How to Set Up Your Email Sofware (Email Client)

In order to be able to set up any email software, or email client, certain information needs to be collected. The actual settings can only be provided by your website or email hosting company or ISP (Internet Service Provider).

It is important for you to know your username and password, your POP3 server (some use IMAP), the SMTP server, and your incoming (POP or IMAP) port as well as your outgoing port (SMTP).

The place to configure authentication (login) differs between email clients, and you do need to know whether your server accepts or even requires SSL. It's usually pretty easy to locate. It you need assistance on your type of software, then look at your online help or documentation.

How would you describe the POP server? One way of retrieving email from an email server is the Post Office Protocol (POP), where the server holds the email messages until they are picked up. Think of it like an electronic version of a conventional mailbox or street address, where your computer picks up your email. Incoming mail servers are often referred to as POP servers. IMAP is another method of storing/ retrieving email.

Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird are two of the email programs that use POP servers. The Windows operating system provides Outlook Express for free. MacMail is a utility provided with Macintosh operating systems. To set up one of these utilities to check your e-mail, set it to your provider's POP server. It's often something like "mail.mydomain.tld".

What is a SMTP server? In contrast to the POP server, which acts as the server for inbound mail, the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server acts as the server for outbound mail.

Getting an email account set up and running is generally very easy. In the "Tools" menu is where email accounts can be configured for most email clients. Look for the option that allows you to view or edit Email Accounts.

Internet Email Settings (POP3) should be the next screen that you see. Your email account will not work correctly if this screen is not filled out completely and without errors. Your user information can be entered. Under the category of "Your Name" you can enter anything you want people who receive the email to see when they look at who sent the email. "Your Name" can be anything including your own or your company's name, your title, or your department (AOL typically does not have this option). So that SPAM filters do not reject your emails, you should enter your email address in the place provided. Place the user name and password provided for you by your email provider in the "Login Information" section. When you see the section called "Server Information" you should put in the incoming mail server (POP3) as well as the outgoing mail server (SMTP).

Try out the settings. It's vital that the email is functioning and the content is correct. Don't depend completely on the Test Account Settings in Outlook. While they are actually working, older versions will look like they aren't. I don't know the reason -- but attempt to send an email before you call technical support - it might just work.