MK> The only reason I'm using frontdoor is because it was an
 MK> available option.  I really don't use a front end mailer.
 MK> I could use an actual inbound and outbound mail directory,
 MK> but I don't know what irex would do since it uses holding
 MK> and queue instead.  I'm thinking of switching from irex
 MK> to binkdwin, but I do have some email based nodes.

 MK> Final suggestions?

what, exactly, are you trying to do? there's only three or four things that
a mail processor like FE needs...

  inbound directory  (ie: c:\mail\inbound)
  outbound directory (ie: c:\mail\outbound)
  archivers
  local storage message bases

some setups allow for a few more features (like a secure inbound,
fileboxes, etc) but they are not always necessary or desired...

the point that i'm trying to get to is what, exactly are you wanting to do?
why keep jumping from this package to that package and experiencing the
same apparent problems? pick one and get it working properly with _one_
network... then, if you are into the multiple networks thing, add one more
network and get the two working together... then add more, one at a time,
getting each working with all the others...

the biggest problems i see is folk jumping in and joining a whole slew of
networks and then fighting the software that they're trying to learn as
they go while being swamped with all this and that from everywhere until
they finally give up and just dump it all with a bad taste in their
mouth...

i was completely floored when i read your message the other day about
having had this problem for a year or two... that should never have been...
indeed, 30 days at the most if that long, even... to me, it looks like
something is configured with the inbound and outbound directories being
reversed... i dunno... i don't think that all the questions have been
answered or all the settings posted... i do know that i've not seen any
registrations or traffic on my FE support forums on my website if that's
something easier for you to work with due to not being able to process FTN
mail without problems... maybe that's why we don't see that much traffic
from you asking for assistance?

)\/(ark