Family domain name and emails

topcat2006

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I know have 4 people in my household wanting email addresses and I'd like to have more control over then than your standard gmail/hotmail/yahoo accounts.

My initial thought is to get a domain name and then I can set up various email address' and maybe extend the domain name to cover other members of the family too.

Where is the best place to go for this and the most cost effective way to do it. I'd be looking for domain hosting and email account hosting.

Online storage may be handy but not a selling point. If had a look at MS365 and not sure I want to commit to MS.

The home network consists of Windows and Apple devices and we will slowly get rid of the Windows kit and move to Apple. Users are my wife, myself, son (10), daughter (5).

Thanks

Tom
 
Do a search here for "fast2host" and read the threads :thumb2

Not the cheapest....for that you'll want Godaddy or someone similar, but I wouldn't go near them with a bloody bargepole.

Fast2host are my first choice every time...superb service, properly helpful people, and run by one of our own....you even get a tosser's discount :)
 
richie said:
Fast2Host agreed, even though I don't use them, but maybe I should.... I buy my domains with onlinnic and host elsewhere.
Click to expand...

I always (now anyway) make sure I register and host with the same people.....I had two months of complete aggravation a year or two back, trying to sort out the DNS registers of a domain that was done through GoDaddy, but hosted on another cheapo host's servers....each kept blaming the other and it went around and around in circles, until I cut our losses, found an almost identical (but slightly beter actually) domain name and started from scratch with Fast2host.

I've probably set up a dozen or more sites/packages with them over the years, and have never had a problem......quite the opposite in fact, I've always come away feeling impressed by the extra mile they've gone to help me resolve problems (of my own making, like fekking up a database and lacking the knowledge to rebuild it!)

Many people here have praised them.....a search will show far back that's been going on for, and how many times they've had people say they're good :)
 
Fanum said:
I always (now anyway) make sure I register and host with the same people.....I had two months of complete aggravation a year or two back, trying to sort out the DNS registers of a domain that was done through GoDaddy, but hosted on another cheapo host's servers....each kept blaming the other and it went around and around in circles, until I cut our losses, found an almost identical (but slightly beter actually) domain name and started from scratch with Fast2host.

I've probably set up a dozen or more sites/packages with them over the years, and have never had a problem......quite the opposite in fact, I've always come away feeling impressed by the extra mile they've gone to help me resolve problems (of my own making, like fekking up a database and lacking the knowledge to rebuild it!)

Many people here have praised them.....a search will show far back that's been going on for, and how many times they've had people say they're good :)
Click to expand...

That is funny, as my experience was the opposite, I started hosting and buying names with the same crowd and they fekked me around. So now I always buy domains from a crowd that just sell domains I can point them where I like, it always works and online nic are dirt cheap for dot coms. This is just to say, Bill, that we all learn from our own experiences. As I said I agree with you in that Fast2Host is the way to go.

I have about 30 domains with them by now. Half of those are mine ...
 
I use 123-reg for domains and host my stuff at DreamHost. Not expensive and an amusing laidback California attitude.

Had no problems
 
Personally use lcn - never had problems, control panel for easy management of new email addresses fwds etc. am sure others recommended are also good.

I tend to setup users with google Mail and fwd the family based email address to gmail. You can set the gmail account to reply from the family domain email address and also have stupid amounts of storage for your emails and will happily support IMAP on multiple devices.
 
For ultimate control I run my own mail server. I have two dedicated physical servers in a data centre in Sheffield, one predominately for email, the other for websites. I run numerous email accounts for my business, family and a few clients. Bit of a learning curve getting it all set-up with the likes of Spam Assassin, webmail front end, Reverse DNS, SPF Records, AV scanning, SSL and a back-up regime.

Whilst the ideal tends towards Linux I prefer the familiarity of the Windows OS so use Windows Server 2008. The email server is HMailServer.

If I had a decent fibre connection I could potentially run the mail server from my office. However, being out in the sticks this is regrettably not feasible. Additionally the potential for outages would be increased compared to a data centre hosted server, not great for business use so I am unlikely to bother when we do get fibre (possibly next month). For personal use, if you have a decent fibre broadband connection, running this from home is distinct a possibility and would only require an always on machine and a static IP address. A nice little project if you're into that sort of thing.

I use iDAQ for my live hosting and domains, a small but great company that, from my experience, puts the satisfaction of their customers first and foremost. The only thing I go elsewhere for is SSL certificates as I can get them quicker and cheaper from Trustico.
 
123-reg for me too, I've been using them for over 10 years.

You don't need email account hosting. Just buy your domain name from them, then using their Control Panel create as many email addresses as you want and set them up to forward the emails to the email account supplied by your ISP (where you should be able to set up email addresses for each member of the family). The beauty of having your own domain is that you can change ISP and simply change the email forwarding on your domain account. I use my family name for my domain name and have several family members set up with email forwarding on it, each using different ISPs. Very simple to run and manage. Just remember to renew the domain name every few years.

Bob
 
trebor said:
123-reg for me too, I've been using them for over 10 years.

You don't need email account hosting. Just buy your domain name from them, then using their Control Panel create as many email addresses as you want and set them up to forward the emails to the email account supplied by your ISP (where you should be able to set up email addresses for each member of the family). The beauty of having your own domain is that you can change ISP and simply change the email forwarding on your domain account. I use my family name for my domain name and have several family members set up with email forwarding on it, each using different ISPs. Very simple to run and manage. Just remember to renew the domain name every few years.

Bob
Click to expand...

I use 123-reg and forward as you do too and it seems to work fine.
 
I would not give a 5 year old an email address any more than I'd give her a key to the front door...
 
If you're new to this pick a hosting company with a friendly attitude towards new/inexperienced customers and a control panel that's clear and easy to use.
If you pick a hosting company recommended by somebody in Tosserland they may even help you out if it all gets too much.
And it gives you a greater understanding of how websites, email, FTP, the internet etc.. all works and hangs together which can only be a good thing
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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