Emails and moving hosting

[r2d2]

I am about to change my hosting for my main email account, and seem to remember something about problems with emails when changing the DNS, and emails going missing during the change... Did I remember this right?

Maybe it was if you didnt have an account setup at the new hosting yet?

[moonshield]

well changing the DNS is not going to be instant so there would be that time for missed emails...

[r2d2]

But wouldnt emails go to the old host till the DNS goes through, then to the new host after. Either way they should always end up somewhere, never just 'disappear'.

Maybe just need to manually login to each email account using the hosting package or something, during the change over?

[moonshield]

i would'nt think that they would disappear... your not getting email every ten seconds right?

[r2d2]

Oh no, no where near that much, but as you say, they shouldn't disappear. I just wanted to clarify the situation.

Maybe I guess if your nameservers went through quite quickly, you would need to check the old account manually while emails might still be going there?

[MarkB]

When I change email hosts, I do the following:

1. setup the new account
2. change the dns
3. change the reference in my email client for the old server to its IP address (if possible)
4. Add the new server as an additional account

Then, when the transfer is sure to be complete (say, in a week just to be safe), remove the old account.

[Xander]

The easiest way if you have access to the dns is via a dns zone. If you edit it at the old nameserver and point it to the new ip/host you don't then have to worry about the dns propogating.

[MarkB]

Good point, Xander. Also useful when moving webhosts in general. *thumbs up*

[paul]

These days the DNS change happens in minutes.

[Chris]

DNS Updates at different speeds for everyone and if someone sending you an email is using the old DNS it will go to your old server. Its not just a matter of you getting your mail, but of people sending it to you as well.

So you have two options.

1. Setup the old server to forward emails to you based on an IP.

2. For a week after the change check your email in two places.

Though I suppose what Xander advises would take care of that as well.

[r2d2]

The easiest way if you have access to the dns is via a dns zone. If you edit it at the old nameserver and point it to the new ip/host you don't then have to worry about the dns propogating.

Good plan :) Unfortunately its just a basic email hosting account, and I cant see the ability to change the DNS - it all looks very clever/scary stuff though :)

Am going along MarkB's method, hopefully the DNS should fully propogate by the 9th, when my old account runs out :)

Cheers for the advice, and am I right thinking that no emails should dissappear, as long as I have an account ready at my new hosting?