Hosting domain with FM

Kevs · 14 Apr 2016, 10:57 AM

I just got on board with FM and am happy, as Gmail was so horrid (in relation to imap and apple mail). I'm going to be posting a handful of short questions on this board, as I find the help here to be a bit more responsive than FM's overtaxed support.

I use a business mail tied to my domain. It's hosted by godaddy for a long time. FM claims it would be better to host the domain with them as per spam. Is this true, and why?

David · 14 Apr 2016, 11:04 AM

If you use Apple mail (only) - you are limiting yourself...... imho

Kevs · 14 Apr 2016, 11:14 AM

Thanks David, please expand on that. I'm open to new ideas/ suggestions...

rusl · 14 Apr 2016, 04:38 PM

I don't think Fastmail hosts domains any more - they did several years ago. I think what they want you to do to maximise your spam filtering success is host the DNS for your domain with Fastmail. You do that by configuring the nameservers to point to Fastmail. Nameserver configuration is done at your domain registrar (GoDaddy - please get a better registrar, but that's a different topic). So in your GoDaddy account you would need to change the nameservers to ns1.messagingengine.com and ns2.messagingengine.com (which belong to Fastmail). Then set up your domain in the Fastmail account. Once that is done and the change has propagated through the internet (sometime a few hours) you administer your DNS settings through your Fastmail account. This is all described in Fastmail's help documentation fairly clearly. Having Fastmail host your DNS makes everything run more smoothly. If you also have a website for your domain and that is hosted elsewhere then you'll need to configure the DNS to point to it.

Apple Mail is fine. Everyone has an opinion

The Fastmail web interface is pretty nice to use if you don't mind using a web browser for email. It gives direct access to the Settings screens, calendar, and address book.

Of course if you set up the Calendar and address books on your Mac in the Settings preferences then you can use the native Apple "Contacts" and Calendar there too. Everything should all sync perfectly. I was doing this up until recently when I switched fully to the web interface. I still have my Fastmail address book syncing with my Mac so I can use iMessages on the Mac with the contacts in my Fastmail address book.

The beauty of Fastmail is that they use open standards for syncing so generally things just work everywhere.

robn · 14 Apr 2016, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusl

I don't think Fastmail hosts domains any more - they did several years ago.

We used to sell domains (ie, we were a registrar). We don't do that anymore.

Quote:

I think what they want you to do to maximise your spam filtering success is host the DNS for your domain with Fastmail.

We recommend this because then we can make sure your DNS records are set up correctly, including SPF, DKIM and any other spam-defense technologies that might show up.

If you use third-party DNS servers, you have to set these up yourself. Once you have, it works exactly the same way as if you use FastMail's DNS. The reason we don't recommend it is that DNS is confusing and error-prone to many people, and if you get it wrong you stop receiving email. It's better if we can manage it directly.

If you know what you're doing though, or you have needs we can't service (which is the same thing), then using your own DNS works perfectly well.

kijinbear · 14 Apr 2016, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robn

The reason we don't recommend it is that DNS is confusing and error-prone to many people, and if you get it wrong you stop receiving email. It's better if we can manage it directly.

On the other hand, if OP already has a website hosted elsewhere, changing nameservers and DNS records carries just as much risk of bringing the website down. That is, unless FM can automatically migrate most existing A/AAAA/CNAME records like CloudFlare does.

So the safest option would be to keep using GoDaddy's nameservers and just add FastMail's MX and TXT (SPF/DKIM) records. That way, all the A/AAAA/CNAME records that the website depends on will remain intact and continue to point to the right location even if OP changes hosting plans later.

Kevs · 15 Apr 2016, 01:38 AM

Thanks all. Yes, when I did the MX on the phone with godaddy, I also added Text for (SPF/DKIM) , and it went well. So thanks for clarifying all that.

Funny, went I went to Google apps a couple of months ago, a friend who is with google said, don't even bother with imap. just use the the Google web browser only, it's great. (and he added google will be around forever)....

I tried the google browser for a week, but I hate browsers for email. Cliens are so much more fluid and friendly. Had I liked the browser, then I would never have done the full migration/ Mx nuisance over to Fastmail! That was done because of wanting to have Mail as the primary interface, and Fastmail has a better imap system.

That said, I quickly noticed that FM browser is also better than Gmails!.Though I wont use it probably hardly ever, it's nice to know. When I was learning Gmails' I did wonder about the limitation that it could not bring in my Apple Contacts. So the fact that FM can do that,(which I have not even looked into), is nice. Apple Contacts which updates on the fly in the icloud.com , can sync with the fastmail interface indefinitely on time, and consistently, like it's another device? If so let me know how to set that up, and I'll get going.

