Email FAQ

FAQ: Email

What is a POP3 email account?
What is spam?
What is SMTP? What is SMTP authentication?
What is email forwarding?
What is an email alias?
What is an autoresponder?
I need email addresses for the people in my group. How many can I set up?
How do I set up my email account? What information do I need?
How do I change my email password?
How do I check my mail?
Is there a limit to the number of messages I can have in my mail box?
What is the maximum size for an email attachment?
Why am I getting a mail server error when I try to send email messages?

What is a POP3 email account?

POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) is a protocol used for downloading email messages from an email server to your computer. With a POP3 email account, all of the email messages sent to your email address are stored on a POP3 mail server until you log on to the server and download the messages.

Way2Host provides at least one POP3 email account with every hosting plan. You can use SiteMail, Way2Host’s Web-based email application, to send and receive email or you can use a traditional email client such as Microsoft® Outlook®, Eudora® or Netscape® Communicator.

Top

What is spam?

Spam is the term used for mass, unsolicited emails. Usually these are promotions or advertisements sent in “bulk” to the email addresses of people who have not requested this information. Way2Host strictly prohibits sending spam from any email address on our mail servers or advertising your Web site in other company's spam mail. For more information on our policy, visit www.way2host.com.

Top

What is SMTP? What is SMTP authentication and why do I need to be authenticated?

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for sending email messages across the Internet. It is used in conjunction with both POP3 and IMAP, protocols that enable you to download messages from a mail server to your computer. SMTP is used for outgoing mail while POP3 and IMAP are used for incoming mail. Way2Host does not support IMAP.

If you want to use an email client such as Microsoft Outlook or Netscape Communicator to send email messages, you will need to configure the client so that it connects to the correct SMTP mail server each time you send mail.

SMTP authentication is a way to ensure that outgoing emails are really being sent from you and not from someone else who has gained access to your SMTP server, such as a spammer. Each time you log in to your email client, you will need to be authenticated before you can send mail. All you need to do is check your email (that is, connect to the POP3 or incoming mail server). Once you do this, you will be authenticated for the entire time you remain signed on.

Top

What is email forwarding?

Email forwarding is a way for you to have email messages that are sent to one address automatically forwarded to a different address. For example, your site's visitors may send all of their requests for information to the email address information@yourdomain.com. You could set up your email so that all of the messages sent to that address are automatically forwarded to your personal email account at yourname@yourisp.com.

Way2Host provides unlimited use of email forwarding. You can set up different forwarding addresses in SiteControl.

Top

What is an email alias?

An email alias is a “virtual” email account. It enables you to use an email address that doesn’t really exist and have all the messages sent to that address routed to a real email account.

For example, you may want to provide a link on your Web site that enables visitors to send email to the Web Master, who is really you. You can use the email alias webmaster@yourdomain.com but have the email routed to your real email account.

You can also use email aliases to overcome problems with duplicate email addresses. If the email address you want to use is already taken, you can still use it as an alias and then route the email to a valid address.

Way2Host enables you to set up an unlimited number of email aliases.

Top

What is an autoresponder?

An email autoresponder sends an automated email response to each incoming message that is sent to a specific address. For example, a potential customer may send an email to sales@yourdomain.com asking for more information about some of your services. You can have the autoresponder send a prewritten message back to the customer thanking them for their interest and letting them know you will be contacting them shortly. This feature helps you to improve your and your site's image, as your visitors will know right away that you have received their email and that you are responsive to their needs.

Way2Host enables you to set up an autoresponder for each of your email accounts.

Top

I need to have email accounts for the different people in my group. How many mail boxes can I set up?

The number of different email accounts you can set up depends upon your hosting plan. The Starter Plan includes 5 POP/SMTP accounts, while the Plus Plan includes 50 accounts. You can also purchase additional email accounts as your needs increase. Visit our Web site for pricing information.

Top

How do I set up my email account? What information do I need?

When you first activate your Way2Host account, one default email account is already set up for you. Usually, this will be in the format domainname@domainname.com. This email account is associated with your Master User account, and you will use your Master User account password to access this account’s mail. You can view the details of this account in SiteControl by selecting the Email link.

If your plan includes multiple email accounts, you can set these up in SiteControl as well. The SiteControl User Guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating and modifying email accounts.

Top

How do I change my email password?

You can change your email password in SiteControl. Click the Users/Passwords link and then click the Change Password link next to your account. The next time you check your mail, you will use the new password. If you are using an email client such as Microsoft Outlook or Netscape Communicator, be sure you make the necessary changes to your connection information.

If you change the password for your Master User account, remember that you use the same password to connect to the Web server and transfer files, so be sure to change the password in your FTP client or in Microsoft FrontPage.

Top

How do I check my mail?

You can check your mail using a traditional email client such as Microsoft Outlook or Netscape Navigator or by using Way2Host’s Web-based email application, SiteMail.

SiteMail enables you to check your email using your Web browser from any location as long as you have access to the Internet. One of the advantages of SiteMail is that you can use SiteMail and traditional email clients such as Outlook to check the same email account. So, when you’re in the office you can use your favorite email application, but when you’re traveling you can just log in to SiteMail.

To use SiteMail, simply point your browser to http://sitemail.way2host.com and then log in using your email address and password.

If you want to use another email client you will have to configure it so that it can connect to the mail server. You will need to know your incoming (POP3) server name, your outgoing (SMTP) server name and your user name and password. Way2Host’s User Guides and Manuals provide detailed instructions for setting up the most common email clients.

Top

Is there a limit to the number of messages I can have in my mail box?

Your mail box on the server can hold up to 10 MB. This includes both your messages and any attachments. Once you download your email to your computer, these messages are no longer in your mail box on the mail server and are not counted toward the 10 MB limit.

If you need additional disk space, you can order it from within SiteControl using the Usage Details module.

Top

What is the maximum size for an email attachment?

You can send and receive attachments up to 6.5 MB in size, as long as this does not cause your mail box to exceed the 10 MB limit. For example, if your mail box is currently at 2 MB, you could receive a 5 MB attachment. However, if your mail box is at 7 MB, a 5 MB attachment would be returned as undeliverable.

The mail server limits all outgoing and incoming emails to 10 MB. Keep in mind that attachments require additional overhead. So a 6.5 MB file attached may actually be 10 MB.

Top

Why am I getting a mail server error when I try to send email messages?

This occurs when you have not been properly authenticated. An SMTP authentication is required In order to prevent spammers from accessing the outgoing mail server and using your account to send spam. Each time you log in to your email client, you will need to be authenticated before you can send mail. All you need to do is check your email (that is, connect to the POP3 or incoming mail server). Once you do this, you will be authenticated for the entire time you remain signed on.

Top