ServerWatch content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Designed specifically for home networks, schools and charities (and appropriate for larger organizations as well), FTGate is an easy-to-configure and inexpensive POP3/SMTP mail server for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT platforms.
FTGate can work closely with the dialup tools in Windows NT and Windows 95/98 (RAS and Internet dialup) to automate connectivity to an ISP for sending and receiving electronic mail. You can set it up to dial an ISP at predetermined intervals or when there’s outgoing mail to be delivered. Of course, FTGate will work on a 24/7 dedicated network link as well, and it will also work with proxy servers supporting SOCKS 4.
Designed specifically for home networks, schools and charities (and appropriate for larger organizations as well), FTGate is an easy-to-configure and inexpensive POP3/SMTP mail server for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT platforms.
Setting up FTGate is a simple chore that takes less than 15 minutes. The graphical interface allows basic e-mail functionality to be implemented quickly, and even an Internet neophyte can set up FTGate quickly on a network connection. User information can be imported from a text file.
A unique feature in FTGate is SmartPop, which allows connections to one or more POP3 mailboxes at various ISPs. Mail can be downloaded and delivered to the appropriate local mailbox. SmartPop also supports domain mailboxes.
FTGate also features a number of handy autoresponder capabilities. For instance, a special mailbox can be set up to deal with messages with a certain subject line; the mailbox can autoreply with a canned response, run a program, or forward the message to another mailbox. In addition, mail can automatically be routed to other users based on various settings, including content and subject lines.
Other notable features include mail aliases (that is, multiple names for a single mailbox), mailing-list maintenance, finger-server capabilities, and remote administration. In addition to standard user mailboxes, FTGate supports other types of mailboxes, including group mailboxes (designed for messages to be sent to a specific group or multiple groups) and list mailboxes (which allows a single message to be sent to a large number of people).
Address mapping allows you to program changes in a destination address, which allows for all mail for a specific domain to be sent to a single mailbox. The server can be monitored, but not administered, via Web browser. A kill list is used to prevent unauthorized spam mailings.
FTGate is available for a free 30-day evaluation; additionally, the server can be used for free on one mailbox. A tiered pricing schedule for additional licenses begins with a 5 mailbox license for #25 and scales up to an unlimited mailbox license for #350. Each user mailbox, auto-responder, list mailbox, and robot mailbox counts as one mailbox license.
Note that the contacts and pricing information come from the British home of FTGate. Online orders must be made in pounds, so if you’re wanting to register FTGate with American currency, don’t bother. However, credit card orders are accepted with the dollar amount automatically converted to pounds by the credit card company. If you want to order FTGate from a non-British source, the FTGate Web site lists a host of registered resellers that might be closer to home.
Pros: 7 Lots of power at a low price (free for one-user license), 7 Extremely easy to install, 7 Excellent autoresponder and aliasing capabilities
Cons: 7 No IMAP4 capabilities, 7 No remote browser-based administration capabilities, 7 No telephone support
New in v2.1.2.1: New InstallShield installer, improved http server pages; Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 2
New in v2.2: Enhanced SmartPop, ability to run as a Windows 95 service, improved auto-responders, NT Security infomation used for account creation and access control; Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 4
New in v2.2 S2: Daily archiving folder; improved SmartPop logging; crash problems with the 95/98 service version and with remote SMTP servers that sprout garbage; x-receipient handling added to the spooler; and read receipt filtered by the list handler Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 3
|
Version Reviewed: 2.2 Reviewed by: Kevin Reichard |
Last Updated: 12/13/99 Date of Original Review: 6/26/98 |
Operating Systems / Latest Versions:
Windows NT – Intel, Alpha. Windows 95/98. (v2.2 SR2)
