| Everybody knows what email is, right? In the modern | | | | your email or you receive several large attachments, |
| business world, email has become one of our most | | | | then your mailbox on the server can still get full, but |
| important methods of communication, and indeed | | | | as soon as you check your mail with the mail client, |
| often a web hosting client considers the operation of | | | | the mailbox is emptied just like a regular postal |
| his email more important than the website itself. | | | | mailbox and the cycle starts over. An email client |
| Unfortunately however, most people have only a | | | | usually also comes with a larger range of features, |
| very superficial idea of how email really works, so | | | | such as address books, mail filtering and folder |
| when trouble does arise, they have no idea how to | | | | storage options, read receipt notices and other things |
| troubleshoot the problem and it takes longer to solve. | | | | that a web-based program can't handle because it |
| Just by knowing the basics of how email works, you | | | | would bog the server down trying to handle all that |
| can give a more accurate problem description to tech | | | | for hundreds or thousands of accounts. |
| support personnel and even solve some problems | | | | The downside of using an email client is that you can |
| yourself! You might even find some new and useful | | | | only check the mail from wherever you have the |
| features of your email that you didn't know about | | | | client set up with your account settings entered into |
| before. Let's get started. | | | | it. If you want to check the mail from two different |
| What exactly is an email address? | | | | computers, then whichever computer checks the mail |
| The short answer is that an email address is a user | | | | first will get it and the other one won't, just like two |
| account of a particular domain name that is hosted | | | | people checking the corner mailbox. Most email clients |
| somewhere. That domain name can be your own or | | | | have a setting that allows you to leave a copy of |
| one that someone else allows you to have an | | | | messages on the server so that multiple computers |
| account on, such as or Either way, the domain must | | | | can get the same mail, but this has to be carefully |
| be hosted, not simply registered. The web hosting | | | | coordinated among the different computers involved. |
| server is what provides the software to send and | | | | A more convenient way to do this is using the IMAP |
| receive mail and the disk space to store received | | | | protocol, as you'll see below. |
| messages in a mailbox file. | | | | Can I use both web-based mail and an email client at |
| All web hosting accounts come with the ability to | | | | the same time? |
| create user email accounts. To create the email | | | | Yes, absolutely. Many people use an email client when |
| address , you would log into your hosting control | | | | they are in their office or at home and check their |
| panel for and create a new user called "myname" in | | | | mail through the web-based interface provided by |
| the user account management area and create a | | | | their web host when they are away from their |
| password for that user. Once this is done, an | | | | computer. One does not interfere with the other. |
| internet-accessible mailbox is created on the server | | | | What is IMAP? |
| which you can begin using to send and receive email | | | | IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) was |
| by whatever connection methods your host allows. | | | | designed to solve the problem of checking mail from |
| What happens when I check my email? | | | | multiple computers in an email client. When you are |
| Before we start this answer, there are two types of | | | | checking mail on multiple computers with the POP |
| email accounts that you can use, POP and IMAP. POP | | | | method, then each computer has its own record of |
| (Post Office Protocol) is by far the most common | | | | how the mail has been managed. If you delete an old |
| and is what we will discuss first. IMAP will be | | | | message on one computer and the other computer |
| described separately below. | | | | also has a copy of the same message, you will have |
| As we said above, every email address has a | | | | to delete it a second time on the other computer in |
| username and a password. Wherever you log in to | | | | order for both clients to match. IMAP solves this |
| check your email, whether it is a web-based interface | | | | problem by maintaining the mailbox on the server |
| like or an email client like Outlook Express, you have | | | | without sacrificing the client software's added |
| to provide your username and password to receive | | | | functionality. Any client checking an IMAP-enabled |
| mail. The username tells the server which mailbox file | | | | email account will see the same mailbox contents no |
| to retrieve or display the mail from, and the | | | | matter where it is, but will still be able to execute all |
| password confirms your identity to prove to the | | | | of the functions programmed into the client on that |
