setup domain email through web host or registar

[kman1985]

I have a domain that I registered through namecheap.com and I use hostgator.com as my webhost. I want to know if I should create my main domain email address through my registar (namecheap) or my webhost (hostgator). Does it really matter? I was thinking of using my registar because if I ever decide to switch hosts that nothing would happen to my email like I won't lose my email address or anything. Thanks in advanced.

[duddit2]

google apps free or live for domains is what I'd go for in terms of free, but if your prepared to pay ?3.90 per user/mailbox per month I'd go with office 365 small business. I'd never use a hosting service or registrar service for email.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

I would use Windows Live Domains that way you can change hosts / registrar at any time and it will not affect your email service. I personally like it as you get the nice web interface of Microsoft's new Outlook service and exchange active sync for push email on your phone.

[primexx]

are you managing DNS on your registrar or host? if registrar, you have a choice of using your registrar's email service, your host's (don't), or a third party like WL Domains (recommended). If host, it's only convenient to choose between your host's (don't) and WL Domains (yes). So just set up a WL Domains account (or some other third party of your choice, i guess) and update the DNS records wherever that is managed.

[kman1985]

Id like to get Google Apps Free, but it looks like google got rid of their Google Apps Free version. I read there's a loophole/workaround to get it on lifehacker (http://lifehacker.co...domain-for-free). Has anybody done this or know a way to get google apps free version. Thanks.

[primexx]

first time i've heard of it, why not just give it a try?

[kman1985]

Ok. So i signed up for google apps. Everything worked out. I had to verify that I owned the domain by adding a DNS TXT record and then change the mail MX Records on hostgator's cpanel. I have a question though, if down the line I want to just use my domain email and cancel hosting, would I need to do anything different since I had to do all this on hostgator's cpanel for google apps to work. Would I have to do something on namecheap or something? Thanks.

[primexx]

you need to understand how dns works:

if something wants to communicate with you, it needs to figure out what the actual "address" is using your domain which is basically just a short hand. so you designate a name server that acts as a directory which lists all the actual addresses. it also allows you to list other records, like TXT for example.

so to get to your website, i'd have to reach your DNS, and ask it where your website is located, this is the A or AAAA record, the DNS tells me that IP and I can proceed to go there and get the actual page. to send you mail, I have to ask your DNS where your mail server is, this is your MX record. Once I get that, I go on over to wheverer I'm told then ask them to receive my mail.

What you apparently did, is in your registrar's settings, you designated HostGator as your DNS server. That means people are asking HostGator where to go. And you made the appropriate records in HostGator to tell them to go to Google for emails.

So if you decide to switch email providers, just update your MX record at whoever is your name server, and point it to the new service. That means you can switch DNS and keep using Google for email by just keep pointing people to them. If you want to cancel HostGator, you obviously can't keep using it as your name server. You'd have to designate someone else as your DNS and make the appropriate records there. Likely, you'd simply use your registrar as the DNS, so you'd just have to make the right records there for it to work.