How to Setup hMailServer Email Server (SMTP Server) in Azure/AWS/GCP
To setup and install hMail server in Azure, AWS or GCP simply deploy the hMailServer straight from any of the cloud marketplaces. Fully configured and setup with MySQL and using the latest verion of hMail server. Its the perfect SMTP Server solution. Check the links below to deploy.
Getting Started
RDP into new server
Once you have deployed hMailServer on Windows server, the first step is to RDP into the new instance once it has fully booted up. The following links explain how to connect the VM once it has finished being deployed:
- How to RDP to AWS Windows Instance
- How to RDP to Google GCP Windows Instance
- How to RDP to Azure Windows Virtual Machine
Once logged in, you’re now ready to start setting up your new SMTP server as per the following sections. Scroll down to the cloud platform section you are using:
Running hMailserver SMTP Server on Azure
Documentation
https://www.hmailserver.com/documentation/latest/?page=basic_configuration
Login Credentials
hMail User: administrator
password: 123456
Running hMail Server on AWS
hMail Login Details
User: administrator
Password: Password is the VM Instance ID. To find the Instance ID you will find on the top right of the desktop or within the AWS console under the EC2 VM properties
Documentation
https://www.hmailserver.com/documentation/latest/?page=basic_configuration
Running hMail Server on GCP
RDP Login details, refer to How to RDP to Google GCP Windows Instance
hMail Login Details
User: administrator
Password is the VM Instance ID. To find the Instance ID you will find on the property details of the VM within your GCP console. Here is a screenshot of where you will find it:
NOTE: If you find the password doesn’t work. Wait 5 mins as during the first boot a startup script is setting the admin password and could still be running. You can see if its still running by viewing any Windows task schedule jobs. Wait for it to finish and then try logging in again.
Documentation
https://www.hmailserver.com/documentation/latest/?page=basic_configuration
hMail Server Ports
The following ports need to be open if you are using a firewall or network security groups:
Usage | Port | Recommended Security if SSL Certificate installed |
SMTP | 25 | StartTLS (Optional) |
SMTP via SSL/TLS | 465 | SSL/TLS |
SMTP Submission | 587 | StartTLS (Required) |
POP3 | 110 | StartTLS (Required) |
POP3 via SSL/TLS | 995 | SSL/TLS |
IMAP | 143 | StartTLS (Required) |
IMAP via SSL/TLS | 993 | SSL/TLS |
To setup AWS firewall rules refer to – AWS Security Groups
To setup Azure firewall rules refer to – Azure Network Security Groups
To setup Google GCP firewall rules refer to – Creating GCP Firewalls
Support
If you are having any issues with getting the server up and running in any of the cloud environments, leave a comment below or contact us directly.
Community support for hMail can be found on their forum:
https://www.hmailserver.com/forum/
Reset hMail Administrator Password
If for any reason you need to reset the hMail administrator password, edit the following file: C:\Program Files (x86)\hMailServer\Bin\hMailServer.ini
In the hMailServer.ini in section
[Security]
AdministratorPassword=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is NOT a Blowfish or SHA Algorithm. It is really an encrypted MD5 Hash.
To reset your Administrator password do the following:
1) Stop the hMailServer Service
2) Goto your hMailServer Program folder (for example: c:\Program Files (x86)\bin\
3) Copy or make a Backup of your original hMailServer.ini file
4) Insert a new MD5 Hash and replace the old password with a new password.
This should look like this:
AdministratorPassword=cc03e747a6afbbcbf8be7668acfebee5
5) Open hMailAdmin and click connect, this will start the hMailServer and provide the password box
Your new Admin login password is: letmein
You can generate a MD5 Hash from some other password anytime for example at:
http://www.md5.cz/
Disclaimer: hMailServer is licensed under AGPLv3. No warrantee of any kind, express or implied, is included with this software. Use at your risk, responsibility for damages (if any) to anyone resulting from the use of this software rest entirely with the user. The author is not responsible for any damage that its use could cause.
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