​ ​you​ ​need​ ​a​ ​server​ ​before​ ​we​ ​can​ ​start.​ ​And​ ​almost​ ​anything​ ​will​ ​do​ ​that meet​ ​minimum​ ​system​ ​requirements.​ ​If​ ​you’ll​ ​search​ ​around​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find​ ​VPS​ ​offers with​ ​more​ ​than​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​run​ ​everything​ ​we​ ​need​ ​for​ ​testing​ ​purposes​ ​for​ ​as​ ​low​ ​as 1,5€.​ ​A​ ​server​ ​like​ ​this​ ​isn’t​ ​recommended​ ​for​ ​production​ ​server​ ​as​ ​it​ ​usually​ ​comes​ ​with no​ ​SLA,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​could​ ​easily​ ​be​ ​used​ ​as​ ​an​ ​external​ ​MTA/SMTP,​ ​but​ ​more​ ​about​ ​this​ ​later.

For​ ​your​ ​production​ ​server​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​VPS​ ​or​ ​dedicated​ ​server​ ​with​ ​your​ ​preferred​ ​hosting provider.​ ​In​ ​our​ ​tests​ ​and​ ​all​ ​years​ ​of​ ​doing​ ​e-mail​ ​marketing​ ​(read​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​servers) we​ ​didn’t​ ​have​ ​any​ ​major​ ​problems​ ​with​ ​providers​ ​as​ ​far​ ​as​ ​system​ ​configuration​ ​goes.

There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​that​ ​would​ ​not​ ​allow​ ​for​ ​necessary​ ​changes​ ​to​ ​be​ ​done,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​just move​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​one​ ​if​ ​that​ ​happens.​ ​Most​ ​major​ ​hosting​ ​providers​ ​will​ ​be​ ​just​ ​fine​ ​for your​ ​perfect​ ​email​ ​server.

Local​ ​or​ ​external​ ​MTAs/SMTPs? There​ ​is​ ​one​ ​more​ ​thing​ ​we​ ​need​ ​to​ ​go​ ​over​ ​before​ ​we​ ​start.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​three​ ​different scenarios.

Local​ ​MTAs/SMTPs Mumara​ ​and​ ​PowerMTA​ ​will​ ​run​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​server.

Pros:​ ​Easy​ ​administration,​ ​Cheapest Cons:​ ​Hosting​ ​providers​ ​will​ ​usually​ ​assign​ ​IPs​ ​in​ ​a​ ​range​ ​to​ ​your​ ​server​ ​so​ ​if blacklisting​ ​occur​ ​they​ ​could​ ​affect​ ​all​ ​your​ ​IPs.​ ​If​ ​your​ ​provider​ ​decides​ ​to​ ​shut​ ​you down​ ​your​ ​complete​ ​operation​ ​will​ ​stop.

External​ ​MTAs/SMTPs Mumara​ ​will​ ​run​ ​on​ ​one​ ​server​ ​and​ ​PowerMTA​ ​will​ ​run​ ​on​ ​one​ ​or​ ​more​ ​servers.

Pros:​ ​In​ ​a​ ​case​ ​of​ ​blacklistings​ ​only​ ​one​ ​server​ ​or​ ​IP​ ​will​ ​be​ ​affected.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​case​ ​of problems​ ​with​ ​provider​ ​only​ ​one​ ​sending​ ​server​ ​is​ ​taken​ ​down​ ​so​ ​sending​ ​will​ ​continue.

The​ ​server​ ​where​ ​Mumara​ ​is​ ​installed​ ​does​ ​no​ ​sending​ ​at​ ​all​ ​so​ ​you​ ​will​ ​never​ ​have problems.

Cons:​ ​More​ ​expensive,​ ​more​ ​servers​ ​to​ ​configure Hybrid A​ ​mix​ ​of​ ​everything.​ ​Mumara​ ​and​ ​PowerMTA​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​server​ ​with​ ​integrated external​ ​servers​ ​with​ ​PowerMTA. The​ ​best​ ​long​ ​run​ ​scenario,​ ​of​ ​course,​ ​is​ ​using​ ​external​ ​MTAs/SMPTs.

Minimum​ ​requirements Let's​ ​go​ ​over​ ​this​ ​again​ ​now​ ​that​ ​we​ ​know​ ​our​ ​options.​ ​How​ ​will​ ​your​ ​system​ ​be​ ​setup?

Will​ ​it​ ​use​ ​local​ ​or​ ​external​ ​PowerMTA? Local​ ​PowerMTA Everything​ ​will​ ​run​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​server​ ​so​ ​our​ ​server​ ​must​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​power.​ ​Here are​ ​our​ ​recommendations: 5-19​ ​IPs/domains ● ● ● ●

VPS​ ​or​ ​Dedicated​ ​server 2​ ​cores 8​ ​GB​ ​RAM 20​ ​GB​ ​SSD

20-99​ ​IPs/domains ● ● ● ●

VPS​ ​or​ ​Dedicated​ ​server 4​ ​cores 16GB​ ​RAM 40​ ​GB​ ​SSD

100+​ ​IPs/domains ● VPS​ ​or​ ​Dedicated​ ​server ● 8​ ​cores ● 32GB​ R ​ AM

● 100​ ​GB​ ​SSD Here​ ​a​ ​saying​ ​we​ ​all​ ​know​ ​from​ ​Jeremy​ ​Clarkson​ ​would​ ​come​ ​in​ ​handy,​ ​POWER!!!!​ ​And more​ ​power​ ​we​ ​have​ ​the​ ​better.

External​ ​PowerMTA In​ ​this​ ​case,​ ​Mumara​ ​will​ ​run​ ​on​ ​one​ ​more​ ​powerful​ ​server​ ​and​ ​PowerMTA​ ​will​ ​be installed​ ​on​ ​many​ ​cheaper​ ​servers.​ ​Here​ ​are​ ​our​ ​recommendations: Main​ ​server​ ​–​ ​Mumara ● ● ● ●

4​ ​cores 16GB​ ​RAM 40​ ​GB​ ​SSD 1​ ​IP

MTAs​ ​–​ ​PowerMTA ● ● ● ●

1​ ​core 1​ ​GB​ ​RAM 10​ ​GB​ ​HDD 1​ ​IP

This​ ​tutorial​ ​covers​ ​both​ ​scenarios.

Buy​ ​a​ ​server Seriously,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​at​ ​the​ ​stage​ ​where​ ​you​ ​need​ ​your​ ​server​ ​so​ ​if​ ​you​ ​haven’t​ ​already now​ ​is​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​which​ ​scenario​ ​you’ll​ ​use​ ​and​ ​then​ ​buy​ ​1​ ​or​ ​more​ ​servers.

Like​ ​I​ ​already​ ​said.​ ​Almost​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​meets​ ​minimum​ ​system​ ​requirements​ ​will​ ​do​ ​so pick​ ​a​ ​hosting​ ​provider​ ​and​ ​get​ ​your​ ​servers​ ​up​ ​and​ ​running.

