Sending email on the road
 

So, we have decided to take a laptop to manage our digi photos and email, as well as browse the HUBB offline.

One problem remains: assuming we find places where we can plug the PC into the Net, how can we send mail? Normally access to SMTP servers is restricted to the one of the internet provider you are connected to, to avoid spam.

Possible solutions:

Webmail - too cumbersome, I want to compose emails and just push the button to send them.

Install an smtp server on the notebook. I suspect that this will meet with limited success, mail being rejected as coming from an invalid address, etc. Any spammer could do just that...

Use a paid-for service. Pretty expensive what I have seen so far.

Ask the access point for a server name, then reconfigure the email program. Possible, looks like my preferred solution so far.

Any other/better ideas, anybody?

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Hi Peter

Ask your internet provider at home if they support smtp-authentification. This means you have to logon to the smtp server before you can send an email, this makes ip-restrictions unnecessary. Don't be afraid about the authentification process, all recent email clients do support this option.

Save rides, Kudi

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Ride Your Dreams

Sounds like a nightmare. I think I'll stick to internet cafes.

Can't see the problem with webmail myself, just write emails in a text program ahead of time, then cut and paster them in?

Similarly incoming messages. Use one with storage and you could keep copies of important documents online too.

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Richb
http://www.postmaster.co.uk/~richardbeaumont/60684/

Thanks Kudi. I know about authentication. Problem is, since we are giving up our flat we will also give up our ISP.



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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Check out PuTTy.

I use it all the time, because my isp is NOT my email provider.

It basically gives you a tunnel through the net direct to your email server. The plus is also that your email isn't seen as being relayed, which is a sure spam sign and is heavily penalised by many antispam solutions. And once it's setup, it doesn't matter where you are connecting from - it's all the same to PuTTy. I plug my lap[top in anywhere, and it always just works. NO reconfigging needed.

Still, you need a mail server somewhere for PuTTy to connect to, and that is NOT avoidable. You have only two choices to send mail if you don't have an isp - you can either use a web based service e.g. yahoo, or get your own domain and use that for your email. (I think everyone should have their own domain anyway - that way your email address NEVER changes, for the rest of your life.)

For a domain, I highly recommend our host, Futurequest. Not the cheapest, but awesome in every other respect, including great antispam and antivirus solutions built-in - and that you have control over.

Declaration of interest: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif
Click here and I'll make a couple of bucks if you sign up http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

Basic package is I think US$9.95, (check the special deals out too) and you get full webmail for when you just can't connect the laptop, and all the email addresses you could want for regular pop/smtp mail.

hope that helps, Grant


[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 02 August 2005).]

And the chosen solution is: Gmail. Secure SMTP for free plus a great web interface. As a backup I have an account with GMX, but this requires a German address and they send you spam once or twice a week.

Bought an Averatec Notebook (poor quality) and so far I've been able to get onto the net with Wifi without having to pay for it.

Thanks to all for your advice.