Configuring Your Client

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Todd Wade
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1 Configuring Your Client Introduction Until last academic year, the University systems used no data encryption during transfers to and from the servers. This was very fast but resulted in s being transmitted in the clear over the network, potentially allowing unauthorised third parties to intercept and read your s. Now we issue SSL security certificates from the servers, which your clients (e.g. Outlook Express) may be configured to accept. Once you have done this, all s which you send and receive are encrypted and may only be intercepted by extremely determined third parties who are targeting you personally, or by spyware running on your PC. IT Services recommend that you enable encryption in your client, and this document will show you how to do this. Common Settings No matter what your choice of client, you will be required to provide these server settings: Incoming server address: imap.reading.ac.uk, Security setting: SSL Outgoing server address: smtp.reading.ac.uk, Security setting: TLS (in Outlook Express set this to SSL too). Incoming server address: pop.reading.ac.uk, Security setting: SSL Note: The root folder path no longer needs to be set to ~/mail/ (as of 27 Sep 2006). Leave it blank. Configuring Outlook Express 6 Open your Tools menu at the top of the screen and select Accounts. Then click on your properties button. These settings should already be correct, but check them to be sure.

Now we issue SSL security certificates from the servers, which your email clients (e.g. Outlook Express) may be configured to accept.

2 Now move across a tab to the right and set your Server Information as follows (entering your username, when promted):

3 Click on the Advanced tab now and tick the two SSL connection boxes:

4 Root folder path no longer needs to be set to ~/mail/ as of 27 Sep Leave it blank.

5 Configuring Outlook 2003 We only recommend the use of Outlook for users of Microsoft Exchange. The following instructions are for those who, through personal choice, wish to use Outlook for IMAP . Open your Tools menu at the top of the screen and select Accounts. Then select "View or change an existing account". These settings should already be correct, but check them to be sure. Note that you should not tick the SPA box, and instead click on the "More Settings..." button.

Open your Tools menu at the top of the screen and select email Accounts. Then select "View or change an existing account".

6 Pressing "More Settings..." brings up this tabbed window. Move across the tabs ensuring that your details are correct.

8 Configure Thunderbird / Mozilla / Netscape 8 These clients are all configured in roughly the same way. Open your Tools menu at the top of the screen and select Account Settings. These settings should already be correct, but check them to be sure.

Open your Tools menu at the top of the screen and select

9 Then move down to your Server Settings screen and check that the server name and port number is correct, and that SSL is selected. Tick "Check for new messages at startup" if that is your preference. Important new change: In the past, we always recommended setting "Check for new messages every 10 minutes". There is now no longer any need to set this on modern clients, as the server will inform the client of new mail automatically. You are free to select it if you like, which will then deliver all new mail in ten minute intervals. Do not tick the "Use secure authentication" box.

Important new change: In the past, we always recommended setting "Check for new messages every 10 minutes".

10 Now press the Advanced Button and check that your "IMAP server directory". Root folder path no longer needs to be set to ~/mail/ as of 27 Sep Leave it blank. Press OK and move down to the Copies & Folders settings screen. Ensure that everything is set to keep messages in your IMAP account (not your local files). Otherwise, none of it will be backed up by us and if you lose your PC hard drive you lose your s.

Press OK and move down to the Copies & Folders settings screen.

11 Finally, go to your Outgoing Server (SMTP) Settings right at the bottom of the list. Ensure that your server name, port, user name and connection type are as displayed below: Frequently Asked Questions Q. What is the difference between POP and IMAP? Which should I be using?

Ensure that your server name, port, user name and connection type

12 A. POP is a system designed for use on dial-up connections and off-line use, where the server delivers your to the computer you are currently at when you connect and then has nothing further to do with it, i.e. it acts rather like the Post Office (hence Post Office Protocol, POP). Like a postman, the server delivers your mail and then goes away. This has two fundamental disadvantages: 1) the server no longer has the stored (and therefore backed up) on it, and 2) the s are delivered to the machine you connected from, so they may be spead across multiple PCs. This is the main reason for most of our "My has vanished!" queries. ISPs love to use POP, as then they don't have to look after your e- any more and it saves them money. IMAP is a more modern system designed for today's high speed local area networks and broadband connections. All mail is kept on the server, and when you connect a copy of your is made and delivered to you (the "cached" copy). There is no disadvantage to connecting via IMAP other than you need to be connected to the network whilst your client is running, and the overwhelming advantages are that your s are backed up every night by IT Services, and that you see all of your s from any computer which you connect to. Q. What is the difference between TLS and SSL? Which should I be using? A. There isn't really any difference to the end user. TLS version 1 is, in effect, a branch of SSL version 3. We currently recommend setting SSL for your IMAP (incoming) connection and TLS for your SMTP (outgoing) connection for both on and off campus connections. Note that you don't get the choice with Outlook Express - you're forced to use SSL for both. The interested reader is advised to read this page to learn the basics. Q. What is the difference between Outlook Express and Outlook? Which should I be using? A. Outlook is Microsoft Corporation's primary client and is supplied as a component of their Office suite. It is comprehensively featured, incorporating a calendar other features, and is a pre-requisite for users of the Microsoft Exchange system (users of which this document doesn't apply to). We recommend its use only for those with Microsoft Exchange accounts. All staff joining the University since September 2006 will be given an Exchange account. Existing staff will be helped to move to

This has two fundamental disadvantages: 1) the server no longer has the email stored (and therefore backed up) on it, and 2) the emails are delivered to the machine you connected from, so they may be

13 Exchange later in the year. Outlook Express, on the other hand, is supplied as a component of Microsoft Windows and is nothing to do with Outlook other than having a similar name. All it can do is read non-exchange and postings from news servers. If all you want is to read s, Outlook Express is all you need and you don't have anything further to install. Click here for Microsoft's own summary of the difference between these two products. Q. What are Netscape, Mozilla and Thunderbird? Why should I consider those? A. These products are all based on an open-source system called Gecko (although Netscape 8 now also uses components of Internet Explorer). Netscape has been around since the early days of the World-Wide Web and is now owned by AOL, Mozilla is effectively a non-aol-owned variant of Netscape and tends to be one step ahead of Netscape in terms of features (and bugs). Thunderbird is solely an client and tends to be a step ahead of Mozilla. Note that none of these products are explicitly supported by IT Services, although there are no known problems with any of them. Click here to learn more about and download Netscape suite ( , news, web browser, web publisher and anti-spyware). Click here to learn more about and download the Mozilla suite ( , news, web browser, web publisher). Click here to learn more about and download the Thunderbird client ( and news reader only).

Click here for Microsoft's own summary of the difference between these two products. Q. What are Netscape, Mozilla and Thunderbird? Why should I consider those? A.

1. Open Thunderbird. If the Import Wizard window opens, select Don t import anything and click Next and go to step 3.

1. Open Thunderbird. If the Import Wizard window opens, select Don t import anything and click Next and go to step 3. Thunderbird The changes that need to be made in the email programs will be the following: Incoming mail server: newmail.one-eleven.net Outgoing mail server (SMTP): newmail.one-eleven.net You will also