PostMaster Mail Server Software - Prices of Postmaster Email Server

Q2. I get an error message saying "Bad Command or File Name" or "Out of Environment space" when I tried starting PostMaster. Please help.

Ans. Probable Causes:

1. "PATH" variable has exceeded its limit of (approx.) four directories. or
2. Novell has changed the PATH of command.com

Fix:

1. Shut down PostMaster.
2. Locate postmaster.bat in either c:\postmaster, c:\Program Files\qlc\postmaster
    or any other directory you may have installed PostMaster in.
3. Open it in Notepad.
4. Replace the string "%PATH%" with "C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND" and save it.
5. Try restarting PostMaster.
6. If this does not work, increase the environment space by appending your
    "config.sys" file with following entry: "SHELL=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND /P1024 /E",
    if it is not there already.
7. Go to DOS prompt.
8. Give "set COMSPEC=c:\windows\command.com".
9. Change directory to either c:\postmaster, c:\Program Files\qlc\postmaster or any
    other directory you may have installed PostMaster in.
10. Type "postmaster" to start PostMaster.

Note:

If you are having a problem changing directories to c:\postmaster, c:\Program Files\qlc\postmaster, please try short filenames. In this case,

"cd c:\progra~1\qlc\postma~1".

Similarly, you may have to use "postma~1" to execute postmaster.bat.

Q3. Even after buying PostMaster, I am not able to add more than two users. Please help.

Ans. You probably are still using the demo license. You need to replace the "license" file in postmaster directory (c:\postmaster or c:\Program Files\qlc\postmaster) with the new license file that you would have received on purchase of PostMaster. In case you have accidentally deleted the "license" file, please contact us (with your purchase details) for a replacement.

Q4. I cannot locate the scripting tab in the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) folder. Please help.

Ans. You are probably using an older version of Windows 95. Please follow these steps to install the dial up scripting tool on your machine.

1. Locate the file "dscript.exe" in the c:\Program Files\qlc\common\misc or
    c:\postmaster\misc folder of PostMaster.
2. Copy this file in a temporary folder (such as c:\windows\temp) and execute the file
    (say, by double-clicking on it, under Windows Explorer). Some files will be created on
    your system. Among them will be a file called rnaplus.inf
3. Right click on this file and select "install".

Note: If you located dscrip.exe in c:\postmaster\misc, you are probably using an older version of PostMaster. Please consider upgrading.

Q5. I can PING my own machine, but cannot PING other machines. What do I do?

Ans. Please follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the network cable connections are not loose for either of
these machines.
2. Make sure that both the machines are part of the same segment of the LAN.
3. Contact your network manager.

Q6. When I try to PING my own machine, I get no response. Please suggest a solution.

Ans. Please use the following as a trouble-shooting checklist.

1. The most probable reason is that TCP/IP has not been installed properly. Try
    uninstalling TCP/IP protocol and re-installing it.

2. Also check to make sure that you have assigned IP address to "TCP/IP Network
    Interface Card" and not to "TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter". Please choose one of the
    following, depending on your OS.

For Windows 95/98:

Follow Start Button Control Panel >> Network >> TCP/IP >> Properties >> Specify IP address.

For Windows NT:

Follow Start Button >> CP >> Network >> Protocols >> Select TCP/IP >> Properties >> Specify IP address.

For Windows 2000:

Follow Start Button >> Control Panel >> Network and Dial-Up connections >> Select Adapter >> (Right Click) Properties >> Select TCP/IP >> Properties >> Specify IP.

Q7. I use PostMaster as an SMTP gateway. Users are not able to send or receive mails. How do I correct this?

Ans. You have to make the user a "gateway user". Please follow these steps:

1. Follow Users >> Edit User (select user) >> Advanced on the PostMaster console.
2. Select the Gateway name in the "user type" dropdown menu.
3. Click OK.

See Also:
Configure PostMaster as an SMTP Gateway, to use in conjunction with MS Exchange, Lotus Notes, etc .

Q8. When I change the password of my Internet account with my ISP, what changes do I need to make in PostMaster?

