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.

Run hMailServer (SMTP Server) in the Cloud

Table of Contents

hMailServer Features

Open source mail server for Microsoft Windows Server, a great replacement for Microsoft Exchange Server. It supports the common email protocols (IMAP, SMTP and POP3) and can easily be used with many web mail systems. The main features are: 

 

  • Built-in Anti-Spam-  score-based spam protection.
  • Self-hosted
  • Multi-accounts
  • SSL encryption
  • Domain management
  • Webmail -supports IMAP and SMTP can be used with hMailServer. Popular webmail systems which are often used with hMailServer are RoundCube and SquirrelMail. 
  • Installation wizard
  • Simple configuration
  • POP3, SMTP, IMAP
  • Port and domain management
  • SQL backend
  • Active Directory Integration
  • Virtual domains
  • Built-in backup
  • SSL encryption
  • IP Range
  • Auto-ban
  • Anti-spam, Anti-virus
  • Scripting
  • Server-side rules
  • Multilingual
  • Routing
  • MX backup
  • Multihoming
  • MySql backend or MS Sql backend
  • Web administration
  • DNS Blacklist
  • Grey Listing
  • Relay
  • Whitelisting
  • COM API support.

Getting Started with hMailServer on Windows

RDP ( Remote Desktop Protocol) 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:

 

 

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

Click on the icon on the desktop and login and start configuring your new mail server.

 

hMail User: administrator

password: 123456

Running hMail Server on AWS

hMail Login Details

 

User: administrator

Password: 123456

 

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: 123456

hMailServer Documentation

hMail Server Ports

The following ports need to be open if you are using a firewall or network security groups:

 

UsagePortRecommended Security if SSL Certificate installed
SMTP25StartTLS (Optional)
SMTP via SSL/TLS465SSL/TLS
SMTP Submission587StartTLS (Required)
POP3110StartTLS (Required)
POP3 via SSL/TLS995SSL/TLS
IMAP143StartTLS (Required)
IMAP via SSL/TLS993SSL/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

hMailServer 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.

Avatar for Andrew Fitzgerald
Andrew Fitzgerald

Cloud Solution Architect. Helping customers transform their business to the cloud. 20 years experience working in complex infrastructure environments and a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert on everything Cloud.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x