We’ve got some exciting news for our mail customers – as part of the IONOS Group, we’re rolling out a brand new, state of the art mail platform. And the best bit? As a Fasthosts customer, you’re first in line to get it!

This isn't just a quick polish. It's a complete, top-to-bottom upgrade. We're moving from our trusty, long-standing system to a new, super-modern platform built for speed, security, and reliability.

Over the next few weeks, we'll start to seamlessly migrate all Fasthosts mailboxes. But don’t panic, we’ve got everything you need to know right here.

So, what's new for me?

This new platform is all about making your email experience slicker and, most importantly, safer.

  • Top-tier security – The new system uses smart filtering to spot and block spam and phishing emails before they hit your inbox.
  • A serious speed boost – Whether you're logging into Webmail or using an app on your phone, you'll find it's much faster and more responsive.

The migration

Migration can sound like a lot of effort and stress. But our number one priority is making this switch as smooth as possible, so you'll barely notice it. Here’s what you need to know.

When is it happening?

We'll be moving all mailboxes in phases, starting in December.

What about all my old emails and folders?

Our team will automatically and securely migrate all your existing emails, folders, contacts, and calendar data. Nothing will be lost. Simple as that!

What do I need to do?

We’ve made this part easy. For almost everyone, as long as you are connecting via TLS 1.2 or greater, you don't need to do anything.

Your IMAP, POP, and SMTP server settings aren't changing, so there’s no need to update your email clients, like Outlook or Apple Mail. They'll continue to work perfectly after the move.

If you’re connecting via TLS <1.2 please use this help guide to update your connection. 

For users with external DNS

If you manage your domain's DNS with an external provider (i.e., not with Fasthosts), here are our recommendations for the best email security and deliverability.

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Please note – if you self-manage your DNS records, please ensure that the MX entries of your domain point to t1-smtp-i.gem.livemail.co.uk, instead of using an individual MX pointing to an IP address.

DKIM

To experience the full benefit of our new security features, you’ll need to add the following DNS entries to your external DNS panel to enable DKIM:

  • CNAME Record for livemail1._domainkey.yourdomain.co.ukTaget: livemail1._domainkey.455181.dkim.livemail.co.uk
  • CNAME Record for livemail2._domainkey.yourdomain.co.ukTaget: livemail2._domainkey.455181.dkim.livemail.co.uk

SPF

We also strongly recommend adding our SPF record. This helps prevent spoofing by telling other mail servers that we’re an approved sender for your domain. Please add the following TXT record to your DNS:

DMARC

TXT Record for _dmarc.yourdomain.co.uk_dmarc points to   v=DMARC1; p=none

Will my email go down?

The actual move for each mailbox is very quick, taking just a few minutes. During this time, login for sending or checking mail will be disabled. Any incoming emails will be slightly delayed, but delivered safely to your inbox straight after.

The techy bit

This part is for anyone who manually configures their email or manages their company's IT.

New email client settings (IMAP/POP3/SMTP)

Once your mailbox has moved, your old server settings will work as usual. You won’t need to update your email client’s settings. 

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Quick tip – we always recommend using IMAP to keep your email synced across all your devices.

For Postmasters, IT admins, and deliverability pros

We know how vital mail flow, blocklistings, and deliverability are. The new platform will send and receive mail from new IP ranges and hostnames.

If you run a tight ship with strict firewall rules or allowlists, you'll want to update your records to include the following:

  • New Outbound SMTP Hostnames:
    • E-Mail: t1-mo4-p0[0-7].gem.livemail.co.uk
    • Hosted Exchange: t1-hex4-p0[0-7].gem.livemail.co.uk
  • New Outbound IP Ranges:
    • IPv4: 212.227.122.128/25
    • IPv6: 2001:8d8:5c2::/64, 2001:8d8:5c5::/64
  • New Inbound SMTP Hostnames (MX Records):
    • mailserver.livemail.co.uk

All outbound mail from our new platform is signed with DKIM and protected by our SPF records. To give your domain's security and deliverability a real boost, we strongly recommend DMARC.

We're here to help

If you’ve got any questions about these changes, our 24/7 support team is here to help:

  • Step-by-step guides – we've put together the setup guides for Outlook, Apple Mail, iPhone, and more. You can find them all on our support page.
  • Get in touch – if you get stuck or want to talk it through, our team is here for you. You can call our support team on 0333 0142 700 – they're available 24/7. You can also get hold of us via email at support@fasthosts.co.uk, or live chat through our website. 

We're so excited to bring this powerful new mail system to our customers. It's a massive step up, and we can't wait for you to get your hands on it.