Outlook Express - general account setup (for new mail servers)

Getting into the 'account settings'

The first steps are:

1. Open Outlook Express and wait until any startup activity has finished (e.g. Send and Receive Mail)
2. Select the Tools option from the action list just below the Window title bar (bright blue at the top of the window)
3. then choose Accounts... as shown to the right. This option is usually the second from the bottom in the 'Tools' list

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Of the Tabs across the top - all but the 'Mail' Tab are irrelevant for average users. Clicking on it will display all of your e-Mail accounts as shown to the left.

You should then double-click on the account you want to change. FYI that is equivalent to selecting the account (single click) and then clicking upon 'Properties'.

The first (top) item you can change is the name that only you see and it is only shown when doing a 'Send/Receive' and when Exporting and Importing Internet account files.

Under 'User Information' you should fill in the Name and E-Mail address to whatever degree of anonymity (or otherwise) you choose. Obviously if you want to receive replies then the E-Mail address needs to be at least an alias at a domain where you can pick up mail.

Leave the 'Include when...' blank IF you have more than one outgoing E-Mail address that you want to be able to select when sending but the Incoming address is already in an account that IS included - i.e. box ticked.

The Servers Tab will always be unique to the server that you are using to send and receive mail. For our servers we keep it simple by having the names of both Incoming and Outgoing servers the same. Your account name MUST have the '@' and domain name appended to your User Name.

'Secure Password Authentication' must be UN-checked and conversely:

'My server requires authentication' must be CHECKED as shown to the right.

As of October 15th 2006 the physical server name is: mentor.xssl.net which can be used in both boxes (POP3 and SMTP) as shown to the left. This server name can also be used for secure access to e-mail using a web browser, you will have been sent a link for this as it is lengthy.

If you prefer to use your own mail server name then please use mail.yourdomain.co.uk (or .com) where yourdomain is the piece after the www. in your own web site address.

On the Connection Tab it will depend upon how you connect to the Internet but as a rule of Thumb:

• Dial-Up users should have the box UN-checked
• Users with real LANs (Local Area Network) should probably have the box ticked and the LAN selected.
• Broadband users will depend upon their suppliers (of Broadband) and the technology they have used. If it is working without problems then 'leave it'. If users are getting disconnected and the 'Disconnect after Send/Receive' ISN'T CHECKED in Outlook Tools -> Options -> Connection (Tab) then try unchecking it.

The Security Tab (not illustrated) is for advanced users only everything will be unchecked and '3DES' will be displayed as an algorithm. If anything IS filled in then it is beyond the scope of this short Web page to explain what needs to be filled-in.

The Advanced Tab (shown to the Left) can be left with everything unckecked and Out/In ports set to 25 and 110 as shown.

However, if you use SquirrelMail (The name for WebMail on our servers) you MAY wish to keep temporary copies of Incoming e-Mails on the server for use when using Squirrelmail - offsite for example.

If you choose this option then you will need to manage within your disk quota as exceeding it will cause e-Mail delays and even rejection. So please:

• Do not use an expiry period of greater than 22 days
• Remember to delete your 'Trash' folder on the server very regularly if you delete e-Mails in Squirrelmail prior to opening Outlook
• Ensure that e-Mails with large attachments are deleted as quickly as possible - for instance - when the attachments have been detached and a reply (with original text perhaps) has been made.

I hope that has been useful. Any Comments, suggestions or corrections to: Contact us please. This would be especially useful if the software environment you have is different to mine and the headings, text or prompts are different.