How to configure Tiny-Mail to be able to send and receive e-mail?
To enable sending e-mail using the Tiny-Mail server you should configure at least one SMTP server. To do this follow these instructions:
- On the main window of the program click the Properties button.
- Choose the SMTP bookmark.
- Click the Add button and then write the name or the IP address your SMTP server into the Server editbox. (If you don't know the name or the IP address of your SMTP server, ask your internet service provider).
- Click OK. You can repeat step 3 several times if you have access to several SMTP servers, although it's not necessary - for a proper use of Tiny-Mail one SMTP server is enough.
To use Tiny-Mail to receive mail is a little bit more complicated. To do this follow these inctructions:
- Click the Properties button on the main window of the program.
- Choose the Mailboxes bookmark.
- Think over how many users will receive e-mail using Tiny-Mail. For each of them repeat steps 4-11.
- Click the Add mailbox button. A New mailbox window will appear.
- Enter the name of your mailbox and its password (twice). You should remember that these are the parameters of your LOCAL mailbox, so they may but don't have to be identical with your real mailbox you have at your internet service provider.
- Click OK. Enter the first name and surname of the mailbox owner into the Name field. It's not obligatory but it makes it easier to change the configuration in the future (especially if there are a lot of users in your LAN network).
- Click the Add button in the Remote POP3 servers frame. The POP3 properties window will appear.
- Enter the username, the name of the POP3 server and the password of your real mailbox. These are the same settings you enter while configuring your mail agent if you don't use Tiny-Mail.
- Click OK. You can repeat step 8 several times if you want to receive mail from several real mailboxes into one local mailbox.
- If you want to use Tiny-Mail as a local mail server (in other words - to be able to send e-mail between users of your local network without accessing the Internet) you should enter a list of local e-mail addresses for your mailboxes. To do this you should click the Add button in the Local e-mail addresses frame. The Local e-mail address window will appear.
- Now you enter an e-mail address that is ascribed to that mailbox (e.g. username@mycompany.com). From that time on any mail sent from any user of the local network to the given address will hit that mailbox.
- You can repeat step 11 several times if you want to ascribe several e-mail addresses to one mailbox.
You can close the server properties window after configuring your local mailboxes. From that time on you can use your server.
I am an Outlook Express user. How should I configure my mail agent to work with Tiny-Mail?
For a proper MS Outlook Express configuration that will enable to work with Tiny-Mail you should follow these instructions:
- After running Outlook Express choose the Tools|Accounts option from the main menu.
- If the server address in the Internet accounts window is set, choose the Properties option. If not - click the Add button and choose Mail.
- In the Severs bookmark you should enter the IP address of the computer on which Tiny-Mail is installed. Fill the POP3 and SMTP editboxes with that address. If both Tiny-Mail and Outlook Express work on the same machine enter "127.0.0.1" as valid POP3 and SMTP servers.
- In the Username editbox you should enter the name of your local mailbox that has been inscribed while configuring Tiny-Mail, in the password editbox you also enter the password of your local mailbox configured in Tiny-Mail.
- Click OK. Outlook Express is ready to work with Tiny-Mail.
I am a Netscape Messenger user. How should I configure it to work with Tiny-Mail?
To make Netscape Messenger work with Tiny-Mail follow the given below instructions:
- After running the program choose the Edit and then the Preferences option from the main menu.
- In the Mail & Newsgroups category choose the subcategory Mail Servers.
- If you have a mail server addres given in the Incoming Mail Servers frame, you should choose the Edit option. Otherwise choose Add.
- Enter the IP address of the computer on which Tiny-Mail is installed into the Server Name field. If both Tiny-Mail oraz Netscape Messenger work on the same computer - enter 127.0.0.1.
- Choose POP3 Server in the Server Type field.
- Enter the name of your local mailbox that has been set while configuring Tiny-Mail into the User Name field. Click OK.
- Enter the IP address of the computer on which Tiny-Mail is installed (similar as in case of the POP3 server) into the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) server field in the Outgoing Mail Server frame. If both Tiny-Mail and Netscape Messenger work on the same machine - enter 127.0.0.1.
- The Outgoing mail server user name field stays unchanged, however the Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or TLS for outgoing messages switch must be set to Never.
- Click OK. Netscape Messenger is ready to work with Tiny-Mail.
I don't use the Internet. Can I use Tiny-Mail as a local mail server?
Yes! If you want to use Tiny-Mail exclusively in your local network, it's not necessary to describe the SMTP server during Tiny-Mail configuration. You also don't have to configure any remote POP3 server. All you have to do is to configure your "Local e-mail addresses" (see : "How to configure Tiny-Mail to be able to send and receive e-mail?"). If you don't use the Internet you can create local e-mail addresses consisting of any character strings made up of a username and a made up domain, e.g. "johnsmith@marketing".
If you use Tiny-Mail only as a local mail server it's recommended to disable the option "Do not relay messages" in the server configuration on the SMTP bookmark. This will result in rejecting messages if an e-mail is sent with destination addresses from outside your local network.
What are the advantages of using Tiny-Mail? In other words: do I really need it?
There are many advantages of using Tiny-Mail. The most important are:
- Effective use of your Dial-up connection capacity. Usual mail agents carry out operations sequentively (sending and receiving mail, receiving articles from newsgroups, etc.). Connection establishing and information exchange (e.g. request for new messages, sending messages, etc.) with the remote server takes time during that the capacity of your Dial-up connection is not fully used. In that case the time to fulfill all the tasks in such a solution is longer than in case of doing all the tasks simultaneously. That's why Tiny-Mail is recommended especially for users that use a Dial-up connection, as it saves time and money.
- Reducing the costs of your Dial-up connection between the local network and the Internet. Assume that you have 3 persons in your company that use e-mail on their computer. To provide an efficient mail access for them, each computer should be equipped with a modem and a separate telephone line (or be at least linked to a local telephone exchange). If you use Tiny-Mail, only one computer equipped with a modem and one telephone line will be enough. All LAN users will be able to use their mail without disrupting one another - like everyone had each own Internet access. Moreover one can send mail between LAN users!
I have only one e-mail account. Is there a possibility to identify to whom the messages should be delivered if my mailbox has several aliases?
Sure!
The Tiny-Mail program lets you to create virtual mail accounts that enable to operate multi-aliassed accounts as well as catch all accounts. The configuration is very easy and enables you to give your employees as many mail accounts as you wish without paying your internet service provider for new e-mail accounts!
To use that option you should configure the POP3 server for one of the accounts switching on the "Catch All account" option. This will result in analysing each header of messages received from that server. The recipient field will point to which local mail addres the message should be delivered.
I get a message "Error initializing SMTP/POP3/NNTP services" while starting Tiny-Mail.
This message can occur if the computer on which Tiny-Mail is installed:
- was not properly configured to work with the TCP/IP protocol
- has another mail/news server installed
- has Symantec Norton Antivirus 2000 (or higher) installed and the mail control option is enabled