How to Set Up Email With Basic DSL

Setting up an email client for use with a home computer is not difficult, if done correctly. If you have acquired an email account with a subscription to a digital subscriber line, or DSL, then it is most likely configured for use with a post office protocol (POP) client.

Instructions

Setting Up an Email Client

1. Ensure that the email account is active and ready for use. With the initial DSL paperwork there should be a website, email username and password. They are critical, and they allow the software to connect and download email. Go to your service provider's website and check your email account's status. If you can log into it, that is enough.

2. Install a host/client architecture. Email uses a host/client architecture, in which the host is the email server and the client is the DSL-enabled home computer. There are several thousand client programs to choose from, but the most popular are Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird and Lotus Notes. Outlook and Notes are sold for profit, while Thunderbird is "open source." All three have the same basic settings to connect and receive email. While some versions of Outlook are provided for free with Windows, Mozilla Thunderbird is also available for free from the Mozilla website. Install one of these programs to your home computer.

3. Create a new account. In Outlook, going into the "Tools" menu, then to "Account Settings," will show the menu to create a new account. Most software settings are similar, although the menus can be slightly different. Setting up this new account will require several pieces of information: your email address, your account password, your incoming POP server name, your outgoing simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server name, your incoming/outgoing port numbers and whether or not your server requires authentication.
   While this might sound overwhelming, most of this information is provided in either the DSL paperwork or the ISP's website. Most POP or SMTP servers will look like their website address--i.e., Google's Gmail server names are "pop.gmail.com" and "smtp.gmail.com."
   The incoming and outgoing ports are standardized for most ISPs. Ports 110 for incoming and 25 for outgoing are typical. Less common are ports 965 and 465, such as used with Yahoo! Mail and Gmail.

4. Turn on Server Authentication. Server Authentication is becoming more common, with ISPs and major email providers implementing higher security. Clicking a check box will turn this feature on or off; check with your ISP to see if this is required.

5. Determine that your email account is active. Once your account has been created, it should appear in your email client software as an "inbox." Pressing the "Send/Receive" button, usually on your software's toolbar section, will check the account for new mail and will send messages.

Tips & Warnings

• If you encounter any problems while sending or receiving mail, check the port settings first or switch off server authentication.

• The F5 button on your computer's keyboard is also the "Send/Receive" button.