ChinaLamb · 15 Apr 2016, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevs

Apple Contacts which updates on the fly in the icloud.com , can sync with the fastmail interface indefinitely on time, and consistently, like it's another device? If so let me know how to set that up, and I'll get going.

Fastmail and iCloud
You CAN sync CALENDARS between fastmail and your icloud, I do not believe Fastmail has implemented the ability to sync CONTACTS between Fastmail <-> icloud...

Fastmail and iDevices
That being said, it IS possible to have your iphone or your ipad sync contacts and calendars with Fastmail (jPhone/ipad <-> Fastmail).

Directions:

https://www.fastmail.com/help/clients/iphone.html

Kevs · 15 Apr 2016, 04:16 AM

Thanks, Ok, looks like fastmail uses whatever is on the phone and syncs contacts from there, not sure even Google could do that...
But for desktop/ laptop. I guess FM cannot get my contacts into their browser interface?

Why would I care about calendar. I have an app called calendar. I guess some people click on their calendars to send an email?

Contacts are way more important as you may want to send an email to someone easily with it....

rusl · 15 Apr 2016, 10:52 AM

I use Fastmail for my email, contacts, and calendar. I have a Mac and an iPhone, and iPad. All of these things (email, contacts, calendar) can be easily accessed through fastmail's web interface (which is a really nice web interface - so if you end up needing to access your stuff from a work computer you have everything right there on the web).

You can set up your smartphone to point to Fastmail's contacts server so that the contacts on your phone (and on your desktop computer) stay in sync with the contacts in Fastmail's web interface. Changes you make to any contacts on your Mac or phone will sync both ways to Fastmail and everything will be the same on the web, Mac, and phone.

You can also set up your computer and phone to point to Fastmail's calendar server so that the calendar on your computer, phone, and on the Fastmail web interface will all have the same information and any changes made at one interface will sync across all places.

I currently use Fastmail for email, contacts, and calendar across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. I primarily use the web interface when I'm at my laptop and I use the Fastmail app on my iPad and iPhone, but the contacts still stay synced in the address books of my devices and I use a separate calendar application on my Mac and iPhone and they also stay in sync. I can change a contact in the Contacts app of my phone and it updates all of the devices (I have it set to sync once per hour so there is a short delay).

I don't use iCloud at all - I'm not even signed in. Fastmail takes care of all the syncing and it works flawlessly.

BritTim · 15 Apr 2016, 11:04 AM

@rusl Yes, I think your approach is best for Apple users. The only difference for some of my customers is the use of Apple Mail which, while it has some flaws, works well with Fastmail after changes over the last year.

Kevs · 15 Apr 2016, 01:27 PM

Thanks guys, I'm on Apple icloud for a year and cannot imagine not using the icloud. That is ground zero for syncing contacts calendar, photos, notes, reminders, etc.

I did not even understand the explanation of syncing without it, but I trust it can be done.

I have not used a hotel computer to see email since I got my first laptop eight years ago. I do think the fastmail browser looks great, so it's nice to know that is there in case I was traveling and did not have my laptop, and if this happened a lot then I would get my contacts in there too. Until then, I probably wont bother.

I still don't understand why one would use calendar in fast mail when you have the apple calendar app.

Berenburger · 15 Apr 2016, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevs

I still don't understand why one would use calendar in fast mail when you have the apple calendar app.

Not all of us use exclusively Apple.

Pfolson · 15 Apr 2016, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevs

I still don't understand why one would use calendar in fast mail when you have the apple calendar app.

The desire to have mail, contacts, and calendar functions all in one easy to use place or program is a long-standing desire for many users, particularly business users. It's called a Personal Information Manager or PIM. It probably started with Microsoft Outlook, which was for years the most used (although not always the most well-loved) PIM program. In order to keep pace with Outlook, some other e-mail clients added calendar functions of their own. For example, Thunderbird integrated calendaring with an extension called Lightning. Later, when average users began to move away from using dedicated e-mail clients in favor of web mail, they brought the desire for PIM functions with them. It's why Google integrates Google Calendar with Gmail, and why after many years Fastmail introduced its own calendar, contact syncing, etc. Some people still prefer to use separate apps or programs for each separate function, but others will always like the "all in one place" ease and integration of a PIM, especially in this day and age where we're all coming and going all day long and using so many different devices.

jhollington · 16 Apr 2016, 01:01 AM

Yes, it's pretty much a matter of personal choice, but Apple has basically always taken the approach of creating three separate apps that integrate reasonably well with each other, both on OS X and iOS, which means it's a semantic difference at the end of the day — at least as far as client apps go.

