Host website and email separately?

[Susie]

Can anyone save me from going on a wild goose chase? Do you guys know if there's a way to host a domain's email on one shared server and the actual website on a different shared server (two separate companies)?

[falkencreative]

You can... you can point the mail records and the site itself to different servers by changing the DNS. I don't know a huge amount about it, but someone else may be able to fill you in.

[newseed]

You need two host. The domain can be parked at either one or at another location.

 

From the domain, you set the DNS for the website to point to one host and the MX mail settings to point to the other host.

 

Most control panels have pretty clear info on how to do it.

[Susie]

Thanks for the info, guys!

[LSW]

Inquiring minds want to know... Why? You want it or a customer? Is there supposed to be an advantage? Never heard it suggested before.

[Susie]

It's a very long story. lol It's for a client of mine. He has a website on a really long domain name. He had me set him up with a shorter domain name that he uses for emails. Now he wants the longer domain to be switched to the shorter domain. But the longer domain website was created by some other company and they won't let him have more than 10 emails. So, he wants the short domain to go with the website by the other company but keep the emails with the one I set up for him.

 

Are you confused yet?

Edited March 5, 2009 by Susie

[LSW]

LOL - can't they just switch hosts?

 

He should be able to point mail forwarders to wherever he wants, same with the domain name... so just point the short domain name towards the longer one... but I guess it makes sense... I couldn't imagine any normal benefit from it.

[Susie]

I couldn't imagine any normal benefit from it.

 

Don't get me started.

 

If he switches the short domain to where the long domain is being hosted, then he only gets 10 email addresses and he needs way more than 10.

 

I have a hard time keeping up, myself. :cool:

[newseed]

Depending on the hosting account, some will let you host 2 or more domains together. Why not put both domains on the same host especially a host that will allow you at least 100 email accounts and then you don't have to worry about pointing one domain for email and another domain for web.

 

Otherwise, you'd be paying for two host..one for email and the other for the web site.

Edited March 5, 2009 by newseed

[Susie]

He's already paying for 2 hosts. It's kind of weird the way he's got things set up. I came on the scene after this was all done. But we still have the issue of the website being hosted on one host through the actual developer. I don't think they'll release the website files to be hosted on another server and if my client hosts his emails through them, he only gets 10.

 

Anyway, I went ahead and told him that it's doable, so that's the extent of my involvement.

[lwsimon]

I now host all my client emails, plus my own, with Google.

 

You get the functionality of Gmail, with an @domain.com email address. You can also sign up for Google docs, calendar, and a myriad of other services I've not messed with yet. It is dead easy to set up, too.

 

The only reason I would consider going with someone else is if the client required a SLA.

 

Check out google.com/apps

 

(Sorry for the spam-like reply, but it *is* a solution to the problem, and I have no interest in Google)

[Susie]

I use google apps myself. I didn't think to suggest that to my client. Hmmm...

[maptinricky]

Setting MX Records Correctly to have e-mail accounts and forwarding handled on one server while the domain name and web site are handled by other servers.

 

(First Step: Setting them at all)

 

You MUST create an MX record with the A record for the domain (usually straight domain: example.com) for which you need e-mail.

 

Once this was set correctly as described below it worked despite the 'unknown RCPT TO' error message in the DNS report.

[Susie]

I've got this one worked out, as well. Thanks, guys!

 

(The client decided to just simply forward the small domain website to the large domain website and keep all the emails at the smaller domain host.)

[shelfimage]

I've got this one worked out, as well. Thanks, guys!

 

(The client decided to just simply forward the small domain website to the large domain website and keep all the emails at the smaller domain host.)

As a followup, you can use a host's 'Add-on' domain service to host two domains on the same account and get two separate email services as a result. I do this with a couple customers that want a different domain for email and web (don't ask why LOL).

[Issy]

I am surprised no one mentioned to her to get a VPS and put both hosting and email all on one server=) Then you could have as many emails as you desire. Just a thought:cool: