Configuring SMTP settings to AOL?

[JP to the T]

I'm having trouble sending email through the domain account of my new
website using Outlook Express in XP. Problem just appeared in the last day
or so. ISP is AOL. Tech support at the (separate) web hosting company says
that my specific error message means that I have to set my SMTP settings
within Outlook to match those of AOL. Two questions:

1. How do I find out what SMTP settings AOL uses?

2. How do I configure those settings within Outlook Express.

Many thanks, and check out my site: http://www.hispoorparents.com

Jean-Paul

 

[Tim H.]

I'm having trouble sending email through the domain account of my new
website using Outlook Express in XP. Problem just appeared in the last day
or so. ISP is AOL. Tech support at the (separate) web hosting company says
that my specific error message means that I have to set my SMTP settings
within Outlook to match those of AOL. Two questions:

1. How do I find out what SMTP settings AOL uses?

If I understand correctly, you want to use AOL's SMTP servers to send email?
That ain't gonna happen =) They have their own proprietary method of
delivering mail. On top of that, their servers are constantly changing.

I would think that if a company is hosting your website that they would
provide you with an SMTP server.

-Tim

 

[JP to the T]

I don't even know what an SMTP server is. The web host has a mail address
and server for me, it's mail."mydomain".com, and that's what I have entered
in the "Outgoing mail" SMTP field within the account properties dialog box
within Outlook Express. It's the same as the incoming mail (POP3) field for
that account. I have a different server listed for my hotmail account,
which I also access through OE.

The tech guy at the web host said I need to set the outgoing SMTP setting of
my domain account to match up with AOL's. Does this make any sense?

 

[Rob Schneider]

Let's step back a minute. I *think* you are trying to use the email
services of the web hosting company, but using AOL as your dial-up or
broadband ISP. You are trying to do that via Outlook Express as your
email client? Correct? IF correct, see below. If not correct, please
restate your problem.

I don't think your problem has anything to do with AOL and the tech
support at the web hosting company has given you a red herring.

An SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Server is a machine to which you
send mail from Outlook. This server will "relay" onward. Mail will
typically pass through a few SMTP servers on its way to its destination.
You configure Outlook to send mail to the SMTP server you choose to
use. In your case, it's probably the one at the web hosting company
mail.mydomain.com (as you mention).

A POP3 (Post Office Protocol Version 3) Server is a machine from which
you receive mail that was sent to you. You configure Outlook to
reeceive mail from that server. In this case, it has the same name (as
you mention) mail.mydomain.com.

You are using AOL only for internet access. You are using your web
hosting company for sending and receiving mail. AOL has no part in this
at all (other than providing Internet access). The only configuration
you need to be doing is telling Outlook the name of the SMTP and POP3
(or IMAP if that is what they offer) servers.

I presume they have a web page documenting how to setup mail. Re-read
it. Then call the web hosting service again.

Note: my hunch is that while your email address is something like
"id.mydomain.com", the names of the SMTP and POP3 servers would be named
with the domain name of the web hosting company. When you read the
instructions and talk with Tech support, keept this in mind.

 

[WindowsXP-he]

WHAT DID YOU CHANGE "THE LAST DAY OR SO??"

virtual mail servers work fine, so mail.mydomain.com could be correct for
both SMPT and POP3 BUT you may need to select "my server uses login
authentication" on the servers page of OE's account properties, since you
are apparently not connecting to your web host as an ISP subscriber... it
does sound like you are connecting to AOL and then using that connection to
access your host sites virtual mail servers.