SMTP question/complaint...

[jAZ]

Does anyone know if there is some magic way around this ridiculous hassle?

I have a laptop that I use to send email from lots of locations:

- Home (ISP: Cox Cable),
- Work (ISP: Some obscure company)
- Business (ISP: MSN Dialup now)
- Business (ISP: will be Qwest DSL eventually),
- My mother in law's house (ISP: Comcast Cable),
- From the coffeeshop (ISP: unknown)
- From occasional hotels (ISP: various often unknown)
- My mother's house (ISP: AOL)

Point is that I SEND email from my outlook on my laptop all over the place. I was just told that every ISP blocks their subscribers from sending email through any SMTP account other than their own.

So I can't use my SMTP account that comes with the domain I just setup because almost all ISPs block it. I was told this was a spam prevention solution...

For me, it seems to mean that everywhere I go, I have to figure out who their ISP is, call their tech support or dig through their website to find the specific address for their SMTP server and then reconfigure my Outlook everytime I move my computer.

I don't understand why the ISP's don't secure the SMTP server with the same login/password that they do the POP server... That would block outside spammers and allow me to send mail from anywhere on the net as long as I have a password.

At the very least you would think that an email client would allow someone to configure multiple smtp addresses, and have it cycle through them until it finds one that works...

[/rant]

[|Zach|]

You should the the government take control of your emailing.

[Phobia]

You should the the government take control of your emailing.

I agree with kcnut.

[|Zach|]

I agree with kcnut.
You are in good company.

[htismaqe]

SMTP authentication really doesn't prevent much spam anyway.

[HC_Chief]

Configure a Hotmail or Yahoo account, then use that as your 'everywhere' account.

[jAZ]

Configure a Hotmail or Yahoo account, then use that as your 'everywhere' account.
I've been doing that actually (with Hotmail)... but I've recently setup a business that requires a real POP mail service with our domain.

I was talking to a friend who said that some places will host their SMTP on Port 26 instead of port 25.

Anyone know any?

[HC_Chief]

I've been doing that actually (with Hotmail)... but I've recently setup a business that requires a real POP mail service with our domain.

I was talking to a friend who said that some places will host their SMTP on Port 26 instead of port 25.

Anyone know any?

25 is the default SMTP port... 26 is unassigned, so it's alright to change to it; but only as long as you've configured your routers to know to use that port for SMTP traffic. It should not affect outgoing packets however - just incoming. (a jury-rigged 'security' patch, IMO)

If you want to host a domain, get a static IP from your ISP. Configure your domain on that address (for all traffic). Your ISP will probably want to charge you more for the static address... and if they find out you're using it for business, they'll charge you even more (or disconnect you).

[Bob Dole]

Set up Squirrelmail on your server.

[HC_Chief]

Set up Squirrelmail on your server.

Is that a dynamic DNS (DDNS) mail package?

[Bob Dole]

Is that a dynamic DNS (DDNS) mail package?

It's an open source webmail application.

www.squirrelmail.org

[ENDelt260]

You could install PostCast on your laptop

www.postcastserver.com

[Skip Towne]

It's an open source webmail application.

www.squirrelmail.org
Is this related to Psicosis in any manner?

[ENDelt260]

SquirrelMail ate Dole's brain.