How to setup and configure SMTP Server on Windows Server 2008 R2

If you want to install SMTP on Windows Server 2008, start by launching the Server Manager console(type servermanager.mscin the search box and press Enter), then select Features and click Add features

Check SMTP sever

If you see a prompt like the one in the picture below, click the Add required servicesbutton

Click Next

Ensure that IIS Metabase Compatibility and IIS 6 Management Console are selected and click Next

Confirm the installation by clicking the Install button

Once the installation is complete, click Close

When you configure the SMTP server, you would want to disable Open Relay asthis will ensure that your server will not be used for sending spam messages. In addition to taking the steps below, you can also configure the Firewall so that only 127.0.0.1 talks to port 25 on the server and all other connections are rejected.

How to configure the SMTP server on Windows Server 2008 R2

Start the IIS 6 Manager console (type inetmgr6 in the search box and press Enter). Right click on SMTP virtual server and select Properties

Open the Access tab and click Relay

Make sure that under Relay restrictions Only the list below is selected

Click the Add button and on the next screen, enter the local host IP address, 127.0.0.1 and click OK

Click the OK button again

Click Connection and repeat the same steps by adding the 127.0.0.1 IP address

Click the Authentication button and select Anonymous access.

You can leave the default settings under the Messages and Delivery tabs. Under Outbound Security of the Delivery tab, you can leave Anonymous accessselected since we have chosen only localhost to connect and relay mail.

Testing the server

Make sure that Telnet is installed, if it isn’t, start the Server Manager console (type servermanager.mscin the search box and press Enter), click Features, Add features, select Telnet client and install the feature.

Once Telnet is installed, start command prompt (type cmd in the search box and press Enter), then type telnet localhost 25 and press Enter again

If you can connect to the mail sever, you should receive a message back; the message will vary from one server to another, but typically the response would include Microsoft ESMTP server ready along with the Version number.