Using a same e-mail address and a same newsserver whatever the ISP you use
is very hard because all theses addresses attract spammers but you can
use generally free services who helps you to be independent.
LIST OF WELL KNOWN PROTOCOLS USED FOR MAIL AND NEWS:
- To read your e-mail, software messengers using generally version 3 POP
protocol (POP3) in waiting massive use of version 4 IMAP protocol (IMAP4).
- To send an e-mail, software messengers use SMTP protocol.
- To read and write to a newsgroup (also known as news), we use NNTP protocol.
====
AOL:
====
Since the beginning, AOL force his customers to use his own inferface to
access to his email and newsgroups that it doesn't like to Outlook Express,
Eudora or others Free Agent users...
==> E-MAIL ON AOL:
In 2003, IMAP4 (not POP3) and SMTP access has been opened to be compatible with
Outlook Express, Eudora, Thunderbird and other e-mail software.
In 2004, The access was closed.
In the same year, The access was reopened and they use SSL connexions.
- IMAP4 server are "imap.cs.com",
- SMTP server are "smtp.cs.com",
- IMAP4 login is "login@aol.com" (i.e "foobar@aol.com"),
- SMTP login is "login",
- password for IMAP4 and SMTP is your classical AOL e-mail password,
Also note if you want to use AOL SMTP server, you must use your AOL address
(login@aol.com) as the shipper...
WARNING !!! DO NOT USE PRIVATE SMTP SERVERS SUCH AS ARGOSOFT, POSTCASTSERVER,
SENDMAIL, POSTFIX, FOXMAIL (with "Mail Express" function) and more and more...
because AOL (since August 2002) and several ISP rejects mails posted with
this kind of softwares...
In other words to simplify, you must use the SMTP server of your ISP
to send a mail to an AOL user...
FYI for AOL, messages can be either "550 ACCESS DENIED" or an error
begins by:
"550-The IP address you are using to connect to AOL is either open to"
"550-the free relaying of e-mail, is serving as an open proxy, or is a"
"550-dynamic (residential) IP address. AOL cannot accept further e-mail"
....blahblahblah...
==> NEWSGROUPS ON AOL:
As indicated in the top of this chapter, AOL doesn't purpose news
server compatible with Outlook Express and Free Agent... even Netscape 6
(bought by AOL) isn't compatible with it !!!
* Advantages: easy use, available everywhere on the net.
* Inconvenients: obligation to stay connected to read this email.
Note you can use Webmail to POP3 gateway who transforms messages reads on
a Webmail to message readable by most known software messengers as Eudora
or Outlook Express.
The most known gateway is the French shareware WEB2POP available on www.jmasoftware.com.
Other freewares can exist as EPROMPTER...
===> SECOND METHOD:
Use the email address created by a free ISP (rsmith@freeisp.com).
* Advantage: email could be always available with a POP3 to WEB gateway as MAIL2WEB.
* Inconvenients: most ISP doesn't accept you can use her own SMTP server
since her concurrents.
IMPORTANT:
- Before diffusing your new email address, verify you can read your email
address since another ISP.
===> THIRD METHOD:
Use a free email provider compatible with POP3 or IMAP4 protocols (indeed
SMTP too).
Well known service are listed on here.
* Advantage: it is the method who offers a good independence level.
* Inconvenient: if the free email provider doesn't purpose SMTP server,
see SMTP chapter.
LAST NEWS !!!! 2009 February !!! YPOPSEMAIL is a YAHOO to POP3/SMTP gateway.
WARNING: If the email provider have his own SMTP server, verify this SMTP
server works well for you and/or this server doesn't apply "POP BEFORE SMTP"
method (see below in this FAQ).
==> FIND THE MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE...
The common disadvantage of these three methods is on every e-mail changement,
you must inform all your correspondants and indicate your new e-mail address
to all yours newsletters.
Other problem, strategic changements of email providers who can change
immediatly and radically the conditions of using their services: Several years
ago, the french portal MULTIMANIA stopped his POP3 server and forced users
to use his own new WEBMAIL (with a lot of ads :( The portal has quickly
stopped due to number of complaints :-)
To avoid of these problems, you can use a new type of service to be
most independent: use e-mail forwarder who give you a same e-mail addresse
for life by sending all e-mails received on this address to another email
of your choice...
Other solution, use an e-mail address (mailnews@mailurl.com) who is the
same of your Web Page (http://www.mailnews.mailurl.com)
See i.e ULIMIT, MAILURL or ALIASNAME.
* Advantage: MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE because e-mail reception addresse can be
modified all the time...
* Inconvenients:
- All the e-mail service can restrict size messages that can be an problem if
you regulary receive big files by e-mail. But, you can temporarily give your
actual addresse just the time to receive these big files...
- See mandatory SMTP chapter because you'll have some difficulty to find an
SMTP server also if you regularly change of ISP...
=========
THE SMTP:
=========
===> REMINDER: This chapter doesn't concern connexion since AOL.
Frequently users problems with SMTP servers is the configured SMTP server
in their softwares messengers (i.e smtp.earthlink.net) refuse to post your
e-mails when you change of ISP.
This problem, also known as "relay" ou "relaying" means the SMTP server
you wish to use refuse to post your e-mails because you aren't connected
to his network or the domain name of your e-mail address means you aren't
a customer of their society.
So a message posted with the address rsmith@earthlink.net will be refused
if i wish to post my message on Prodigy SMTP server since Earthlink.
For your information and if your software messenger gives you the SMTP
error numbers, it's the error number 550, 553 or 554. Examples:
550 relaying to sebastien.willemijns@aol.com prohibited by administrator
554 dyn-213-36-15-250.ppp.libertysurf.fr : Client host rejected
Under Eudora, this type of errors is always explained by a same message:
The recipient "me@myisp.com" is not acceptable to your SMTP server... etc...
WARNING !!! AS AOL USERS, DO NOT USE PRIVATE SMTP SERVERS AS "ARGOSOFT"
because AOL (since August 2002) and several ISP rejects mails posted with
this kind of software for a majority of dial-up and DSL users !!!
* Some method to avoid this problem...
======================================
Some easy solution(s) exist to post some messages on the same SMTP
server whatever the ISP you use:
1) The SMTP server requires a login and a password to connect on it
(SMTP AUTH command)... this method seems now to be more and more used
by professionnal SMTP servers... lot of them uses SSL (secure) connexions
2) Post his messages via POP3 server (XMIT XCMD command). In this case,
the user does not indicate any SMTP server in his software messenger...
Note this method is outdaded since... 2000/2003 ;)
3) Post his messages via "POP BEFORE SMTP" method. Note this method is
outdaded since... 2004/2007 ;)
* Softwares solutions:
======================
A few software can automatically find SMTP nameserver whather the ISP you use:
- the french shareware AUTOSMTP,
- the english freeware MAILROAM,
- the shareware SMTP ROUTER (not tested).
Others softwares can change SMTP nameserver in one click, I know the freeware AUTOROUTE SMTP) and "BUTTONS"
extension for Mozilla Thunderbird and MOBILE TCP.
* the port 25 block:
====================
Some ISP can block the port 25 (AKA's SMTP port) so you must
use her SMTP server to post your mails...
To bypass this block, you can use e-mail providers which
accept SMTP connexions in others ports than number 25 port...
PUBLIC SMTP SERVERS:
====================
Do not use these kind of servers because:
- lot of them sells e-mail addresses contained on theqse kind of messages,
- serious servers refuses mail sent by these servers !!!