Ans. In the no-domain scenario

1. Click on Internet section of PostMaster
2. Locate the username and password fields.
3. Change the password in this password field
4. If you are using the "Invoke DUN" feature of PostMaster, then go to
    the "Scheduler" section of PostMaster.
5. Click on the "Configure" button of "Invoke DUN"
6. Change the password in this window also.

In the no-domain scenario

1. If you are using the "Invoke DUN" feature of PostMaster, then go to the
    "Scheduler" section of PostMaster.
2. Click on the "Configure" button of "Invoke DUN"
3. Change the password in this window also.
4. If your mails on the Domain have been forwarded to your ISP account, then
    you need to change the password in Internet section of PostMaster too.
    Please follow these steps:

               a. Click on Internet section of PostMaster.
               b. Locate the username and password fields.
               c. Change the password in this password field.

Q9. I get an error message "##### DLL for NT#####", every time I start PostMaster. What is wrong?
Ans. Nothing! Please ignore this error message.

Q10. Is there a simple procedure that I can use to try and ensure that PostMaster is setup and running fine?

Ans. You need to ensure that the network TCP/IP and PostMaster SMTP/POP3 servers are running fine. You can do this in three simple steps.

Ensuring that TCP/IP over the network is fine
Make sure TCP/IP is installed and configured properly using following as a check-list:

1. All the machines on the network should have a unique IP addresses and
    a common sub-net mask.
2. You should be able to PING PostMaster (POSTMASTER) machine from
    any node on the network that needs to receive e-mail.

Ensuring that PostMaster SMTP server is running well

1. There should be no other application running on ports 25 & 110 of the
    PostMaster machine.
2. Type "telnet IP-of-PostMaster-machine 25" at DOS prompt.
3. The following response from the PostMaster SMTP server means that it
     is running fine: "SMTP server ready for transmission".
4. If you do not get this response, it means that either PostMaster is
    running on a different port, or another application is running on ports 25
    and/or 110.

Ensuring that PostMaster POP3 server is running well

1. There should be no other application running on ports 25 & 110 of the
     PostMaster machine.
2. Type "telnet IP-of-PostMaster-machine 110" at DOS prompt.
3. The following response from the PostMaster POP3 server means that it
     is running fine: "+OK POP3 server ready"
4. If you do not get this response, it means that either PostMaster is running
    on a different port, or another application is running on ports 25 and/or 110.

Extras

IP address - An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address. Within an isolated network, you can assign IP addresses at random as long as each one is unique.

PING - Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper. PING is a basic Internet program that lets you verify that a particular Internet address exists and can accept requests. It is used diagnostically to ensure that a host computer you are trying to reach is actually operating. Using PING, you can learn the number form of the IP address from the symbolic domain name. It operates by sending a packet to a designated address and waiting for a response.

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet. TCP/IP uses several protocols, the two main ones being TCP and IP. TCP/IP is built into the UNIX operating system and is used by the Internet, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks. Even network operating systems that have their own protocols, such as NetWare, also support TCP/IP.

SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an e-mail client using either POP3. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server such as PostMaster. This is why you need to specify both the POP3 server and the SMTP server when you configure your e-mail client.

POP3 - Post Office Protocol is a protocol used to retrieve e-mail from a mail server such as PostMaster. POP3 is the most popular version of POP.

Q11. How do I register a domain? What can I do with a domain name?

Ans. There are many agencies that can register your domain name. You can also register your domain with us. Click here for online booking or mail to [email protected].

This name needs to be active on a server so that you can have mail transfer facilities or host your website. For this, you need to contact a service provider (you can see our hosting services here). The service providers can register your domain, create a mail account for your domain or forward all mails to your ISP e-mail account.

E.g. If the domain www.indiancricket.com is registered, all mail to [email protected] can be forwarded to [email protected]

Q12. How do I install PostMaster on a Linux machine?

Ans. Please follow these steps:

1. Download the Unix version of PostMaster (pm_other.zip). Should you have a problem downloading it and you are in India, please contact us and we will ship you a CD with the software, at our cost.

