Specific operations

DNS configuration
For your SoloBox, FamilyBox, ProBox or CustomBox account to function correctly, you need to configure your service's DNS. 

 If you have a BasicBox account, the configuration has been automatically completed and the service is ready for use. So there's nothing more to do. 

 If you have a CustomBox account, the procedure described on this page must be completed for each new domain you add. 

 Whether your DNS is hosted by Hosterra or another provider, the configuration process is always the same: 

 Download the required recordings 

 Log in to Mailcow using the login details sent to you by e-mail when you purchased the service. If this is your first connection, you will be asked to choose a new password. 

 Next to your domain name, a button on the right, called DNS , opens a window giving access to your service's DNS configuration. Ignore red, orange or green warnings the first time. Simply click on the button at bottom left to download the DNS records you'll need. 

 Configure your DNS 

 Go to your DNS configuration interface (this may be Hosterra or another provider). And for each line of the previously downloaded file, create or modify the record. 

 There are a total of 11 records to create. 

 If you have registered your domain with Hosterra, your DNS already contains a large number of these records. If this is the case, add only those that are not already present. 

 Check your configuration 

 After at least one hour (the minimum time required for your DNS records to propagate), log on to Mailcow and click again on the DNS button next to the domain you're setting up. This time, inspect each line and check the colors of the icons: 

 

 If all the icons are green, you've set up your service correctly and it's fully operational. 

 If some icons remain orange or red, here's what you can do: 

 

 Orange icon: the record is not detected (it is perceived as "non-existent"). In this case, check that it does exist in your DNS and wait for propagation to complete. 

 Red icon: the record is incorrect (it is perceived as "erroneous"). In this case, check that it has been entered without error in your DNS, or that there are no duplicates, and then, after correcting the record(s) in error, wait for propagation to fully complete. 

 

 DNS propagation can sometimes take up to 24 hours. 

 DMARC record is considered optional. However, if you wish to avoid any deliverability problems, it is recommended that you set it up. 

 Testing you configuration (optional) 

 To test your SPF + DKIM + DMARC configuration, you can uses tools like: 

 

 Red Sift's Investigate tool 

 M@ilGenius 

 Mail-Tester

Mailbox migration
To migrate a mailbox from a previous provider to Hosterra Email, use the mailbox synchronization feature . 

 Once you've entered the standard parameters (target and source mailboxes, server and port of your previous provider), run a first simulated synchronization (penultimate checkbox in the window). If the simulation was successful, you can activate your task and save it. 

 The minimum synchronization frequency is 20 minutes. You must therefore wait until this time has elapsed for the first synchronizations to take place.

Domain migration
If you need to migrate all your existing email services to Hosterra Email, we strongly encourage you to proceed as follows: 

 

 Create in Hosterra Email all the mailboxes you have with your previous provider. 

 Migrate all old mailboxes to the new ones and let synchronization enabled. 

 Configure your DNS to point to Hosterra Email services. 

 Wait for DNS propagation to complete: your old server will continue to receive some mails until propagation is complete. 

 Configure client software to use Hosterra Email mailboxes. 

 After 24 hours, delete the synchronization tasks created in step 2, as they are no longer required: all your mails now goes through Hosterra Email. 

 

 By performing the migration operations in this order, you can be sure of not losing any old or new mail during DNS propagation (which can take up to 24 hours).

Securing your account
You can increase the security of access to your Hosterra Email account by choosing to activate multi-factor authentication or switch to a passwordless authentication mode. 

 If you log in as a mailbox user, the security options are on the home page. If you log in as a domain administrator, you can access these options via the System > User Settings top menu. 

 Multi-factor authentication 

 To add a second authentication factor to your Hosterra Email account, go to your mailcow administration interface . Choose your preferred method (Yubico, WebAuth or software OTP) and follow the configuration wizard. 

 FIDO2 

 To log in without passwords (using keys), click on the Register FIDO2 device button and follow the configuration wizard.