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POP3 is the E-Mail protocol most people use for downloading e-mail. It's
supported by most popular e-mail packages including Pegasus Mail, Eudora, Internet Mail,
Netscape, Outlook, Outlook Express ...
When using POP3 the e-mail application connects to The Plateau's e-mail server over the
internet, logs on using your account details (using POP3) and then sends outgoing mail
(using the industry standard ptotocol - SMTP) and collects incoming mail (again using
POP3). It then logs off again. Usually this process will take between a few
seconds and a few minuites depending on the amount of mail, the speed of your internet
connection and how busy the e-mail server is. When your outgoing mail has been sent
copies of the messages will usually appear in your "sent mail" folder, though
extactly what happens depends on the specific application and how it's been setup.
Incoming mail appears in your "Inbox" and is normally deleted from the e-mail
server, so that next time you connect, you don't collect the same mail again.
HINT: POP3 works best when your using the same computer for your e-mail all the
time. However, if you know what you're doing, you can setup another computer to
collect your mail (for example, I do this when visiting friends). The catch is that
any e-mail collected their won't get picked up by your main computer. To work round
this, there are several choices:
 | Saved wanted e-mail on a floppy disk, simple but the e-mail is no longer within the
package (outlook has an input/export system which allows this to happen). |
| Just before going back to your main computer send the wanted e-mails back to your own
account - this sometimes backfires, since some packages send before receiving, so will
immediately pick up the forward messages - hey ho - so make sure you select "Send
Only" rather than "Send and Receive". |
| Configure your e-mail package to "leave messages on server", most packages can
do this, but it's not a "standard" facility of POP3. This means the
computer will download copies only and leave the e-mail on the server alone, so when
you get back to your main computer it will collect all the e-mail you had while away.
WARNING: If you get alot of e-mail, or large messages, you'll be downloading
twice (or more if you're roaming around several places!) and this costs money (Internet
connect time). |
HINT: (Another one!) Configure your e-mail application to ignore messages over a
certain size - abut 30K is about right, unless your habitually sending or receiving
attachments. This means when some nice body sends you a electronic postcard,
birthday or Xmas card, etc., it'll just sit on your server until you can spare the time
and money (These "cards" are often close to a megabyte in size and can take up
to 30 minutes to download - that's a few dollars down the pan, especially with a slow
modem). You can even go and check what these monster messages are by using Web Access.
Each E-Mail Packages is configured in a different manner, but for all of them you need:
| POP3 Host: mail.theplateau.com |
| SMTP Host: mail.theplateau.com |
| Username: your username for the plateau, not your
firstname (thats just an alias), but the one which includes your surname.
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| Password: Whatever that is for The Plateau! |
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