For instance, I can easily create a calendar appointment or a contact from an e-mail message in Apple's OS X and iOS Mail apps, and that's only been improving with more recent versions, with the Mail app now actually suggesting new records when it finds something. Calendar appointments created from Mail will automatically include a link back to the original email message that works across both the Mac and iOS versions of the Calendar/Mail apps, so you can easily refer back to the original message, and it works even if the message was moved to a different folder. Similarly, in iOS 9 the Contacts and Calendars app will now suggest edits to contacts based on messages found in your e-mail (e.g. a new phone number or mailing address for an existing contact, or a new calendar entry that appears as if it was an appointment).

That's been Apple's trick for years, though.... Everything integrates really well if you stay within the walled garden. Stray outside of it, and things get a little bit murkier. Personally, I don't use the web interface a lot at all, — even for e-mail — so FastMail's Calendar service is nice but does nothing for me. I stay with iCloud for my calendars as it's more tightly integrated with the Mac and iPhone apps. Contacts are still primarily in iCloud, but I do a dump to FastMail's CardDAV server every so often just to take advantage of contact-based mail rules (e.g. not filtering spam from known senders). Beyond that, if you live primarily on a Mac, iPhone, and/or iPad, there's little reason not to just keep using the iCloud Calendar and Contact services, IMHO.

14 Apr 2016, 10:57 AM	#1
Kevs Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 77	Hosting domain with FM I just got on board with FM and am happy, as Gmail was so horrid (in relation to imap and apple mail). I'm going to be posting a handful of short questions on this board, as I find the help here to be a bit more responsive than FM's overtaxed support. I use a business mail tied to my domain. It's hosted by godaddy for a long time. FM claims it would be better to host the domain with them as per spam. Is this true, and why?

14 Apr 2016, 11:04 AM	#2
David Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canada. Posts: 10,355	If you use Apple mail (only) - you are limiting yourself...... imho

14 Apr 2016, 11:14 AM	#3
Kevs Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 77	Thanks David, please expand on that. I'm open to new ideas/ suggestions...

14 Apr 2016, 04:38 PM	#4
rusl Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 78	I don't think Fastmail hosts domains any more - they did several years ago. I think what they want you to do to maximise your spam filtering success is host the DNS for your domain with Fastmail. You do that by configuring the nameservers to point to Fastmail. Nameserver configuration is done at your domain registrar (GoDaddy - please get a better registrar, but that's a different topic). So in your GoDaddy account you would need to change the nameservers to ns1.messagingengine.com and ns2.messagingengine.com (which belong to Fastmail). Then set up your domain in the Fastmail account. Once that is done and the change has propagated through the internet (sometime a few hours) you administer your DNS settings through your Fastmail account. This is all described in Fastmail's help documentation fairly clearly. Having Fastmail host your DNS makes everything run more smoothly. If you also have a website for your domain and that is hosted elsewhere then you'll need to configure the DNS to point to it. Apple Mail is fine. Everyone has an opinion The Fastmail web interface is pretty nice to use if you don't mind using a web browser for email. It gives direct access to the Settings screens, calendar, and address book. Of course if you set up the Calendar and address books on your Mac in the Settings preferences then you can use the native Apple "Contacts" and Calendar there too. Everything should all sync perfectly. I was doing this up until recently when I switched fully to the web interface. I still have my Fastmail address book syncing with my Mac so I can use iMessages on the Mac with the contacts in my Fastmail address book. The beauty of Fastmail is that they use open standards for syncing so generally things just work everywhere.

15 Apr 2016, 01:38 AM	#7
Kevs Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 77	Thanks all. Yes, when I did the MX on the phone with godaddy, I also added Text for (SPF/DKIM) , and it went well. So thanks for clarifying all that. Funny, went I went to Google apps a couple of months ago, a friend who is with google said, don't even bother with imap. just use the the Google web browser only, it's great. (and he added google will be around forever).... I tried the google browser for a week, but I hate browsers for email. Cliens are so much more fluid and friendly. Had I liked the browser, then I would never have done the full migration/ Mx nuisance over to Fastmail! That was done because of wanting to have Mail as the primary interface, and Fastmail has a better imap system. That said, I quickly noticed that FM browser is also better than Gmails!.Though I wont use it probably hardly ever, it's nice to know. When I was learning Gmails' I did wonder about the limitation that it could not bring in my Apple Contacts. So the fact that FM can do that,(which I have not even looked into), is nice. Apple Contacts which updates on the fly in the icloud.com , can sync with the fastmail interface indefinitely on time, and consistently, like it's another device? If so let me know how to set that up, and I'll get going.

