Can I set up my own email address?

Is there anyway to set up my own email address using an old computer?

I want someway for emails to go directly to me, thanks.

Short Answer: Yes, but it's not a case of double click, next, next, reboot.

Long Answer: If you want to host your own email server, you'll need a server (Microsoft Exchange etc), a Domain Name and a Static IP Address (preferably). Setup your MX record on your domain to point to your IP address / Hostname, port forward 25 to your server running the software. Configuration information about Exchange can be found on TechNet and just about every technical blog out there.

There are other providers, unix ones mostly.

Another option would be to just purchase email hosting although technically that means the email goes to them, not you, even though you hire a small piece of the server.

Good domain registrars usually offer like 5 email addresses for free (using their mail servers) with the purchase of a domain. I got my own domain name for $10 a year and my own "[email protected]" email address. I could use my own mail servers but it's not really worth the effort or cost for just <5 email addresses.

Now if I had like >500 email addresses under my domain or used my current one for extremely important emails then yeah I'd use my own mail servers.

You could always uses Savvis, they offer a click, click, no reboot.

On an ubuntu server you only have to install a few packages and edit a few config files. It's all well documented and not too hard. The server, however, should be reachable all the time!