| server that you are authorized to receive the mail. | | | | mail as if it were using a POP account. |
| The server has your password stored in a file from | | | | IMAP has the same disadvantages as web-based |
| the time your account was created, and whenever | | | | email in that you are limited to the amount of disk |
| you log in, it compares the password you provide | | | | space allowed by your host and access speed is slow |
| with the password it has on file. If they match, then | | | | because you are accessing a remote server |
| the server allows you to access the mail in your | | | | repeatedly. For this reason, IMAP is much less |
| mailbox. | | | | common than POP email. |
| All passwords are case-sensitive, so if your original | | | | What is an email alias? |
| password is "PassWord" and you try to log in with | | | | Suppose your email address is , but you want people |
| "password", it won't work. Usernames are not | | | | to be able to email you at or as well. You don't have |
| case-sensitive, however, so the server will recognize | | | | to set up three different user accounts if all of that |
| you whether you log in as "MyName" or "myname". | | | | mail is coming to you. Instead you can set up aliases, |
| What is the difference between web-based email | | | | also called forwarders, to your account, which are |
| and using an email client? | | | | other names that forward to the same mailbox. You |
| The two primary ways to access an email account | | | | still have to use the original username to log in and |
| are from a web-based interface or by using an email | | | | check your mail, but you can set up as many aliases |
| client program, like Eudora, Thunderbird or Microsoft | | | | to your account as you want. These would be set |
| Outlook. Here's how they work: | | | | up in your web hosting control panel in the user |
| 1. Web-Based Mail: This type of access is done | | | | account management section. |
| through your web browser. You would browse to a | | | | You can also set up aliases that go to multiple |
| particular web page that has a login area connected | | | | addresses. For instance, if your company has three |
| to the web hosting server that houses your account. | | | | salespeople each with their own email address, but |
| You put in your username and password and you are | | | | you want all of them to receive a copy of messages |
| conveyed to a page that displays the contents of | | | | sent to , you don't have to set up an IMAP account |
| your mailbox on the server. From here you can read, | | | | on each of their computers. You can simply set up an |
| reply to, forward or delete mail you have received, | | | | alias called "sales" that forwards to all three of their |
| or generate and send new messages. All of this is | | | | addresses, and each will instantly get a copy when an |
| done through a mail program running on the server | | | | email is received. However, if you have two |
| such as Horde, Squirrelmail, or NeoMail, or a custom | | | | employees named Bob Smith and Bob Jones, you |
| interface like those used by Yahoo!, GMail, etc. Some | | | | probably don't want to go to both and In that case it |
| servers even offer you the option of logging in | | | | would be better to have unique aliases like "bobs" |
| through different mail programs, depending on which | | | | and "bobj". |
| one you like better. You can access web-based mail | | | | Can an alias forward mail to an address outside my |
| from anywhere in the world where you have internet | | | | domain? |
| access. | | | | Yes. Say you've had a Hotmail email account for |
| Whenever you use a web-based interface to | | | | years and you've just set up hosting for a new |
| manage your mail, you are accessing the contents of | | | | domain name. You want to be able to receive email |
| your mailbox on the server directly. If the server | | | | to your new domain, but you really don't want to |
| allows you 20 megabytes of disk space for your | | | | check multiple accounts. You can set up an alias in |
| mailbox, then that is the maximum amount of mail | | | | your hosting control panel that automatically forwards |
| you can have in your box at any one time. If you fill | | | | all mail sent to to No mail will pile up on your web |
| up all of that space, then you will not be able to | | | | server, it will simply pass through it like a waypoint |
| receive any more mail until you delete some | | | | before being redirected to your Hotmail account. |
| messages or get your host to give you more | | | | What is a default or catch-all account? |
| storage space, so your ability to archive messages is | | | | Whenever you set up a web hosting account, you |
| limited. If you delete a message, then it is gone | | | | automatically have one user account, the default |
| forever. Web-based mail is fairly slow because your | | | | user, even if you don't set up any others. This user's |
| computer is continuously making connections with the | | | | mailbox is usually set up as a catch-all, meaning that it |
| mail server, and most web-based mail programs have | | | | will receive any email that ends with that doesn't go |
