Works for me on XP
Tutorial: How to Set Up Worldlink and Internet E-Mail using Worldgroup using a dynamic IP service on worldgroup versions 3.20 and 3.30
By: Malakai 2007
Introduction:
When I first setup worldgroup around Feb 2006, I could not figure out how to set up the internet email system, and it was a challenge getting worldlink working properly. Why? Because the worldgroup documents and configuration settings didn't have dynamic IPs in mind when they released worldgroup. I had been winging it on worldlink, until I was really determined to make internet e-mail work properly or die trying (ok, just kidding about the die trying part.)
On with the document..........
Star With DNS:
Most BBS systems on the internet are using home-based broadband systems with a dynamic IP. When you use a dynamic IP, you're also most likely using a dynamic IP service. A dynamic IP service takes your IP and attaches it to Domain Name Servers on the internet.
In the case of my bbs, the IP is: nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net. I keep an automaticly updating software program that keeps my IP up to date, when the IP changes, etc.
In the worldgroup documentation and/or config files, there really looks like there's only one way to connect to everything.
First, the DNS Resolver needs tended to. Go in to your Worldgroup General Settings, and scrolls down until you see "DNS Resolver" (Internet Domain Name Service). You'll see that it asks for a host name on the first line and Domain: network name on the 2nd line.
Let's just look at my network domain name once again: nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net. So, If I put that in to my domain name, what is my host name? Many ISPs would use different hosts and hostnames in the past (And probably still today) for different tasks. So, one server may be available on port 25, another web server on port 80. In these cases, the name a visitor would put in to their url/destination/configuration for:
Web: www.domain
Ftp: ftp.domain
Mail: Pop3.domain or Mail.domain or smtp.domain
Now days, we have port forwarding to do most of all of the work, and even though that is
still being used today, we also in a lot of cases have wildcard support. That means, even though my domain is at nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net, you can go to a web browser and type in www.nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net or probably any combination of word(s) in front of the address.
However, for some reason, the mail server will not work correctly with wildcard names. So,
you wouldn't be able to put hostname: mail and then network: nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net. I've read bits and pieces around the web that suggest even if you had a static ip and domain name, you would most likely have to get the extra addresses added in to your domain name service. So, this document may even help out if you have a real domain and static ip too.
You also can not leave the hostname blank, even though we're not using individual hostnames but rather port forwarding to network addresses. The reason why hostnames can't be left blank on worldgroup is because worldgroup automatically adds a period between the hostname and the domain name. If I was emailing some one on the internet a message,
my address might show up like this: malakai@.nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net. See that period?
Most, if not all, email programs won't accept an address like this. If they did, I'm not sure if it'd even work once it got to the bbs, if it ever had a chance to reach that far.
Instead of using your domain name the way it's suppose to work, you have to trick worldgroup in to thinking you have both a hostname and domain name. So, you have to up the domain name like you were setting it up as the dynamic ip provider itself. Here's how:
If my address is nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net, then I went to split up my virtual domain with the host's domain name. Nostalgiabbs would now go in to HOSTNam (first line under the DNS Resolver, remember?) and then the provider's domain name, which is servebbs.net would go in the network: domain name section (2nd line under DNS Resolver.)
Last but not least, on the 4th line, you want to make sure you're pointing to a real DNS server. That could be a router, which has DNS setup, or a DNS Server that your ISP has given you to use. I tried my router, a wrt54g linksys, and it was just a bit too slow for my tastes, in translating the domain names. So, I chose personally to go directly to the
ISP's DNS server. Try both ways and see which one works for you the best.
MAIL SERVER:
Relax, take a break - the hard part is over... Come back in 10 minutes.
*************88~~
~
~
!!
OK, refreshed?
Now, we just want to make sure our mail server settings are how we want them. First, still in general setup, go down to SMTP Mail Sender. Make sure that it's activated. Also select record stmp delivery errors and to include hostname in outgoing messages, because most email sites
will put it automatically in a spam folder if it doesn't have an address.
Also, you may want to temp record successful smtp transactions, just to make sure every thing is going through, and then make sure the timezone is correct.
As for the smarthost, if you're behind a firewall that apparently is too blocked from the internet, you can use a smarthost.. Don't ask me about it, because I don't use one, nor do I really know what one is :/ I can only assume it's a mail server that's allowed access between the protected zone and the internet.
Now, go to SMTP Mail Receiver. Make sure it's activated. If you want to limit email delivery sizes to your server, then select that option and put how many megs a file/email can be on your bbs.
Again, you may want to record successful and unsuccessful attempts in the audit trail, at least in the beginning, to see if it's working or not.
I also chose to perform reverse lookup on incoming email. What this does is looks at the incoming message's address, checks to make sure that address is real, and then allows it (or not) to come to the system. It is said to take a bit more time and resources but it could limit some of the spam you and your visitors get when going live.
and that's about it for email.
Worldlink:
No, no break for you this time - that part was too easy! I had worldlink set up for a long time before finally "Fixing" my internet email server, but I struggled back and forth, between the different DNS settings. One would make worldlink work correctly and not let internet email work, while the other would mess up the email and let worldlink work correctly.
Here's the thing. With the way you have to use a dynamic ip with both the hostname and domain name options in the DNS Resolver menu, all you really need to do is go down (yes, still in general setup) to Worldlink scheduler and scroll down to the 3rd line: DOMTYP, which asks which ID type you want to use. Change that from domain to HOSTNAME.
You may not have even noticed it, but if your BBS connected to worldlink with out changing this over, it would have cut off the first name (the one you put under host name) and it would show up to all of the worldlink users of the world as some thing like: servebbs.net connected to worldlink, instead of nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net. Yeah, it isn't that big of a deal, but if the people on worldlink wanted to visit your bbs, they would not have the correct address to do it.
