Mail software changes - Enabling SMTP authentication

 

Important changes to your mail software settings

As part of our ongoing commitment to security, we are continually reviewing security measures to protect your website and email. Most of these changes happen behind the scenes and do not require any action on your behalf.

On March 27, 2008, we will be adding an additional layer of security (SMTP authentication) to your email accounts. This change will ensure that only users that know the username and password for one of your POP accounts (including the catch-all account) can send mail.

You will need to make the changes to your mail software settings before April 14, 2008. If you do not make the changes you will be unable to send mail until the change has been made.

Please read below to see if you will be required to make any changes. If you are required to make any changes, step-by-step instructions are provided on how to make the changes.

What changes do I need to make?

In order to continue to send mail after April 14, you will need to adjust your mail software settings so that your mail software is aware that your outgoing SMTP server requires authentication. This is a quick change which should only take a few minutes. Instructions are below.

You will need to enable SMTP authentication for each mail software package that you use to send mail (so if you send mail from home and also from your office, you will need to adjust your mail software settings on both computers). You will also need to enable SMTP authentication for each POP email account that you use to send mail.

Why do I need to make these changes?

Computer virus's routinely use your mail server to send spam messages to thousands of people. This is the main reason that we have been blocked at hotmail.com, yahoo.com, shaw.com and many other email providers. By requiring a username and password to send email, we stop virus's that send spam email once they have infected a computer.

Below is a list of common mail software packages. Clicking on the mail software that you are using will take you to detailed instructions for enabling SMTP authentication in that mail software.

Outlook Express

  • Open Outlook Express
  • From the Tools menu select Accounts. This will bring up the Accounts window
  • Click on the Mail tab at the top
  • Select the email account you wish to enable SMTP authentication for and click on the Properties button
  • Click the Servers Tab
  • Select the My server requires authentication checkbox
  • Click the Settings button
  • Ensure that the Logon Information is set to Use same settings as my incoming mail server
  • Click OK for all windows that are currently open

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Outlook Express and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Windows Mail

  • Open Windows Mail.
  • From the Tools menu select Accounts. The Internet Accounts box appears.
  • Click on the cable-lynx.net account to highlight it, then click the Properties button on the right. The mail account properties appear.
  • Select the Servers tab.
  • Under the Outgoing Mail Server section check the box My server requires authentication and click the Settings button.
  • Click OK to close the Outgoing Mail Server box.  Click OK to close the Properties box.  Click the Close button. SMTP authentication has now been enabled.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Windows Mail and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Outlook 2000

To enable SMTP authentication in Outlook 2000, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Outlook 2000
  • From the Tools menu select Accounts. This will bring up the Accounts window
  • Select the email account you wish to enable SMTP authentication for and click on the Properties button
  • Click the Servers Tab
  • Select the My server requires authentication checkbox
  • Click the Settings button
  • Ensure that the Logon Information is set to Use same settings as my incoming mail server
  • Click OK for all windows that are currently open

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Outlook and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Outlook 2002 or 2003 (Outlook XP)

To enable SMTP authentication in Outlook 2002 (Outlook XP), please follow the steps below:

  • Open Outlook 2002 (Outlook XP)
  • From the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts
  • Select View or change existing e-mail accounts and click the Next button
  • Select the email account you wish to enable SMTP authentication for and click the Change button
  • In the E-mail Accounts window click the More Settings... button
  • Click the Outgoing Server tab
  • Click to select the My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication check box
  • Click to select the Use same settings as my incoming mail server option
  • Click the OK button
  • Click the Next button on the E-mail Accounts window
  • Click Finish to complete the configuration changes

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Outlook and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Outlook 2007

To enable SMTP authentication in Outlook 2007, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Outlook 2007
  • From the Tools menu, click Account Settings
  • Select the e-mail account you wish to change
  • Click the Change button
  • Click the More Settings button
  • Click the Outgoing Server tab
  • Put a checkmark in My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication check box
  • Click to select the Use same settings as my incoming mail server option
  • Click the OK button
  • Click the Next button on the E-mail Accounts window
  • Click Finish to complete the configuration changes
  • Click Close to finish setup.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Outlook and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Outlook 5 for Mac

Outlook Express 5.01 users

The SMTP authentication feature is missing in Outlook Express 5.01 for Mac.