IMPORTANT All​ ​your​ ​servers​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​what​ ​scenario​ ​you’ll​ ​go​ ​with​ ​must​ ​have​ ​CentOS​ ​6​ ​x64 minimal​ ​installed.​ ​If​ ​you’ll​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​different​ ​version​ ​or​ ​distro​ ​chances​ ​are​ ​this​ ​tutorial​ ​will not​ ​be​ ​much​ ​help​ ​to​ ​you.

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Main​ ​Server​ ​Install In​ ​this​ ​guide​ ​I​ ​am​ ​talking​ ​about​ ​MAIN​ ​server​ ​and​ ​MTA​ ​server,​ ​so​ ​to​ ​avoid any​ ​unnecessary​ ​confusion​ ​let​ ​me​ ​clarify​ ​this.

The​ ​Main​ ​server​​ ​is​ ​the​ ​server​ ​where​ ​your​ ​Email​ ​Marketing​ ​Software​ ​(EMS)​ ​such​ ​as Mumara,​ ​MailWizz,​ ​Interspire​ ​Email​ ​Marketer,​ ​...​ ​is​ ​installed.​ ​Since​ ​we​ ​are​ ​getting​ ​ready to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​server​ ​with​ ​an​ ​option​ ​to​ ​scale​ ​it​ ​up​ ​if​ ​needed​ ​I​ ​recommend​ ​you pick​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​more​ ​powerful​ ​VPS​ ​for​ ​it.

MTA​ ​server​ ​is​ ​a​ ​server​ ​where​ ​PowerMTA​ ​is​ ​installed.​ ​These​ ​servers​ ​are​ ​doing​ ​all​ ​the sending.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​just​ ​one​ ​layer​ ​of​ ​protection​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​your​ ​MTA​ ​servers​ ​away​ ​from​ ​your Main​ ​server.​ ​In​ ​case​ ​there​ ​is​ ​ever​ ​a​ ​problem​ ​your​ ​main​ ​server​ ​will​ ​never​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​down since​ ​it's​ ​not​ ​doing​ ​any​ ​sending​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​MTA​ ​server​ ​can​ ​be​ ​any​ ​budget​ ​VPS​ ​with​ ​at​ ​least 1GB​ ​RAM.

Now​ ​let's​ ​get​ ​back​ ​to​ ​our​ ​Main​ ​server.​ ​For​ ​my​ ​own​ ​personal​ ​use​ ​I​ ​have: ● ● ● ●

Six​ ​core​ ​CPU​ ​(Intel®​ ​Xeon®​ ​E5-2620v3) 24​ ​GB​ ​RAM​ ​(guaranteed) 600​ ​GB​ ​SSD UNLIMITED​ ​traffic

● 1​ ​IPv4​ ​+​ ​IPv6 The​ ​price​ ​I​ ​am​ ​paying​ ​for​ ​my​ ​main​ ​server​ ​is​ ​14.99​ ​€​ ​(around​ ​$18)​ ​per​ ​month.​ ​And​ ​since it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​doing​ ​anything​ ​wrong​ ​and​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​reason​ ​for​ ​my​ ​VPS​ ​provider​ ​to​ ​shut​ ​it down​ ​I​ ​can​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​it​ ​for​ ​1​ ​year​ ​and​ ​get​ ​an​ ​even​ ​lower​ ​price.

Of​ ​course,​ ​I​ ​never​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​my​ ​MTA​ ​servers​ ​up​ ​front.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​the​ ​bad​ ​guys​ ​and​ ​could be​ ​taken​ ​offline​ ​at​ ​any​ ​time.​ ​But​ ​even​ ​if​ ​they​ ​do​ ​I​ ​still​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​left​ ​and​ ​can​ ​add​ ​a new​ ​one​ ​in​ ​about​ ​30​ ​minutes.​ ​The​ ​price​ ​I'm​ ​paying​ ​for​ ​MTA​ ​servers​ ​is​ ​from​ ​1,5​ ​€​ ​-​ ​5​ ​€ for​ ​each​ ​server​ ​per​ ​month,​ ​but​ ​more​ ​about​ ​this​ ​later​ ​when​ ​we'll​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of setting​ ​up​ ​MTA/sending​ ​server.

In​ ​this​ ​step​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need: ● A​ ​bit​ ​more​ ​Powerful​ ​VPS​ ​(I​ ​suggest​ ​at​ ​least​ ​8GB​ ​RAM,​ ​16GB​ ​recommended).

Don't​ ​have​ ​a​ ​server​ ​online​ ​yet?​ ​Get​ ​it​ ​online​ ​in​ ​less​ ​than​ ​a​ ​minute. ● Clean​ ​install​ ​of​ ​CentOS​ ​6/7​ ​x64​ ​(minimal​ ​recommended) ● SSH​ ​client​ ​(I​ ​suggest​ ​Bitvise) Now​ ​login​ ​as​ ​root​ ​and​ ​follow​ ​this​ ​steps: First,​ ​check​ ​your​ ​hostname hostname​ ​-f

It​ ​should​ ​be​ ​in​ ​format​ ​hostname.domain.tld.​ ​Where​ ​hostname​ ​is​ ​something​ ​random​ ​like server,​ ​main,​ ​box,​ ​...​ ​Since​ ​we​ ​want​ ​that​ ​it's​ ​obvious​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​bulk​ ​mail​ ​server​ ​I recommend​ ​you​ ​stay​ ​away​ ​from​ ​words​ ​like​ ​mail,​ ​email,​ ​newsletter,​ ​...​ ​In​ ​my​ ​case​ ​this​ ​is henry.powermtaninja.science If​ ​you​ ​didn't​ ​set​ ​your​ ​hostname​ ​during​ ​your​ ​VPS​ ​setup​ ​or​ ​the​ ​provider​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using does​ ​not​ ​have​ ​this​ ​option​ ​follow​ ​"How​ ​to​ ​setup​ ​hostname".

Install​ ​required​ ​packages yum​ ​-y​ ​install​ ​wget

Server​ ​update yum​ ​-y​ ​update

Reboot reboot

Now​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​your​ ​CentOS​ ​version​ ​use​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​lines.

CentOS​ ​6 cd​ ​/usr/local/src wget​ ​http://centos-webpanel.com/cwp-latest sh​ ​cwp-latest

CentOS7 cd​ ​/usr/local/src wget​ ​http://centos-webpanel.com/cwp-el7-latest sh​ ​cwp-el7-latest

The​ ​install​ ​process​ ​can​ ​take​ ​from​ ​5-20​ ​minutes​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​your​ ​VPS​ ​specifications, so​ ​get​ ​a​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​coffee​ ​and​ ​relax.

When​ ​the​ ​install​ ​finishes​ ​copy​ ​login​ ​information​ ​and​ ​paste​ ​it​ ​to​ ​a​ ​safe​ ​place.​ ​I​ ​always create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​text​ ​file​ ​and​ ​save​ ​all​ ​login​ ​details​ ​in​ ​it.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​I​ ​save​ ​it​ ​in​ ​a​ ​safe​ ​place (check​ ​Tools​).

Reboot reboot

The​ ​installation​ ​is​ ​now​ ​complete​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can​ ​login​ ​to​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​and​ ​start​ ​with​ ​basic configuration.

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Basic​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​configurations Now​ ​that​ ​we​ ​have​ ​a​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​installed​ ​we​ ​can​ ​do​ ​all​ ​(well​ ​most)​ ​of configuration​ ​in​ ​a​ ​user-friendly​ ​user​ ​interface​ ​you​ ​can​ ​access​ ​in​ ​your browser.

You​ ​already​ ​have​ ​all​ ​necessary​ ​login​ ​information​ ​(did​ ​you​ ​save​ ​it?)​ ​from​ ​the​ ​previous step.​ ​So​ ​copy/paste​ ​the​ ​URL​ ​you​ ​got​ ​and​ ​login.​ ​It​ ​looks​ ​something​ ​like​ ​this NO-SSL http://MAIN_SERVER_IPv4:2030 SSL https://MAIN_SERVER_IPv4:2031 Where​ ​"MAIN_SERVER_IPv4"​ ​is​ ​obviously​ ​the​ ​IPv4​ ​of​ ​your​ ​main​ ​server​ ​so​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to change​ ​it​ ​or​ ​you​ ​will​ ​get​ ​an​ ​error​ ​(doh!).​ ​I​ ​suggest​ ​you​ ​use​ ​SSL.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​get​ ​a​ ​warning since​ ​it's​ ​self-signed.

Login​ ​with​ ​user​ ​root​ ​and​ ​password​ ​you​ ​use​ ​to​ ​login​ ​over​ ​SSH.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​see​ ​something like​ ​this.

You​ ​will​ ​see​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​different​ ​screen.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​my​ ​fully​ ​configured​ ​server.

The​ ​first​ ​thing​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​is​ ​set​ ​your​ ​email​ ​address​ ​to​ ​get​ ​rid​ ​of​ ​the​ ​annoying message​ ​that​ ​shows​ ​after​ ​login.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​do​ ​this​ ​in​ ​"CWP​ ​Settings​ ​>​ ​Edit​ ​Settings" where​ ​all​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​do​ ​is​ ​enter​ ​your/some​ ​email​ ​and​ ​click​ ​"Save​ ​changes".

Change​ ​Date​ ​&​ ​Time Now​ ​move​ ​to​ ​"Server​ ​settings​ ​>​ ​Change​ ​Date​ ​&​ ​Time"​ ​and​ ​select​ ​the​ ​time​ ​zone​ ​you​ ​are in​ ​and​ ​click​ ​"Change​ ​date​ ​&​ ​time".​ ​I​ ​am​ ​located​ ​in​ ​Germany​ ​so​ ​I​ ​picked​ ​"Europe/Berlin".

If​ ​time​ ​still​ ​isn't​ ​correct​ ​adjust​ ​it​ ​manually.

Important!

Remember​ ​the​ ​timezone​ ​you​ ​set​ ​as​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​it​ ​later!

Simple​ ​PHP.ini​ ​Editor

Now​ ​go​ ​to​ ​"PHP​ ​Settings​ ​>​ ​PHP​ ​Simple​ ​Editor"​ ​and​ ​change​ ​everything​ ​like​ ​you​ ​see​ ​in the​ ​picture​ ​below.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​do​ ​not​ ​set​ ​the​ ​same​ ​timezone​ ​as​ ​I​ ​have.​ ​Set​ ​it​ ​to​ ​what​ ​you used​ ​in​ ​step​ ​before.

Important!

You​ ​have​ ​to​ ​click​ ​"Save"​ ​next​ ​to​ ​each​ ​field​ ​to​ ​save​ ​the​ ​changes.

Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​uncomment​ ​the​ ​"date.timezone"​ ​option​ ​by​ ​removing​ ​";"​ ​in​ ​the​ ​front.

Change​ ​SSH​ ​Port

To​ ​make​ ​your​ ​server​ ​safe​ ​from​ ​script-kiddies​ ​I​ ​suggest​ ​you​ ​change​ ​the​ ​SSH​ ​port.​ ​Go​ ​to "Services​ ​Config​ ​>​ ​SSH​ ​Configuration"​ ​and​ ​search​ ​for​ ​"Port​ ​22".​ ​If​ ​needed​ ​uncomment it​ ​by​ ​removing​ ​";"​ ​and​ ​change​ ​it​ ​to​ ​a​ ​number​ ​between​ ​10000-60000.

Click​ ​"Save​ ​changes"​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​and​ ​go​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​main​ ​page​ ​of​ ​control​ ​panel dashboard​ ​and​ ​Restart​ ​SSH​ ​by​ ​clicking​ ​on​ ​"Restart"​ ​next​ ​to​ ​it.

This​ ​is​ ​all​ ​the​ ​basic​ ​configuration​ ​that​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​done.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​more​ ​to​ ​do​ ​like add​ ​user​ ​accounts,​ ​create​ ​system​ ​emails,​ ​enable​ ​firewall​ ​and​ ​backups,​ ​...​ ​but​ ​we'll​ ​get to​ ​that​ ​in​ ​the​ ​next​ ​step.

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Guide:​ ​DNS​ ​Records Now​ ​it's​ ​time​ ​to​ ​set​ ​DNS​ ​records​ ​for​ ​the​ ​domain​ ​we'll​ ​use​ ​on​ ​our​ ​Main Server​ ​in​ ​our​ ​Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Network.​ ​For​ ​the​ ​sake​ ​of​ ​this​ ​guide,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​using CloudFlare,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​any​ ​other​ ​DNS​ ​hosting.

To​ ​refresh​ ​your​ ​memory,​ ​the​ ​main​ ​server​ ​is​ ​the​ ​server​ ​where​ ​your​ ​Email​ ​Marketing Software​ ​(EMS)​ ​is​ ​installed​ ​(Mumara,​ ​Interspire​ ​Email​ ​Marketer,​ ​MailWizz,​ ​Mautic,​ ​...).

Then​ ​we​ ​also​ ​have​ ​MTA​ ​servers​ ​where​ ​PowerMTA​ ​is​ ​installed.​ ​These​ ​servers​ ​are​ ​doing all​ ​the​ ​sending.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​just​ ​one​ ​layer​ ​of​ ​protection​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​your​ ​MTA​ ​servers​ ​away​ ​from your​ ​Main​ ​server.​ ​In​ ​case​ ​there​ ​is​ ​ever​ ​a​ ​problem​ ​your​ ​main​ ​server​ ​will​ ​never​ ​be​ ​taken down​ ​since​ ​it's​ ​not​ ​doing​ ​any​ ​sending​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​MTA​ ​server​ ​can​ ​be​ ​any​ ​budget​ ​VPS​ ​with​ ​at least​ ​1GB​ ​RAM​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can​ ​add​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as​ ​you​ ​want.​ ​Your​ ​main​ ​server​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a more​ ​powerful​ ​VPS​ ​(16GB​ ​RAM​ ​recommended).

Our​ ​Main​ ​server​ ​is​ ​up​ ​and​ ​running​ ​but​ ​for​ ​now,​ ​it​ ​only​ ​has​ ​A​ ​and​ ​AAAA​ ​records​ ​(if​ ​you have​ ​IPv6)​ ​set.​ ​Take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​table​ ​below​ ​and​ ​set​ ​your​ ​DNS​ ​records​ ​accordingly.

TYPE A A AAAA AAAA CNAME MX TXT TXT TXT

NAME @ HOSTNAME @ HOSTNAME www @ @ @ _dmarc

VALUE MAIN_SERVER_IPv4 MAIN_SERVER_IPv4 MAIN_SERVER_IPv6 MAIN_SERVER_IPv6 @ HOSTNAME.EXAMPLE.COM @ v=spf1​ ​mx​ ​a​ ​ptr​ ​~all v=DMARC1;​ ​p=none

STATUS OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

Since​ ​this​ ​server​ ​isn't​ ​doing​ ​any​ ​sending​ ​at​ ​all​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​need​ ​to​ ​set​ ​DKIM​ ​keys,​ ​but​ ​if you​ ​want​ ​you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​it​ ​from​ ​control​ ​panel. ● First,​ ​login​ ​to​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​as​ ​root ● Go​ ​to​ "​ Email​ ​>​ ​Mail​ ​Server​ ​Manager"​ ​and​ ​check​ ​boxes​ ​like​ ​in​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​below.​ ​If you​ ​don't​ ​want​ ​Antivirus​ ​and​ ​rDNS​ ​checker​ ​just​ ​select​ ​"Installs​ ​DKIM​ ​&​ ​SPF,

● ● ● ● ●

TYPE TXT

enables​ ​DKIM​ ​for​ ​New​ ​Accounts​ ​and​ ​Domains"​ ​and​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​your​ ​hostname and​ ​domain​ ​are​ ​correct.​ ​This​ ​are​ ​correct​ ​formats: Hostname​ ​-​ ​hostname.example.com Domain​ ​-​ ​example.com When​ ​everything​ ​looks​ ​fine,​ ​click​ ​on​ ​"Rebuild​ ​Mail​ ​Server".​ ​It​ ​will​ ​take​ ​a​ ​few minutes​ ​to​ ​complete.

Now​ ​go​ ​to​ ​"Email​ ​>​ ​DKIM​ ​Manager"​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​"Edit​ ​Records"​ ​for​ ​your​ ​main domain.

Search​ ​for​ ​"default._domainkey"​ ​and​ ​copy/paste​ ​it​ ​to​ ​your​ ​CLoudFlare​ ​account like​ ​ ​this

NAME VALUE default._domain v=DKIM1;​ ​k=rsa;​ ​p=YOUR_KEY key

All​ ​emails​ ​you​ ​send​ ​from​ ​your​ ​Main​ ​server​ ​will​ ​now​ ​be​ ​signed​ ​with​ ​this​ ​DKIM​ ​key.

If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​add​ ​email​ ​accounts​ ​on​ ​your​ ​main​ ​doman​ ​go​ ​to​ ​"Email​ ​>​ ​Add​ ​Email Account"​ ​and​ ​follow​ ​instructions​ ​there.​ ​It's​ ​really​ ​simple.

Next​ ​step​ ​is​ ​to​ ​Install​ ​Email​ ​Marketing​ ​Software.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​use​ ​any​ ​email​ ​marketing application​ ​you​ ​want​ ​Interspire​ ​Email​ ​Marketer,​ ​MailWizz,​ ​Mautic,​ ​...​ ​I​ ​do​ ​however suggest​ ​Mumara​ ​for​ ​its​ ​easy​ ​and​ ​full​ ​integration​ ​with​ ​PowerMTA.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​something​ ​that none​ ​of​ ​other​ ​email​ ​marketing​ ​applications​ ​has.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​long​ ​run,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​save​ ​you​ ​time​ ​and money​ ​when​ ​you​ ​will​ ​set​ ​up​ ​more​ ​MTA​ ​servers.​ ​Mumara​ ​also​ ​has​ ​some​ ​unique​ ​features and​ ​some​ ​you​ ​will​ ​only​ ​find​ ​with​ ​other​ ​EMS​ ​only​ ​if​ ​you​ ​use​ ​expensive​ ​add-ons.

Continue​ ​with​ ​Main​ ​server​ ​setup​ ​on​ ​my​ ​site.

Additions​ ​steps​ ​available​ ​online​ ​are: ● Add​ ​user,​ ​domain​ ​and​ ​create​ ​Free​ ​SSL ● Installing​ ​Email​ ​Marketing​ ​Software ● Install​ ​PowerMTA​ ​Management​ ​Console ● Tighten​ ​Security

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Sending/MTA​ ​Server​ ​Setup Yes,​ ​it's​ ​time​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with​ ​MTA​ ​server​ ​setup​ ​and​ ​configuration.​ ​These servers​ ​will​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​do​ ​the​ ​actual​ ​sending.​ ​This​ ​are​ ​our​ ​bad​ ​boys.

Let's​ ​recap​ ​what​ ​we​ ​already​ ​learned​ ​in​ ​this​ ​guide

We​ ​can​ ​use​ ​almost​ ​any​ ​budget​ ​VPS​ ​as​ ​our​ ​MTA​ ​server​.​ ​I​ ​use​ ​cheap​ ​servers​ ​from​ ​$2​ ​$6​ ​and​ ​couldn't​ ​be​ ​happier​ ​with​ ​the​ ​results.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​real​ ​requirement​ ​is​ ​that​ ​the​ ​VPS have​ ​at​ ​least​ ​1​ ​GB​ ​RAM. What​ ​makes​ ​my​ ​setup​ ​different​ ​from​ ​what​ ​most​ ​other​ ​people​ ​use​ ​is​ ​that​ ​I​ ​always​ ​use VPS​ ​with​ ​1​ ​IP​ ​for​ ​my​ ​MTA​ ​server.

Here​ ​is​ ​why I've​ ​been​ ​in​ ​this​ ​business​ ​for​ ​almost​ ​15​ ​years​ ​and​ ​saw​ ​every​ ​possible​ ​scenario.​ ​Since the​ ​lists,​ ​I​ ​sent​ ​to​ ​aren't​ ​actually​ ​mine​ ​it​ ​is​ ​normal​ ​that​ ​from​ ​time​ ​to​ ​time​ ​my​ ​sending servers​ ​are​ ​taken​ ​down​ ​due​ ​to​ ​spam​ ​complaints.

Let's​ ​take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​what​ ​happens​ ​when​ ​you​ ​have:

Everything​ ​on​ ​one​ ​server

You​ ​bought​ ​a​ ​super​ ​expensive​ ​VPS​ ​with​ ​128GB​ ​RAM​ ​and​ ​256​ ​IPs.​ ​In​ ​case​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a problem​ ​you​ ​will​ ​lose​ ​everything​ ​and​ ​if​ ​you​ ​don't​ ​have​ ​a​ ​backup​ ​and​ ​let's​ ​be​ ​honest, most​ ​don't,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​forced​ ​to​ ​start​ ​from​ ​scratch.​ ​Can​ ​you​ ​imagine​ ​all​ ​those​ ​hours​ ​of work​ ​lost?​ ​And​ ​guess​ ​what,​ ​all​ ​emails​ ​you​ ​already​ ​sent​ ​out​ ​and​ ​links​ ​in​ ​them​ ​will become​ ​useless.​ ​Maybe​ ​it's​ ​better​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​a​ ​gun,​ ​eh?

Another​ ​bad​ ​thing​ ​with​ ​setups​ ​like​ ​this​ ​is​ ​that​ ​usually,​ ​your​ ​IPs​ ​will​ ​come​ ​in​ ​a​ ​range.

Why​ ​is​ ​this​ ​bad?​ ​When​ ​blacklistings​ ​will​ ​start​ ​rolling​ ​in​ ​they​ ​will​ ​simply​ ​blacklist​ ​your whole​ ​IP​ ​range​ ​and​ ​you​ ​are​ ​done.​ ​Bye,​ ​bye​ ​inbox!

Multi-Server​ ​Install

Now​ ​let's​ ​take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​what​ ​will​ ​happen​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​scenario,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​time​ ​with​ ​my​ ​setup.

You​ ​got​ ​so​ ​many​ ​spam​ ​complaints​ ​that​ ​your​ ​VPS​ ​provider​ ​decides​ ​it's​ ​time​ ​to​ ​take​ ​you offline.​ ​Since​ ​all​ ​complaints​ ​are​ ​regarding​ ​one​ ​MTA​ ​only​ ​that​ ​server​ ​will​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​offline.

Your​ ​Main​ ​server​ ​and​ ​other​ ​MTAs​ ​(which​ ​should​ ​be​ ​hosted​ ​on​ ​other​ ​account/providers) will​ ​keep​ ​working​ ​and​ ​continue​ ​sending​ ​emails.

You​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​setup​ ​a​ ​new​ ​sending​ ​server​ ​but​ ​by​ ​using​ ​my​ ​guide​ ​this​ ​shouldn't​ ​take you​ ​more​ ​than​ ​30​ ​minutes​ ​once​ ​you​ ​get​ ​used​ ​to​ ​the​ ​process.

Do​ ​you​ ​see​ ​the​ ​difference?

With​ ​single​ ​setup,​ ​we​ ​were​ ​talking​ ​about​ ​buying​ ​a​ ​gun.​ ​With​ ​my​ ​setup,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​just​ ​a​ ​few clicks​ ​and​ ​a​ ​new​ ​sending​ ​server​ ​will​ ​be​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​start​ ​sending.

Of​ ​course,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​more​ ​work,​ ​but​ ​believe​ ​me,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​worth​ ​it.​ ​After​ ​your​ ​whole​ ​bulk​ ​email system​ ​is​ ​taken​ ​offline​ ​you​ ​will​ ​never​ ​sleep​ ​again.​ ​For​ ​me,​ ​meh,​ ​doesn't​ ​really​ ​affect​ ​me, a​ ​few​ ​clicks​ ​and​ ​it's​ ​back.

How​ ​to​ ​begin?

You​ ​will​ ​need: ● VPS​ ​with​ ​1​ ​GB​ ​RAM​ ​and​ ​1​ ​IP ● CentOS​ ​6​ ​x64​ ​(minimal​ ​recommended) Connect​ ​to​ ​your​ ​VPS​ ​via​ ​SSH​ ​using​ ​Bitvise​ ​and​ ​run​ ​the​ ​following​ ​commands: curl​ ​-O​ ​http://vestacp.com/pub/vst-install.sh bash​ ​vst-install.sh​ ​--nginx​ ​no​ ​--apache​ ​yes​ ​--phpfpm​ ​no​ ​--named​ ​no​ ​--remi no​ ​--vsftpd​ ​no​ ​--proftpd​ ​no​ ​--iptables​ ​yes​ ​--fail2ban​ ​yes​ ​--quota​ ​no --exim​ ​yes​ ​--dovecot​ ​yes​ ​--spamassassin​ ​no​ ​--clamav​ ​no​ ​--mysql​ ​yes --postgresql​ ​no​ ​--hostname​ ​hostname.example.com​ ​--email​ ​your@email.com --password​ ​YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD

Be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​replace​ ​hostname.example.com,​ ​your@email.com​ ​and YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD.​ ​For​ ​hostname,​ ​the​ ​same​ ​rules​ ​apply​ ​as​ ​for​ ​our​ ​Main Server.

Answer​ ​Yes​ ​with​ ​"Y"​ ​and​ ​press​ ​Enter.

The​ ​installation​ ​process​ ​of​ ​VestaCP​ ​will​ ​take​ ​about​ ​15​ ​minutes.​ ​After​ ​it's​ ​done​ ​you​ ​will get​ ​all​ ​login​ ​information​ ​you'll​ ​need.​ ​Be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​save​ ​them​ ​to​ ​that​ ​same​ ​file!

Raising​ ​the​ ​Limits

To​ ​avoind​ ​another​ ​reboot​ ​later​ ​lets​ ​rase​ ​the​ ​limits​ ​as​ ​this​ ​is​ ​needed​ ​for​ ​when​ ​we'll​ ​install PowerMTA.​ ​Edit​ ​/etc/security/limits.conf nano​ ​/etc/security/limits.conf

And​ ​add​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​file *​ ​soft​ ​nofile​ ​65535 *​ ​hard​ ​nofile​ ​65535

Save​ ​it​ ​with​ ​Ctrl+X​ ​and​ ​reboot​ ​your​ ​server​ ​with reboot

Now​ ​it's​ ​time​ ​to​ ​do​ ​some​ ​basic​ ​configurations​ ​of​ ​our​ ​MTA/Sending​ ​server​ ​and​ ​after​ ​that, we'll​ ​install​ ​PowerMTA.​ ​When​ ​you​ ​are​ ​done​ ​with​ ​this​ ​sending​ ​server​ ​set​ ​up​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as you​ ​can.​ ​Host​ ​them​ ​on​ ​different​ ​accounts​ ​with​ ​different​ ​VPS​ ​providers.

Continue​ ​with​ ​MTA​ ​server​ ​setup​ ​on​ ​my​ ​site.

Additions​ ​steps​ ​available​ ​online​ ​are: ● Basic​ ​MTA​ ​server​ ​configuration ● Install​ ​PowerMTA

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Basic​ ​EMS​ ​Config First,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​suggest​ ​you​ ​look​ ​around​ ​and​ ​get​ ​familiar​ ​with​ ​Mumara.​ ​If​ ​you worked​ ​with​ ​Interspire​ ​and​ ​co​ ​you​ ​will​ ​not​ ​have​ ​any​ ​problems.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are familiar​ ​with​ ​WordPress​ ​style​ ​admin​ ​and​ ​like​ ​it​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​I​ ​do,​ ​navigating will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​breeze.

The​ ​next​ ​thing​ ​you​ ​will​ ​probably​ ​realise​ ​is​ ​that​ ​Mumara​ ​comes​ ​with​ ​everything​ ​you​ ​ever wanted​ ​and​ ​need​ ​for​ ​successful​ ​email​ ​marketing.

Now​ ​that​ ​you​ ​looked​ ​around​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​and​ ​you​ ​know​ ​where​ ​what​ ​is​ ​let's​ ​begin​ ​with​ ​the​ ​basic configuration​​ ​that​ ​is​ ​required​ ​for​ ​everything​ ​to​ ​work.

Set​ ​your​ ​timezone

You​ ​might​ ​think,​ ​meh,​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​care​ ​if​ ​the​ ​time​ ​I​ ​see​ ​in​ ​Mumara​ ​is​ ​correct,​ ​but​ ​setting​ ​up the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​your​ ​correct​ ​time​ ​zone​ ​(the​ ​same​ ​you​ ​set​ ​in​ ​control​ ​panel)​ ​is​ ​very​ ​important and​ ​here​ ​is​ ​why.

Mumaras​ ​internal​ ​time​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​set​ ​email​ ​headers​ ​about​ ​sent​ ​time.​ ​So​ ​if​ ​your​ ​time​ ​is incorrect​ ​your​ ​emails​ ​will​ ​come​ ​from​ ​past​ ​or​ ​future.

And​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​planning​ ​to​ ​use​ ​campaign​ ​schedule​ ​or​ ​evergreen​ ​campaigns​ ​you​ ​will need​ ​your​ ​time​ ​to​ ​be​ ​correct​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​set​ ​time​ ​when​ ​you​ ​want​ ​your​ ​emails​ ​to​ ​start sending.

First,​ ​click​ ​on​ ​Profile​ ​icon​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top.

Now​ ​select​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time​ ​zone​ ​from​ ​the​ ​drop-down​ ​you​ ​selected​ ​in​ ​control​ ​panel before.​ ​You​ ​should​ ​know​ ​what​ ​time​ ​zone​ ​your​ ​city​ ​is​ ​located.

Now​ ​do​ ​the​ ​same​ ​under​ ​'Settings​ ​>​ ​Application​ ​Settings'​ ​if​ ​you​ ​plan​ ​on​ ​adding​ ​more users​ ​or​ ​sub-users​ ​just​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​their​ ​time​ ​is​ ​set​ ​up​ ​correctly​ ​and​ ​they​ ​don't​ ​have​ ​to worry​ ​about​ ​this.

Continue​ ​with​ ​EMS​ ​configuration​ ​on​ ​my​ ​site.

Additions​ ​steps​ ​available​ ​online​ ​are: ● Set​ ​cron​ ​jobs ● Full​ ​EMS​ ​Guide

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Integration​ ​with​ ​PowerMTA I​ ​don't​ ​know​ ​why​ ​but​ ​this​ ​is​ ​where​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​people​ ​get​ ​stuck.​ ​It​ ​is probably​ ​because​ ​they​ ​are​ ​tired​ ​and​ ​already​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​of​ ​things​ ​they aren't​ ​used​ ​to​ ​do.​ ​Maybe​ ​it's​ ​a​ ​good​ ​idea​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​break.​ ​Maybe​ ​even​ ​stop for​ ​today​ ​and​ ​go​ ​out,​ ​go​ ​watch​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​or​ ​play​ ​a​ ​game.

The​ ​truth​ ​is​ ​that​ ​this​ ​step​ ​is​ ​really​ ​simple​ ​and​ ​if​ ​it​ ​didn't​ ​exist​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​Mumara​ ​to PowerMTA​ ​connection​​ ​step​ ​would​ ​need​ ​about​ ​10​ ​steps​ ​to​ ​cover​ ​everything.​ ​Since Mumara​ ​is​ ​smart​ ​enough​ ​it​ ​will​ ​do​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hard​ ​work​ ​for​ ​us.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​some​ ​things that​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​fixed​ ​for​ ​everything​ ​to​ ​work​ ​but​ ​nothing​ ​harder​ ​than​ ​copy/paste.

First,​ ​go​ ​to​ ​'Integrations​ ​>​ ​PowerMTA​ ​Settings'​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​+​ ​to​ ​add​ ​a​ ​new​ ​PowerMTA server.​ ​Now​ ​it​ ​depends​ ​on,​ ​are​ ​you​ ​using​ ​local​ ​or​ ​external​ ​(recommended)​ ​PowerMTA. Basically,​ ​it's​ ​the​ ​same​ ​you​ ​just​ ​have​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​IP.​ ​The​ ​picture​ ​below​ ​shows​ ​how​ ​I set​ ​up​ ​local​ ​PowerMTA.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​local​ ​PowerMTA​ ​you​ ​can​ ​enter​ ​everything​ ​apart​ ​from​ ​root​ ​pass​ ​(another smart​ ​one)​ ​exactly​ ​like​ ​in​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​above.​ ​If​ ​possible​ ​always​ ​use​ ​localhost​ ​and​ ​run everything​ ​on​ ​localhost​ ​only.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​this​ ​isn't​ ​possible​ ​in​ ​case​ ​of​ ​external PowerMTA.​ ​In​ ​that​ ​case,​ ​adjust​ ​all​ ​IPs.​ ​When​ ​done​ ​with​ ​everything​ ​click​ ​'Next'.

Unforgenetly​ ​you​ ​won't​ ​see​ ​to​ ​the​ ​very​ ​last​ ​integration​ ​step​ ​if​ ​you​ ​entered​ ​everything correct.

In​ ​step​ ​2​ ​enter​ ​your​ ​IPs​ ​and​ ​domains​ ​separated​ ​by​ ​commas​ ​to​ ​appropriate​ ​boxes.​ ​Make sure​ ​the​ ​are​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​order​ ​as​ ​you​ ​assigned​ ​them​ ​in​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​to​ ​save​ ​time​ ​in​ ​the next​ ​step.​ ​Do​ ​everything​ ​else​ ​like​ ​in​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​below.​ ​When​ ​done​ ​click​ ​'Next'.

Since​ ​you​ ​followed​ ​my​ ​tip​ ​and​ ​entered​ ​IPs​ ​and​ ​domains​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​order​ ​you​ ​assigned them​ ​in​ ​control​ ​panel​ ​the​ ​only​ ​thing​ ​to​ ​do​ ​in​ ​step​ ​3​ ​is​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​all​ ​necessary​ ​data​ ​for​ ​each SMTP.​ ​For​ ​group​ ​I​ ​usual​ ​just​ ​copy/paste​ ​domain​ ​name.​ ​Enter​ ​From​ ​name,​ ​From​ ​email, and​ ​Reply​ ​email​ ​and​ ​leave​ ​everything​ ​else​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is.​ ​No​ ​picture​ ​here​ ​since​ ​this​ ​is​ ​easier than​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​an​ ​account​ ​in​ ​Outlook.​ ​When​ ​done​ ​click​ ​'Next'.

In​ ​Step​ ​4​ ​there​ ​is​ ​nothing​ ​to​ ​do​ ​so​ ​just​ ​click​ ​'Next'.

In​ ​Step​ ​5​ ​you​ ​will​ ​finally​ ​see​ ​if​ ​the​ ​info​ ​you​ ​provided​ ​in​ ​step​ ​1​ ​was​ ​correct.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​case​ ​of errors​ ​go​ ​back​ ​and​ ​correct​ ​your​ ​mistakes.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​connection​ ​was​ ​successful​ ​just​ ​click 'Next'.

If​ ​you​ ​did​ ​everything​ ​correct​ ​you​ ​will​ ​see​ ​something​ ​similar​ ​as​ ​on​ ​picture​ ​below​ ​and​ ​a file​ ​called​ ​pmta_server.zip​ ​will​ ​be​ ​downloaded.​ ​Save​ ​this​ ​file​ ​as​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​it​ ​later.

Here​ ​is​ ​its​ ​content Bounce.csv​ ​-​ ​infor​ ​about​ ​your​ ​bounce​ ​accounts DKIM.txt​ ​-​ ​all​ ​your​ ​DKIM​ ​records FDNS.csv​ ​-​ ​your​ ​reverse​ ​DNS htaccess.txt​ ​-​ ​we​ ​will​ ​need​ ​this​ ​for​ ​domain​ ​masking pmta_config.txt​ ​-​ ​defoult​ ​PowerMTA​ ​config​ ​file​ ​that​ ​Mumara​ ​creates.

Unforgenetly​ ​PowerMTA​ ​will​ ​not​ ​start​ ​when​ ​using​ ​this​ ​config,​ ​but​ ​we'll​ ​fix​ ​this later. ● SMTP.csv​ ​-​ ​info​ ​about​ ​your​ ​SMTP​ ​accounts ● ● ● ● ●

That​ ​is​ ​it.​ ​Your​ ​Mumara​ ​is​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​PowerMTA.​ ​You​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​send​ ​your first​ ​email​ ​from​ ​Mumara​ ​but​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​recommend​ ​to​ ​do​ ​it​ ​yet.​ ​Your​ ​configuration​ ​is​ ​far​ ​from perfect.To​ ​make​ ​it​ ​perfect​ ​there​ ​are​ ​still​ ​things​ ​we​ ​must​ ​do.

Continue​ ​Integration​ ​with​ ​PowerMTA​ ​on​ ​my​ ​site.

Additions​ ​steps​ ​available​ ​online​ ​are: ● Bounce​ ​emails​ ​and​ ​Feedback​ ​Loops ● Masking​ ​domains ● Setting​ ​rDNS ● DKIM​ ​for​ ​sending​ ​domains

Bulk​ ​Email​ ​Server​ ​Guide:​ ​Tips​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start​ ​sending Let's​ ​face​ ​it​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​setup​ ​process​ ​required​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​work​ ​and​ ​I​ ​am​ ​sure you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​stay​ ​informed​ ​with​ ​whats​ ​going​ ​so​ ​you​ ​can​ ​fix​ ​little​ ​problems before​ ​they​ ​turn​ ​into​ ​big​ ​ones.

Copy​ ​backups

The​ ​first​ ​thing​ ​you​ ​will​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​after​ ​your​ ​whole​ ​system​ ​is​ ​up​ ​and​ ​running​ ​is​ ​make sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​copy​ ​of​ ​main​ ​servers​ ​backups​ ​on​ ​your​ ​local​ ​computer.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​didn't copy​ ​them​ ​yet​ ​open​ ​Bitvise​ ​and​ ​connect​ ​to​ ​your​ ​main​ ​server.​ ​Use​ ​SFTP​ ​and​ ​navigate​ ​to /backups​ ​and​ ​copy​ ​all​ ​files​ ​to​ ​your​ ​computer.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​didn't​ ​enable​ ​rsync​ ​to​ ​another​ ​server make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​copy​ ​all​ ​backups​ ​to​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​at​ ​least​ ​once​ ​per​ ​month.

Enable​ ​SSH​ ​key

To​ ​protect​ ​your​ ​main​ ​server​ ​from​ ​hackers​ ​you​ ​might​ ​want​ ​to​ ​use​ ​SSH​ ​keys​ ​instead​ ​of password​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are​ ​logged​ ​in.​ ​SSH​ ​keys​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​DKIM​ ​keys​ ​work​ ​with emails.​ ​You​ ​copy​ ​private​ ​key​ ​to​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​and​ ​public​ ​key​ ​to​ ​your​ ​server.​ ​If​ ​keys don't​ ​match​ ​you​ ​don't​ ​get​ ​access.

To​ ​enable​ ​SSH​ ​keys​ ​go​ ​to​ ​"Server​ ​Settings​ ​>​ ​SSH​ ​Key​ ​Generator"​ ​and​ ​follow instructions​ ​there.

Check​ ​your​ ​open​ ​ports

During​ ​setup,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​have​ ​open​ ​some​ ​ports​ ​or​ ​completely​ ​disabled​ ​firewall​ ​on​ ​your main​ ​server.​ ​Make​ ​sure​ ​your​ ​firewall​ ​is​ ​turned​ ​on​ ​and​ ​only​ ​ports​ ​you​ ​really​ ​need​ ​are opened.

Monitor​ ​your​ ​blacklists

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​Mumara​ ​it​ ​is​ ​already​ ​monitoring​ ​your​ ​IPs​ ​and​ ​domains,​ ​but​ ​even​ ​so,​ ​I suggest​ ​you​ ​add​ ​all​ ​your​ ​domains​ ​and​ ​IPs​ ​to​ ​and​ ​be​ ​informed​ ​by​ ​email​ ​when​ ​the​ ​status of​ ​IPs​ ​or​ ​domains​ ​changes.​ ​This​ ​way​ ​you​ ​can​ ​react​ ​and​ ​request​ ​a​ ​delisting​ ​before​ ​it impacts​ ​your​ ​delivery​ ​rates.​ ​Click​ ​here​,​ ​create​ ​a​ ​free​ ​account​ ​and​ ​add​ ​your​ ​IPs​ ​and domains.

Create​ ​catch-all​ ​emails

Create​ ​a​ ​catch-all​ ​email​ ​for​ ​all​ ​your​ ​sending​ ​domains​ ​and​ ​forward​ ​them​ ​to postmaster@domain.

Check​ ​system​ ​emails​ ​regularly

Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​add​ ​all​ ​your​ ​system​ ​emails​ ​(postmaster​ ​and​ ​abuse)​ ​to​ ​a​ ​client​ ​like Outlook​ ​or​ ​ThunderBird.​ ​Some​ ​users​ ​will​ ​send​ ​emails​ ​with​ ​removal​ ​requests.

Check​ ​Spammyness​ ​of​ ​your​ ​Emails​ ​ ​regularly

You​ ​probably​ ​checked​ ​the​ ​score​ ​of​ ​your​ ​email​ ​on​ ​Mail​ ​tester​​ ​during​ ​setup​ ​but​ ​in​ ​case you​ ​didn't​ ​check​ ​it​ ​now​ ​and​ ​also​ ​check​ ​it​ ​at​ ​least​ ​once​ ​per​ ​month.​ ​The​ ​best​ ​thing​ ​is​ ​to send​ ​all​ ​your​ ​campaigns​ ​to​ ​Mail​ ​Tester​ ​even​ ​if​ ​you​ ​check​ ​the​ ​spam​ ​score​ ​inside​ ​your EMS​ ​software.

Register​ ​for​ ​FBL

Register​ ​all​ ​your​ ​domains​ ​with​ ​all​ ​major​ ​providers​ ​that​ ​have​ ​Feedback​ ​Loops​ ​program.

You​ ​can​ ​find​ ​a​ ​list​ ​of​ ​available​ ​FBLs​ ​here​.​ ​Don't​ ​forget​ ​to​ ​add​ ​your​ ​FBL​ ​email​ ​addresses to​ ​Mumara​ ​or​ ​other​ ​Email​ ​Marketing​ ​Software.

Add​ ​domains​ ​to​ ​Postmaster​ ​Tools

Since​ ​Google/Gmail​ ​does​ ​not​ ​have​ ​a​ ​Feedback​ ​Loops​ ​for​ ​others​ ​then​ ​ESPs,​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to add​ ​all​ ​your​ ​sending​ ​domains​ ​to​ ​Googles​ ​Postmaster​ ​Tools.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​monitor IP​ ​and​ ​domain​ ​reputation,​ ​Spam​ ​complaints​ ​and​ ​so​ ​on.​ ​Click​ ​here​​ ​to​ ​start.

Don't​ ​use​ ​new​ ​domains​ ​for​ ​sending

I​ ​don't​ ​know​ ​why,​ ​but​ ​most​ ​people​ ​even​ ​those​ ​that​ ​are​ ​in​ ​bulk​ ​sending​ ​for​ ​years​ ​don't know​ ​this.​ ​You​ ​should​ ​never​ ​use​ ​a​ ​newly​ ​registered​ ​domain​ ​for​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​sending.​ ​New domains​ ​are​ ​added​ ​to​ ​Day​ ​old​ ​Bread​ ​list​ ​(DNSRBL).​ ​They​ ​say​ ​that​ ​it's​ ​removed​ ​from this​ ​list​ ​after​ ​5​ ​days​ ​but​ ​from​ ​my​ ​tests,​ ​it's​ ​best​ ​if​ ​you​ ​wait​ ​20​ ​days​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start sending​ ​from​ ​a​ ​fresh​ ​domain.​ ​Mail​ ​Tester​ ​will​ ​show​ ​this​ ​as​ ​URIBL_RHS_DOB.

Mask​ ​your​ ​IPs

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​CloudFlare​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​IP​ ​masking​ ​feature​ ​and​ ​hide​ ​(to​ ​some​ ​degree) IPs​ ​of​ ​your​ ​servers.​ ​Just​ ​click​ ​the​ ​cloud​ ​icon​ ​to​ ​the​ ​right​ ​of​ ​each​ ​DNS​ ​record​ ​so​ ​it​ ​will turn​ ​orange​ ​and​ ​bum.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​ping​ ​your​ ​domain​ ​CloudFlare​ ​will​ ​reply​ ​from​ ​its​ ​IP.​ ​Make sure​ ​you​ ​do​ ​NOT​ ​mask​ ​the​ ​subdomain​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​for​ ​bulk​ ​email​ ​sending.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​do your​ ​rDNS​ ​and​ ​SPF​ ​will​ ​become​ ​invalid.​ ​I​ ​usually​ ​mask​ ​IP​ ​for​ ​my​ ​root​ ​domain​ ​and subdomain​ ​I​ ​am​ ​using​ ​for​ ​domain​ ​masking.

CLEAN​ ​YOUR​ ​LISTS!

If​ ​you​ ​bought​ ​your​ ​lists​ ​or​ ​scraped​ ​them​ ​off​ ​the​ ​Internet​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​clean​ ​them before​ ​you​ ​start​ ​sending.​ ​It's​ ​not​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​process​ ​bounces​ ​and​ ​send​ ​to​ ​the​ ​rest.

Bought​ ​and​ ​scraped​ ​lists​ ​are​ ​full​ ​of​ ​risky​ ​email​ ​addresses​ ​called​ ​Spam​ ​Traps.​ ​This​ ​are old​ ​emails​ ​that​ ​aren't​ ​used​ ​by​ ​their​ ​owner​ ​and​ ​email​ ​provider​ ​(for​ ​example​ ​Gmail)​ ​is monitoring​ ​them​ ​for​ ​new​ ​emails​ ​that​ ​arrive.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​new​ ​marketing​ ​email​ ​arrives​ ​in​ ​the​ ​email address​ ​that​ ​was​ ​turned​ ​into​ ​a​ ​Spam​ ​Trap​ ​the​ ​provider​ ​can​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​the​ ​message​ ​is really​ ​spam,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​owner​ ​abandoned​ ​this​ ​address​ ​years​ ​ago.

Clean​ ​your​ ​first​ ​15100​ ​email​ ​addresses​ ​for​ ​free,​ ​Register​ ​here​.

WARM​ ​UP​ ​YOUR​ ​IPS!!!

You​ ​put​ ​in​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​time​ ​in​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​your​ ​new​ ​Bulk​ ​Email​ ​System.​ ​Now​ ​don't​ ​be​ ​crazy and​ ​start​ ​sending​ ​without​ ​limits.​ ​It's​ ​really​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​recover​ ​your​ ​Sender​ ​Score​ ​if​ ​it​ ​drops below​ ​50​ ​so​ ​follow​ ​my​ ​Warm​ ​Up​ ​Guide​​ ​and​ ​start​ ​slow.

For​ ​more​ ​tip​ ​visit​ ​PowerMTA.NiNjA