15 Apr 2016, 04:16 AM	#9
Kevs Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 77	Thanks, Ok, looks like fastmail uses whatever is on the phone and syncs contacts from there, not sure even Google could do that... But for desktop/ laptop. I guess FM cannot get my contacts into their browser interface? Why would I care about calendar. I have an app called calendar. I guess some people click on their calendars to send an email? Contacts are way more important as you may want to send an email to someone easily with it....

15 Apr 2016, 10:52 AM	#10
rusl Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 78	I use Fastmail for my email, contacts, and calendar. I have a Mac and an iPhone, and iPad. All of these things (email, contacts, calendar) can be easily accessed through fastmail's web interface (which is a really nice web interface - so if you end up needing to access your stuff from a work computer you have everything right there on the web). You can set up your smartphone to point to Fastmail's contacts server so that the contacts on your phone (and on your desktop computer) stay in sync with the contacts in Fastmail's web interface. Changes you make to any contacts on your Mac or phone will sync both ways to Fastmail and everything will be the same on the web, Mac, and phone. You can also set up your computer and phone to point to Fastmail's calendar server so that the calendar on your computer, phone, and on the Fastmail web interface will all have the same information and any changes made at one interface will sync across all places. I currently use Fastmail for email, contacts, and calendar across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. I primarily use the web interface when I'm at my laptop and I use the Fastmail app on my iPad and iPhone, but the contacts still stay synced in the address books of my devices and I use a separate calendar application on my Mac and iPhone and they also stay in sync. I can change a contact in the Contacts app of my phone and it updates all of the devices (I have it set to sync once per hour so there is a short delay). I don't use iCloud at all - I'm not even signed in. Fastmail takes care of all the syncing and it works flawlessly.

15 Apr 2016, 11:04 AM	#11
BritTim The "e" in e-mail Join Date: May 2003 Location: mostly in Thailand Posts: 3,095	@rusl Yes, I think your approach is best for Apple users. The only difference for some of my customers is the use of Apple Mail which, while it has some flaws, works well with Fastmail after changes over the last year.

15 Apr 2016, 01:27 PM	#12
Kevs Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 77	Thanks guys, I'm on Apple icloud for a year and cannot imagine not using the icloud. That is ground zero for syncing contacts calendar, photos, notes, reminders, etc. I did not even understand the explanation of syncing without it, but I trust it can be done. I have not used a hotel computer to see email since I got my first laptop eight years ago. I do think the fastmail browser looks great, so it's nice to know that is there in case I was traveling and did not have my laptop, and if this happened a lot then I would get my contacts in there too. Until then, I probably wont bother. I still don't understand why one would use calendar in fast mail when you have the apple calendar app.

16 Apr 2016, 01:01 AM	#15
jhollington Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 371	Yes, it's pretty much a matter of personal choice, but Apple has basically always taken the approach of creating three separate apps that integrate reasonably well with each other, both on OS X and iOS, which means it's a semantic difference at the end of the day — at least as far as client apps go. For instance, I can easily create a calendar appointment or a contact from an e-mail message in Apple's OS X and iOS Mail apps, and that's only been improving with more recent versions, with the Mail app now actually suggesting new records when it finds something. Calendar appointments created from Mail will automatically include a link back to the original email message that works across both the Mac and iOS versions of the Calendar/Mail apps, so you can easily refer back to the original message, and it works even if the message was moved to a different folder. Similarly, in iOS 9 the Contacts and Calendars app will now suggest edits to contacts based on messages found in your e-mail (e.g. a new phone number or mailing address for an existing contact, or a new calendar entry that appears as if it was an appointment). That's been Apple's trick for years, though.... Everything integrates really well if you stay within the walled garden. Stray outside of it, and things get a little bit murkier. Personally, I don't use the web interface a lot at all, — even for e-mail — so FastMail's Calendar service is nice but does nothing for me. I stay with iCloud for my calendars as it's more tightly integrated with the Mac and iPhone apps. Contacts are still primarily in iCloud, but I do a dump to FastMail's CardDAV server every so often just to take advantage of contact-based mail rules (e.g. not filtering spam from known senders). Beyond that, if you live primarily on a Mac, iPhone, and/or iPad, there's little reason not to just keep using the iCloud Calendar and Contact services, IMHO.