Re: Connecting to earthlink's popmail server

George Langford, Sc.D. wrote:
> SpamCop's mail server isn't having any luck popping messages from
> my earthlink.net account.

Remember that 'pop/ing' is about receiving mail, not sending it.

> After talking with a helpful Earthlink
> Tech Support person,

If you actually talked to a /helpful/ EL techsupport, that is an
exceedingly rare occurrence.  You should go out and try to sight the
ivory billed woodpecker.

> I was given to understand that I should tell
> SpamCop's popmail server to use port 587 and that I should check
> the box pertaining to requiring authentication.

The business about port 587 has to do with EL's smtp authentication for
*sending* email, not *receiving* it.  I think you have probably talked
to one of the same .in or .ph barnswallows pretending to be EL support
that everyone else gets, not the rare woodpecker^1.

If you were sending mail you would use smtpauth for the smtp server and
port 587 and configure to authenticate.  If you are receiving mail you
use the normal port 110

 > However, the only
> choices I have with the Options menu in SpamCop's email client are
> POP server name, username, password, and use SSL.  What is the
> magic word ?

EL's servers consider your account name to be your email address, not
just the front end username section.  I'm not familiar with SC's
configurations, but if SC wants to call the account name 'username' then
you would be putting your whole EL address in there, not just the front
part.

EL doesn't want you to use SSL.

So the settings are:  server name = pop.earthlink.net;  username = EL
email address;  pw = pw;  port = 110 [normal];  negative on the SSL.

If you are going to mail out:  servername = smtpauth.earthlink.net;
username = EL mail address;  check YES server requires authentication
[which are the same settings as your incoming], negative on SSL or
secure password authorization, port = 587 [it will also work on the
normal 25, except when it doesn't for some people].


^1 Campephilus principalis


-- 
Mike Easter
kibitzer, not SC admin