Migration Remnants

I think the last of my issues from migrating web hosts is now done. I had a few DynDNS domains that I really only use to accept email. I had a Rube Goldberg style setup on Dreamhost that kept the mail flowing but it isn’t possible to do with HostGator. I made a failed attempt to set up these domains to use Google apps but since a free DynDNS domain doesn’t have a lot of flexibility I couldn’t make it work. It might not be impossible but I couldn’t do it. I gave up and just pointed it all to my home Linux box. That’s not as reliable as I’d like but screw it, it’s done now.

I sure hope I am done with this now. Moving webhosts, particularly when you have a lot of odd configurations and freaky domains, sucks almost as much as moving houses.

5 thoughts on “Migration Remnants”

  1. I do a similar thing (mail server at home), and to solve the reliability issue, I use DynDNS’s MailHop Backup MX to avoid mail bounces if my home server is down. It’s like 32.50 a year, and you just stick it in the MX record w/ a lower priority. So if your main box isn’t available, it spools up on the backup, which delivers when you come back up. I’ve used it for several years w/ no issues. Recommended.

  2. Glad things are sorted. Not sure I really get your domain setups but glad its done anyway.
    On the Google Apps issue, I’ve been using them for a few months now for my blog, and run my email from their gmail service, and also plug it in via IMAP to Mail.app and my iPhone. Either way the Google Apps seems like a nice service, especially with the internal gTalk, calendar and now Google Sites stuff. I can see where it would be useful for people running a small business.

    Hope your new hosts treat their new evil genius well.

  3. Ken, as long as my home server isn’t down for more than 5 days it should be OK as the STMP servers keep retrying. Nothing goes to those addresses that will break my heart if it doesn’t get delivered anyway.

    James, having my blog be borderline unloadable for 4 days was the final straw. 3 days after I cancelled the account I got an email from support telling me they were moving me to a more stable machine. That would have kept my business if they did it, ohh, 3 months ago when I first asked them to.

    Dom, Google Apps seem fine. However when you are using a DynDNS free account you don’t have enough fine control over the records to be able to set it up. At least, I couldn’t.

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