DazV

In the last couple of weeks I've noticed that using freeserve's smtp servers to send mail won't work like it used to.

eg. If I connected on BT Broadband but want to send email using freeserve's smtp server, it rejects it, however if I dial up the internet on a 56k modem using freeserve's 0845 number, it works ok.

Has this always been the case, or have they changed their policies ?

dsmith

Always been the case. Almost all ISPs control who can access their SMTP servers to a greater or lesser extent. An SMTP server that can be connected to from anywhere by anyone is very bad thing(tm) - its what makes all the untraceable spam possible.

You'll have to use a BT SMTP server when you connect via your BT conection and manually change to freeserve when on dial-up.

Some ISPs offer an authenticated SMTP server service so you can connect from anywhere but its rare amongst the big names. Some ISPs (particulalry pay as you go virtual ISPs like WHSMITHs) will only accept your mail if the reply-to address contains their domain - which is very unfriendly

Deano

MartinM

..and if you don't send an email (and hence through their smtp server) from your freeserve a/c using their dial-up for 90 days...

...your account will be terminated

So although you can get to your POP3 mailbox (for incoming) when on BT Broadband, 'cos you can't get to their smtp server, you could be stuffed.

So...
- painful - dial up every month or so
- easy - go to titanhosts, get a .co.uk domain name for £10 for 2 years which includes a 10MB POP3 mailbox and use that. Set outlook to read from the titan POP3 and send out through the BT smtp server.

You can then get email addresses of anyone@yourname.co.uk and web forwarding of www.yourname.co.uk to your BT Broadband webspace (if they have it?)

I did the above and - 'cept I use Eclipse broadband rather than BT

DazV

thanks

so, with BT's wires only install at home, which doesn't come with any email account - how do you SEND emails ? Do they let you use BTInternet's SMTP server (mail.btinernet.com) ?

DazV

also

if I have a laptop which:
- at home has to send emails via broadband / mail.btinternet.com
- at work has to send emails via dialup / smtp.freeserve.net

whats the best way to implement this in outlook express, so I don't have to manually re-configure the smtp server settings depending on my location (home / office) ?

dsmith

I use freeserve (ISDN based anytime) and have noticed recently that they in fact redirect all connections to "other" SMTP servers to their own. I havent really got my head around why they do this though.

So try configuring the BT SMTP server (try smtp.bt.net) in OE and see what happens....

Deano

Figment

Hi Daz

You should be able to use BT's SMTP server to send mail out.

To sort your server issues, I would suggest you set up 2 accounts in Outlook Express, both with your freeserve addy as the email address. Bit messy to set up at first, but it works.

A/c #1 (home) set outgoing to mail.btinternet.com and incoming to pop.freeserve.net (or whatever their incoming is). Clear the tick from "Include this account when receiving mail"

A/c #2 (work) set outgoing to smtp.freeserve.net and incoming to pop.freeserve.net

Make sure that both accounts are set to connect by "Any Available" connection - this should prevent the freeserve account from attempting to dial up unnecessarily.

When you want to send email, you can select the correct route by choosing between the two accounts in the drop down "from" list within the email compose page. Mail will always be collected via the freeserve pop server.

DazV

cheers all

pblakeway

The easiest way to resolve the smtp probs with ISPs is to setup your own smtp server,even on your local pc theres quite a few freebie ones these days and you get the benefit of sending directly to the sender..

ps they are a piece of pi$$ to setup