2. Make sure you have Java 1.1.x on your Linux computer. You can obtain a free copy from java.sun.com. Java 1.1.6 is available on the PostMaster CD, which we will be happy to ship across anywhere in India at our cost. Please feel free contact us, if you need to.

3. If you downloaded PostMaster from this site, then unzip pm_other.zip file on your hard disk ("unzip pm_other.zip").

4. If you have the PostMaster CD, then type "tar -zxvf linux_pm.tar.gz"

5. You will find a folder "qlc" with sub folders - "common" and "postmaster". Edit the script file "postmaster" (under the "postmaster" folder) and add the path of your java distribution. E.g. Path=/usr/local/jdk1.1.6/bin.

6. Now Run the script as "./postmater" or "sh postmaster".

Note:

1. PostMaster starts up with a pre-created user, the Administrator, whose details are:
          login        : admin
         password : admin

2. By default, the SMTP and POP3 servers (in PostMaster) will attempt to bind to Port
    Nos. 25 and 110 respectively.

    This operation could fail if:

       · PostMaster is not running as a privileged user (eg. root)
       · If there are already other servers which have bound to these ports

      You could:

       · Shutdown those servers & run PostMaster as root
       · Change the Port settings in PostMaster to other port numbers

Q13. Ten easy steps to installing PostMaster.

Ans. 1. Install PostMaster on your (System Administrator's) machine, by running
    pmself.exe (from a CD or downloaded).

2. This will also place a PostMaster icon on your desktop.

3. Click on this, or follow Start Button >> Programs >> PostMaster >> PostMaster.

4. An account called "admin" is available by default, with "admin" as password. For
    security reasons, please change this by clicking on the "Users" button.

5. To create user accounts on PostMaster, click on Users >> Add, and enter the
    necessary information in the following fields: User name (the user's full name), login
    (the login id for the user), and Password (the password for that user). Select Add to add
    the user.

6. If you happen to have your own domain name with mail forwarding facilities, click on
    "Internet", check the "Have Internet Domain button" to the ON position, enter the
    information in the Internet domain field. Leave the SMTP Port (default 25), and the
    POP3 Port (default 110) at their default values.

7. To provide the necessary information on your Internet connection, click on the
    "Internet" button, and provide the following info:
    Have Internet Domain: Yes/No (as applicable).
    Domain Name / email
    SMTP: IP or name of server (eg. bom1.vsnl.net.in). Port 25, the default
    POP Host: IP or name of server (eg. bom1.vsnl.net.in). Port 110, the default
    UserName of your POP box.
    Password of your POP box.

8. Make sure that you have TCP/IP installed on your network (refer to document
    "tcpip and ip addresses.doc").

9. You also need to configure mail clients on each machine you wish to access mail
    from. In your case, please refer to the document "configuring outlook express.doc.

10. Please refer to the document "ensuring PostMaster is fine.doc" to see if you are
      ready to go.

Q14. Is a network a must? Can I use PostMaster without a Local Area Network (LAN)?

Ans.1. Strictly speaking, you do not need a network. Your users can access their individual email boxes on one machine, with an email client (like Outlook Express or Netscape) configured to multiple profiles.

Having said that, a LAN would be truly useful. After all, we do want to provide organizational email on individual desktops!

System requirements for PostMaster.

Q15. Does PostMaster support multiple domains?

Ans. Yes. PostMaster does support multiple domains.

Q16. I operate under a no-domain scenario. I have one or more of these clarifications to make. Please help.
1. What will individual e-mail addresses be?
2. All the mails go to "admin". What do I do?
3. Mails sent from Hotmail always seem to end up in the "admin" mailbox. What can I do?

Ans. Individual e-mail addresses
Let us say that you have a ISP account say, [email protected]

You can create any number of email address based on this id, such as:

Sachin Tendulkar <[email protected]>
Saurav Ganguly <[email protected]>
Kapil <[email protected]>
Match Fixer <[email protected]>

The name outside of the <> brackets (sometimes, referred to as "chicken lips") is the Real Name of the user. Though the Real Name need not be the same as Login Name, it is advisable to keeps them as same, to avoid confusion. All mails without a correct Real Name land up in the administrator's mailbox. This ensures that no mail is ever lost.

If a member of the same LAN network wanted to send a mail to a user, he would send it to "[email protected]". Thus, if Saurav Ganguly wanted to send a mail to Kapil in the example above, he would use [email protected]

Please note that the Real Name may be put in quotes, should you choose to. In other words, the following are equivalent:

Sachin Tendulkar <[email protected]>
"Sachin Tendulkar" <[email protected]>

Q17. I have one or more of the following queries. Please help.
1. How do I install TCP/IP on my network?
2. How do I test my TCP/IP?
3. How do assign IP addresses?

Ans. Installing TCP/IP support on the networked machines:

All machines that have to receive e-mail through the network have to support TCP/IP.

      If you are running Windows 95/98

     Locate "TCP/IP -> D-LINK DE 220 ISA PnP LAN adapter" in Start Button >> Settings
     >> Control Panel >> Network >> Configuration Tab.

     If you could, then, TCP/IP is installed. You now need to ensure that it is working fine.

     If you could not, then please add TCP/IP by following these steps:

     Start Button >> Settings >> Control Panel >> Network >> Add >> Protocol >> Add >>
     Microsoft >> TCP/IP

      If you are running Windows NT/ Windows 2000

      In NT, if networking is installed, TCP/IP is installed on each node by default. If it is not,
      then please add TCP/IP by following these steps:

      Start Button >> Settings >> Control Panel >> Network >> Protocol >> Add >> TCP/IP

Assigning IP addresses:

Each machine on the network needs to be given a unique IP address. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. You can set this by editing the TCP/IP properties on each node. The first PC (preferably the machine running PostMaster) could have the address 192.168.0.1, the second PC could have 192.168.0.2, and so on.

Apart from the IP address, you also need to specify a Subnet Mask. Please enter 255.255.255.0 for ALL nodes.

Let us say that if you've just set up machines with IP addresses 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2. Type "PING 192.168.0.1" at DOS prompt on the machine with address 192.168.0.2. You should get a response similar to the following:

Pinging 192.168.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32

If you get a response like the above, then all is well. Any other response means that something is amiss. You could start trouble shooting by checking physical network connections.

Each time you configure a new machine, please ensure that you can PING the first machine you configured. If all machines can PING a single machine, it is very likely that all machines can PING each other as well.

Ensuring that TCP/IP is fine

Make sure TCP/IP is installed and configured properly using following as a check-list:

1. All the machines on the network should have a unique IP addresses and a common
    sub-net mask.
2. You should be able to PING PostMaster (POSTMASTER) machine from any node
    on the network.

Extras

IP address - An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be 1 to 254. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address. Within an isolated network, you can assign IP addresses at random as long as each one is unique.

PING - Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper. PING is a basic Internet program that lets you verify that a particular Internet address exists and can accept requests. It is used diagnostically to ensure that a host computer you are trying to reach is actually operating. Using PING, you can learn the number form of the IP address from the symbolic domain name. It operates by sending a packet to a designated address and waiting for a response.

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet. TCP/IP uses several protocols, the two main ones being TCP and IP. TCP/IP is built into the UNIX operating system and is used by the Internet, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks. Even network operating systems that have their own protocols, such as Netware, also support TCP/IP.

Subnet - A portion of a network that shares a common address component. On TCP/IP networks, subnets are defined as all devices whose IP addresses have the same prefix. For example, all devices with IP addresses that start with 100.100.100. would be part of the same subnet. Dividing a network into subnets is useful for both security and performance reasons. IP networks are divided using a subnet mask.

You could also take this excellent tutorial on IP addresses at //www.3com.com/nsc/501302.html

Q18. I have set PostMaster's Auto Scheduler set to auto-dial. I still see post-dial terminal screen popping-up every time it dials out. How do I avoid this?

Ans. Please follow these steps:

1. Locate your Dial-Up Networking (DUN) folder (Windows 95/98: Start >> Programs >>
Accessories >> Dial-up Networking).
2. Right click on the DUN phone book entry you are using and select the "Properties" option.
3. Click on the Configure button under the General tab.
4. Uncheck "Bring up terminal window after dialing".