Virtual server host with reasonable mail policies?

[mikebw at colossus.bilow.com]

I started running my own e-mail servers in the days when there was no 
other way to have e-mail. I used to consult for ISP and co-location 
companies who let me install my own hardware in their racks, but I 
transitioned out of that in 2009.

For over a decade, I've done all of this with BuyVM — 
https://buyvm.net/kvm-dedicated-server-slices/ — on a dedicated KVM 
slice running Debian. I pay $10 per month, but that's a grandfathered 
plan; they have current shared-CPU plans starting at $2 per month and 
dedicated-CPU plans starting at $15 per month.

I've been very happy with ServaRICA — https://servarica.com/all-offers/ 
— and have their "Horse" plan (3TB storage for $10 per month), but have 
not run a mail server there although I'm fairly sure they allow it.

Many independent vendors offer excellent deals on Low End Box — 
https://lowendbox.com/ — and most would allow e-mail.

If your budget is in the $100-200 per month range, we've had superb 
corporate service from In Motion Hosting — 
https://www.inmotionhosting.com/dedicated-servers — but that involves 
serious mission-critical commitments to a public-facing WordPress host, 
as well as e-mail, and live 24x7 support.

-- Mike


On 12/30/22 14:33, Benjamin Scott wrote:
> Hi everybody!
>
> Can anyone recommend a VPS/VM host that understands people might want to use email?  (VPS=Virtual Private Server, VM=Virtual Machine)
>
> I (and GNHLUG) have been with Digital Ocean for several years now, and they've generally been good, but their attitude towards email has devolved to "Go away" and that doesn't meet my/our needs.
>
> I'm not looking for someone to hold me hand or run a relay for me.  As long as they (1) allow use of mail service ports, (2) don't tell me I don't want to run email, and (3) respond to abuse reports against their other customers, I'm good.
>
> Linode, for example, blocks mail ports by default, but provides a reasonable-sounding procedure to get them unblocked, and claims to care about mail abuse.  But that's one provider of many; I'd like to hear if others have experience.
>
> I/we need to be able to:
> - Receive email directly (run an SMTP listener on TCP port 25)
> - Send email directly (initiate outbound connections to TCP port 25)
> - Run a web server (HTTP/SSL listener on TCP ports 80 and 443)
> - Run an SSH listener on a non-standard port (remote access)
> - Run a DNS server on UDP and TCP port 53 (authoritative name server)
> - Install and run arbitrary Linux software
> - Fairly low volume for all traffic (mail, DNS, web, IP)
> - Fairly low CPU, disk, and RAM usage
> - Hand-holding software like "CPanel" is actively unwanted
>
> All I/we want the provider to do is:
> - Provide some kind of UI for low-level VM maintenance
>     - Installation of operating system (canned images are fine)
>     - Recovery of OS when SSH can't be used
> - Make sure the VM doesn't go down due to power or hardware fault
> - Make sure IP traffic keeps flowing
> - Respond to abuse reports to keep reputation at least somewhat OK
>
> -- Ben
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