| fairly limited features. | | | | to a specific named account. It usually looks like If |
| 2. Email Clients: You are probably familiar with email | | | | the only user account you set up is , then that |
| programs such as Microsoft Outlook or Eudora. They | | | | account will receive only mail sent directly to it. If |
| are what is known as an email client. Email clients can | | | | some spammer tries to send an email to , it will end |
| only be accessed from the computer on which the | | | | up in the catch-all account. |
| program is installed, but instead of only being able to | | | | Most control panels allow you to change which of |
| access one server like the web-based mail programs, | | | | your accounts is the catch-all, so you could ignore the |
| an email client can be set up to check multiple email | | | | default user and have all mail routed to if you |
| accounts hosted on different servers at the same | | | | wanted. If you really don't care about email sent to , |
| time. All you need to check an email address from an | | | | however, you may also choose to blackhole the |
| email account are the following settings: | | | | catch-all, meaning instantly delete whatever comes |
| - Username | | | | into it, or you can bounce it so that the sender gets |
| - Password | | | | a message saying that address at your domain does |
| - POP3 (Incoming Mail) Server | | | | not exist. This is usually a wise choice, since most |
| - SMTP (Outgoing Mail) Server | | | | catch-all accounts these days are magnets for junk |
| You already know about the username and | | | | mail. |
| password, and the two mail servers tell your email | | | | What is an autoresponder? |
| client where to find the web hosting server that your | | | | It's time for you to take that much-needed vacation |
| account resides on so that it can connect to the mail | | | | and you want to make sure that people know you |
| software on that computer and allow you to send | | | | won't be answering your messages for a few days. |
| and receive mail. Whenever you sign up for a web | | | | You can set up an autoresponder in your control |
| hosting account, the hosting provider will tell you | | | | panel for a particular user account so that anyone |
| what the names of these servers are, and they are | | | | who sends you an email, gets an instant programmed |
| usually related to your domain name. A typical POP3 | | | | reply. You simply select the account you want to |
| server name would be or | | | | create the autoresponder for, type up the message |
| The SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server is a | | | | you want everybody to get, then save it. When |
| separate part of the server's mail software which | | | | you're ready to stop it and answer your own |
| handles outgoing email. Its name might look like or | | | | messages again, you can either turn the |
| Most servers require you to check your incoming mail | | | | autoresponder off or delete it, depending on the |
| first, and thus verify your identity with your | | | | type of control panel you have. |
| password, before they will allow you to send mail | | | | One problem with autoresponders, however, is that |
| out. On average servers will store this verification for | | | | they automatically respond to everything. If someone |
| 30 minutes before requiring you to check your mail | | | | else who has an autoresponder turned on sends you |
| again. Some internet service providers (ISPs), such as | | | | an email, the two servers will quickly wind up in an |
| Earthlink and SBC, may require you to use their | | | | autoresponder war and both mailboxes will fill up with |
| corporate SMTP servers instead of the one set up | | | | thousands of messages until they reach their disk |
| with your domain, in order to help them control junk | | | | space limit or one of the autoresponders is turned |
| email being sent out through their network. You can | | | | off. |
| find out what their SMTP server is by contacting the | | | | Conclusion |
| ISP's technical support or looking it up on their | | | | Now that you know how email works, hopefully |
| website. | | | | you've found something that makes your job a little |
| A key difference in how an email client works | | | | easier or clears up a problem you were having. The |
| compared with a webbased interface is that the | | | | next time your computer says your password is |
| email client downloads the contents of the mailbox to | | | | incorrect or that it can't connect to the POP3 server, |
| your computer's hard drive and removes them from | | | | you at least have an idea what that means and why |
| your mailbox on the server. This way, you can store | | | | it might be happening, and you can convey that to |
| as much old email as your hard drive can hold and | | | | the technical support person who is helping you or |
| you rarely have to worry about your disk space on | | | | fiddle around with your settings and try to fix it |
| the server getting full as long as you check your mail | | | | yourself. Either way, next time you'll be able to get |
| frequently. If you go a long time without checking | | | | back to business faster! |