This has been updated in versions 5.02 and onwards as released by Microsoft.

A free download of the updated version can be found on the MicroSoft website by clicking here..

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Outlook 5 for Mac, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Outlook 5
  • From the Tools menu, select Accounts, that brings up the Accounts window
  • Double-click on the email account that is listed on the Mail tab, that brings up the Edit Account window
  • In the Sending Mail section, click on the Click here for Advanced Options button (it may be hard to see)
  • Click to select the SMTP server requires authentication checkbox
  • Click the bullet Use same settings as incoming mail server
  • Click on the little box in the upper left hand corner to close this window
  • Click OK

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Outlook and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Eudora (for Mac)

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Eudora (for Mac), please follow the steps below:

  • Open Eudora
  • From the Special menu choose Settings
  • Click on Sending Mail
  • Check the Allow Authorization checkbox
  • Click OK

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Eudora and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Eudora (for Windows)

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Eudora (for Windows), please follow the steps below:

  • Open Eudora
  • From the Tools choose Options
  • Click on Getting Started
  • In the SMTP Server (Outgoing) area check the Allow Authentication checkbox
  • Click OK

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Eudora and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

The Bat!

In order to enable SMTP authentication in The Bat!, please follow the steps below:

  • Open The Bat!
  • From the Account menu, select Properties
  • Select the Transport item from the left hand menu
  • In Send Mail click the More button
  • Check the Perform SMTP authentication (RFC 2554) checkbox
  • Select the Use POP server Login option
  • Click OK for all windows that are currently open.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down The Bat! and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Apple Mail

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Apple Mail, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Apple Mail
  • From the Mail menu choose Preferences
  • On the lower right corner of the window, click on Server Settings... (under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)). If this option is not visible, make sure you have the correct mail account selected, and that the Accounts and Account Information tabs are selected.
  • Pull down the Authentication menu and select Password.
  • Enter your username and password.
  • Click OK.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Apple Mail and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Netscape 7.1

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Netscape 7.1, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Netscape 7.1
  • From the Edit menu, select Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings
  • Select Outgoing Server (SMTP)
  • Check the Username and password checkbox
  • Enter your username
  • Click OK for all windows that are currently open

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Netscape and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Thunderbird

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Thunderbird, please follow the steps below:

  • Open Thunderbird
  • Select Tools | Account Settings... from the menu.
    • In Mozilla and Netscape, select Edit | Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings.
  • Go to the Outgoing Server (SMTP) category. (on the left-hand side selection panel)
  • Highlight outgoing server on the right, and select edit.
  • Make sure the checkbox next to Use name and password is selected. (Your username is the first part of the email address. For example@cable-lynx.net enter example.)
  • Enter your user name under User Name:.
  • Click OK.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Netscape and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

IncrediMail

In order to enable SMTP authentication in Thunderbird, please follow the steps below:

  • Open IncrediMail
  • From the Tools menu, choose Accounts.
  • Click the email account you wish to modify and click the Properties button.
  • Click the Servers tab.
  • Under Outgoing Mail Server, check the box next to My Server Requires Authentication.
  • Click the Settings button.
  • Ensure that Use same settings as my incoming mail server is selected.
  • Click OK to close the dialog box.
  • Click OK, then Close in the Mail Accounts window.

Once you have completed the steps above, please close down Netscape and then restart it to ensure that the settings have taken effect. You may like to send a test message from the account that you just configured to check that SMTP authentication is working.

Other mail software

If your mail software was not specifically mentioned in the list above, you should still be able to enable SMTP authentication relatively easily. We would recommend that you:

  • Consult the user manual / help guide for your mail software for instructions on enabling SMTP authentication
  • Browse your mail software settings to find where you can enable SMTP authentication
  • Perform a web search for articles on enabling SMTP authentication in your mail software
  • Contact the software vendor of your mail software for further assistance