If you already had worldlink connected, then you're all set.
If you didn't already have worldlink connected, you need to make sure the active html and such is all on, and then point your web browser to your worldlink server:
http://yourserver.com/remote
It'll ask you to logon. So, logon as sysop, and then click on ADD-Ons, click on Worldlink chat manager, and then phone number/address configuration. Currently, worldlink.worldgroupware.com is the official address. So, put that in the dialing directory and just turn on worldlink whenever you want, via the bbs, using the /CALL xxx minutes command.
Why did I write this tutorial?
Out of the 10 or so sysops I know, only like three have figured out how to successfully use internet email on worldgroup. I was told every thing from "you have to use an external mail server" to "worldgroup 3.30 is too buggy" and "worldgroup 3.30 just plain sux".
There was a time when there was no such thing as dynamic IPs. Worldgroup sysops bought domain names, T-1s, and shiznit like that. The documentation and/or configuration files in worldgroup don't reflect how the internet/bbses are today.
Now, 7 more sysops can have internet email if they desire!!!! lol
Is this tutorial complete?
You have to configure the settings you want and read the documentation. After you have what you figured out configured, then read this, and it'll hopefully get you over the stumps. With that being said, it worked for me. I can't guarantee it'll work for you, and on Worldgroup 3.30 at that.
Inet Email, Wordlink, DNS, DYNIP, WG3.20/3.30 Fix
Moderator: Mod Squad
I'm running SP3 and it's working fine. Not sure if SP2 would be any different.
SP3 was a corperate release that MS was pondering releasing to the public, but they decided that vista was coming out too soon and that it may sway some of the xp users from upgrading.
I've also got a third-party pop3 client working with it (Pegasus mail - pmail.com, probably others will work, but I couldn't get outlook to work with it.)
Since you most likely only relay messages locally, it isn't that cool to just have it so that your visitors can only email people on the bbs back and forth. So, all they need to do is change their outgoing mail server from your SMTP server to their ISP's SMTP server, or any other server that will openly relay messages.
For example, the visitors still would use the bbs address for the incoming, as well as their login name and password for that.
Then, almost every ISP should also have their own relay servers, which work either with authentication or under only their own IPs, unless you're lucky enough to find an open relay server somewhere.
If worldgroup's SMTP server would have allowed for an option to authenticate with BBS USER_IDs and passwords, we could use worldgroup's smtp server.
This is not to say you can't use worldgroup's server for this, but when you enable it, it's an open, unsecure system, and the possability is there for spammers to use that server for their dirty deeds (And take up precious bandwidth and resources.)
Let's get one thing clear though. Even when you're connected to a mail relay server, your visitors can still email back and forth, through the telnet , web mail, and worldgroup manager. They just wouldn't be able to use pop3 software and then email out of the system, unless they are using a relay server from their isp or something.
SP3 was a corperate release that MS was pondering releasing to the public, but they decided that vista was coming out too soon and that it may sway some of the xp users from upgrading.
I've also got a third-party pop3 client working with it (Pegasus mail - pmail.com, probably others will work, but I couldn't get outlook to work with it.)
Since you most likely only relay messages locally, it isn't that cool to just have it so that your visitors can only email people on the bbs back and forth. So, all they need to do is change their outgoing mail server from your SMTP server to their ISP's SMTP server, or any other server that will openly relay messages.
For example, the visitors still would use the bbs address for the incoming, as well as their login name and password for that.
Then, almost every ISP should also have their own relay servers, which work either with authentication or under only their own IPs, unless you're lucky enough to find an open relay server somewhere.
If worldgroup's SMTP server would have allowed for an option to authenticate with BBS USER_IDs and passwords, we could use worldgroup's smtp server.
This is not to say you can't use worldgroup's server for this, but when you enable it, it's an open, unsecure system, and the possability is there for spammers to use that server for their dirty deeds (And take up precious bandwidth and resources.)
Let's get one thing clear though. Even when you're connected to a mail relay server, your visitors can still email back and forth, through the telnet , web mail, and worldgroup manager. They just wouldn't be able to use pop3 software and then email out of the system, unless they are using a relay server from their isp or something.
I've got even another update to doing this. When you do this, your web server's active-html e-mail alias page will show your e-mail address incorrectly.
For example, if you're using the above method using a dynamic ip service, and the full address was:
SysOP@nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net
it will only show:
SysOP@servebbs.net
Like I said, with the way you do this, you're tricking worldgroup in to thinking you're the actual domain you're using your service from, but here's how to fix it:
Go in to your wgserv/galacth/galalias directory and right click on the alias file and edit it. Look for:
Your Internet E-Mail address is: <B>[ALIAS]@[DOMAIN]
Change that with:
Your Internet E-Mail address is: <B>[ALIAS]@[HOSTNAME].[DOMAIN]
Save the file, exit - now your visitors will be able to see their real Internet E-Mail address.
For example, if you're using the above method using a dynamic ip service, and the full address was:
SysOP@nostalgiabbs.servebbs.net
it will only show:
SysOP@servebbs.net
Like I said, with the way you do this, you're tricking worldgroup in to thinking you're the actual domain you're using your service from, but here's how to fix it:
Go in to your wgserv/galacth/galalias directory and right click on the alias file and edit it. Look for:
Your Internet E-Mail address is: <B>[ALIAS]@[DOMAIN]
Change that with:
Your Internet E-Mail address is: <B>[ALIAS]@[HOSTNAME].[DOMAIN]
Save the file, exit - now your visitors will be able to see their real Internet E-Mail address.