Ok this is what i have so far. 

I have installed the turnkey app with ISO image, so it is the only thing running on the server.  I ran zimbra-conf and created a host named mail.joeordie.com

My DNS records are:  Host / record type / data

joeordie.com /  A record / IP address (from DynDNS client)

www.joeordie.com /CNAME / joeordie.com

mail.joeordie.com / MX / 10 joeordie.com

joeordie.com / MX / 20 joeordie.com

my server stack includes a XP based server running XAMPP and Joomla off port 80 located at 192.168.2.8

the linux server is running the webmail module off of 192.168.2.9:80 (internal) and forwarded through 81 on the outside.

The rest of the appropriate ports were forwarded to 2.9 as applicable. 

Some of the things i have noticed:

1.  I can resolve to www.joeordie.com:81/ and get the webmail application from inside the LAN, outside I can get https webmail on port 443, but my work computer is kinda screwy so i havent been able to successfully check the 81 port from outside the network.  (its a government computer, it is very restricted, for example I can't type https://joeordie.com:7071 because it freaks out when i try to use https on a port other than 443)

2.  I can send but not recieve emails on all the accounts in the webmail

3.  I cannot connect to the server to send or recieve with my email client which is located inside the LAN

4.  I have not tried to connect to the client from outside the LAN.

5.  If i add an external account to the primary account IE my gmail account linked to my admin account it will not download messages from the gmail account.

I am worried that with this configuration i need to install BIND and run split horizon set up for DNS, if that is the case how will this effect my other computers on the network?

I read the docmention under the appliance page and am not sure what the DNS record "example.com.      v=spf1 mx ~all              TXT" is for, and whether it applies to my situation.

Any help would be helpful
 

If anyone has a link that might have some BIND DNS tutorials it would be appreciated.  I understand the premise behind DNS, and even Split DNS, it is the mechanics and actually configuration that is stumping me.  I am still struggling to get any response, close to one month on support without answer.  If i am posting in the incorrect section i would love to know. 

Thank you in advance.

Appreciated Basil!  I will indeed check this out.