I am looking at ways to both send and retrieve email while traveling. Since I use hotel internet connections and public wireless connection, I am looking at a way to secure the connection. My traveling laptop is windows.
My idea is this.
1. Connect using ssh to the Linux server with a couple of tunnels from local ports to the mail ports. (25 Sendmail, 143 IMAP, 110 POP3)
2. Point my email programs (Outlook for work, Thunderbird for personnel) to the local ports connected to the tunnel
3. Send and recieve mail.
I used to be doing that all the time - works beautifully.
Has anyone else tried this? Am I missing something. Is there an easier way.
You might want to consider using TLS/SSL for IMAP. That's more work to set up on the server, and less work to use on the client. I use IMAP with TLS/SSL, and a "nearby" SMTP server (the server of the university/work/ISP, etc. depending on location) and I find it very convenient. I use webmail over HTTPS if I have to read my mail on a public computer, and ssh and putty on slow connections
When I travel I open the mail ports throught the firewall and they get hit pretty hard. Average about 50 failed attempts a day at logging on as different users (nobody, guest, etc). This way I would only need to open the ssh port.
Well, that is a good point, which makes your solution somewhat less vulnerability prone than mine.
Anyway, the choice is yours :)
Regards,
//Andro
