Internet Gurus: Pls. Answer an E-mail Question

There are so many CPFers who are computer/internet experts that I get better and faster advice on those type of issues here than on any traditional computer forums. So, please help me understand this one.

My office and my home are in completely different locations, and have completely different computer/internet set-ups. My home runs off of Roadrunner cable and my office off of AT&T/Yahoo DSL. Both have wireless networks. Each has a separate e-mail address, via the respective ISPs.

My laptop is set up mainly for home use, with Vista/Windows Mail for e-mail, going through Roadrunner. When I take it to work, and it's running off our AT&T/Yahoo DSL wireless network, and I open Windows Mail, I receive e-mail addressed to my Roadrunner e-mail address!? I can't send e-mail through the RR acct., but I do receive it.

I confess I am not technically proficient by any means, but I just don't understand this. I had assumed the only way to check my home e-mail from work was through Roadrunner's "web mail" site, but not receive it directly.

Could some kind soul please explain this to me?

Thanks in advance.

AFAustin said:

My laptop is set up mainly for home use, with Vista/Windows Mail for e-mail, going through Roadrunner. When I take it to work, and it's running off our AT&T/Yahoo DSL wireless network, and I open Windows Mail, I receive e-mail addressed to my Roadrunner e-mail address!? I can't send e-mail through the RR acct., but I do receive it.

I confess I am not technically proficient by any means, but I just don't understand this. I had assumed the only way to check my home e-mail from work was through Roadrunner's "web mail" site, but not receive it directly.

Click to expand...

Among the wonders of "webmail" is that you can check it from wherever you can get an internet location. Depending on what type of e-mail client you're using, you may or may not be able to send e-mail, though (as you've found). If you're checking your e-mail through an internet browser, you shouldn't have an issue. If you use an e-mail client (a separate software to check your e-mail, like Outlook, or Thunderbird, etc.)

Certain ISP's don't allow e-mail "relaying" - that is sending e-mail from one ISP account using another ISP service. This is done to prevent spammers sending e-mails using other people's services.

Go talk to your IT dudes. They can help you configure your e-mail client so it can send/receive e-mail from either location. That is, assuming they allow relaying so you can use your RR account with your office's connection.

Does that answer your question?

greenLED said:

Among the wonders of "webmail" is that you can check it from wherever you can get an internet location. Depending on what type of e-mail client you're using, you may or may not be able to send e-mail, though (as you've found). If you're checking your e-mail through an internet browser, you shouldn't have an issue. If you use an e-mail client (a separate software to check your e-mail, like Outlook, or Thunderbird, etc.)

Certain ISP's don't allow e-mail "relaying" - that is sending e-mail from one ISP account using another ISP service. This is done to prevent spammers sending e-mails using other people's services.

Go talk to your IT dudes. They can help you configure your e-mail client so it can send/receive e-mail from either location. That is, assuming they allow relaying so you can use your RR account with your office's connection.

Does that answer your question?

Click to expand...

Thanks, Miguel. Very helpful. I wasn't aware of "relaying", so it sounds like that is what is happening---to the extent of receiving e-mail from the other ISP, but not sending it. Maybe RR relays, but AT&T doesn't?

I'm afraid no IT dept. here at work---just three stone age lawyers, a secretary, and a runner. That's why THE CAFE' is my IT dept.!

Cheers,

Andrew

AFAustin said:

There are so many CPFers who are computer/internet experts that I get better and faster advice on those type of issues here than on any traditional computer forums. So, please help me understand this one.

My office and my home are in completely different locations, and have completely different computer/internet set-ups. My home runs off of Roadrunner cable and my office off of AT&T/Yahoo DSL. Both have wireless networks. Each has a separate e-mail address, via the respective ISPs.

My laptop is set up mainly for home use, with Vista/Windows Mail for e-mail, going through Roadrunner. When I take it to work, and it's running off our AT&T/Yahoo DSL wireless network, and I open Windows Mail, I receive e-mail addressed to my Roadrunner e-mail address!? I can't send e-mail through the RR acct., but I do receive it.

I confess I am not technically proficient by any means, but I just don't understand this. I had assumed the only way to check my home e-mail from work was through Roadrunner's "web mail" site, but not receive it directly.

Could some kind soul please explain this to me?

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

That's because you go through 2 different servers depending on what you do with your email.

The incoming email server can operate via 3 protocols:
HTTP (webmail)
POP3 (older protocol)
IMAP (newer protocol)

Outgoing email can go via
HTTP (webmail)
SMTP (conventional email)

When you set up your Roadrunner email on your computer, you had to specify both the incoming and the outgoing email servers (or the software did it for you, if you used the installation disk) in your email program.

The way Time Warner configures their servers, is such that you can always receive email from their POP servers, regardless of what network you're on, but you can only send email out through their server, if you're connected to THEIR network (which is not the case at your work). Also, as far as I understand, they do not relay any SMTP traffic that doesn't go to their servers, so if you tried sending work email from home, it probably wouldn't work either.

Hope that you understood what I wrote.

This mess is the reason why I consolidated all my emails to be forwarded to my Google account (which can be accessed with email programs via POP or IMAP as well, not just via the web interface).

So, what kind of software are you using to check your e-mail? The solution to your problem may require a call to RR and/or ATT support so you can get the proper mail server names.

It may get tricky, though. I remember having a similar problem with a local ISP. I can do reconfigure my e-mail settings each time I changed locations - a royal pain to do.

Likely you need to check the outgoing server settings when you are away from your RR connection. It may be that you need to edit the mail account to tell it the outgoing server requires authentication. In Outlook if you edit an e-mail account there is a button for "More Settings...". From there you will see a tab named "Outgoing Server". Check the box that reads: "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" That ungreys the box for user name and password. Enter the info there and test the account. It's only slightly incovenient IMO since if you uncheck that box it still keeps your settings there for the next time you check the box.

And, as always, make sure you have the appropriate server names.

Thank you, gentlemen, for all the very detailed and helpful information. I am aways amazed at the wealth of knowledge here, as well as the generosity of CPFers in sharing it.

:bow: