Webstix SMTP Server Options and Email Settings

To use a Webstix POP3 email account, you should use a program/application on your computer like Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail. We do provide webmail (where you use your web browser to login and check your email like GMail or Hotmail) but it's mainly there for you to check email on-the-go and should not be used as the primary way to read your email. Email should be downloaded to your computer or smart phone and read there for best results.

At Webstix, we do not provide you an SMTP server (sending / outgoing server) for a number of reasons (some of those reasons are explained below). Normally, your ISP (Internet Service Provider - the people that provide your Internet connection) gives you an SMTP server to use but sometimes they do not. More and more of them are not providing it any more.

If your ISP does not provide SMTP, then here are some other ways to get an SMTP server for your email account so that you are able to send email:

1. Yahoo! Mail Plus - I have used this service for a few years now and I like it. I have a Yahoo email account but you don't have to use Yahoo's SMTP server just for that email. I use it for my webstix.com email account as well and people can't tell the difference. Since I use a laptop, this is ideal for me because I don't have to constantly change SMTP servers when I change ISPs / networks. You just set it and forget it, really. Get more info on Yahoo's Mail Plus SMTP service.
2. SMTP2Go - This is similar to Yahoo's SMTP service and about the same price but with this service you are limited to sending just 50 emails per day unless you go with their corporate plan. They claim to provide SMTP (email sending) service worldwide. They have a free trial of their services. Configuration is easy. I've tried this one, too, and it works well. It's fast.
3. Google's Gmail - You can get a Gmail account and also send non-gmail.com email through it. Their settings are different (like a different port) but you just have to set that once and you're good to go. It's free but you may get that "on behalf of" thing appearing in the email (I'm not certain on that - it's has been reported that things have changed).
   
   Below are some links on using Gmail for your SMTP server:
   • Configuring other mail clients (mail.google.com/support)
   • How to use Gmail as your SMTP server (lifehacker.com)
   • Gmail as a free smtp server (www.geekzone.co.nz)
   • Using GMail as Your SMTP Gateway (www.bmonday.com)
4. Jango SMTP - This is one we found that's free and seems to work well. You can send up to 200 emails per month for free (which might not be enough for some people). If you don't send a lot of email, then this could be a good solution for you so that you can easily send email from your computer.

Note: Webstix does not do support for TDS, Google, Yahoo or any other SMTP service. Please contact them if you have any questions. This information is just here to point you in some possible directions that we think will be helpful to you.

Help Setting up Yahoo! Mail Plus

If you choose Yahoo! Mail Plus (which we suggest), then here's a page with some instructions.

Also, below are some screen shots of how I have it set up in Apple Mail:

Why Webstix Does Not Provide an Outgoing / SMTP Server

There are number of reasons. For one, we'd need to have a dedicated server just to handle SMTP. That's an additional cost because there's monthly costs and maintenance that would need to be done. We'd also incur other technical / labor costs to make sure we have the right email sending policies in place (comply with government regulations), keep copies of all sent messages through our server (per federal government regulations), monitor the server to make sure we stay off spamming blacklists and other details. This is easily the job of 1-2 full time people. To keep costs low, we've decided to just refer our clients to other services and companies that are already set up with the correct infrastructure. It makes sense to refer or outsource that kind of service.

We're sorry if this causes you an inconvenience, but we feel this is the best decision both for us and our clients. It seems like companies like major Internet Service Providers are even getting out of the SMTP server business for similar reasons. Even at the Webstix office, we cannot use our own servers for SMTP, we use the services mentioned above - so it's not unusual that we do not provide this - not at all.

Choosing an SMTP Provider

It's best to choose an SMTP service provider that specializes in doing SMTP. Another advantage is that if you use a laptop, you don't have to keep changing your SMTP server settings if you use a dedicated, third party (mobile) SMTP service provider - from wherever you travel. They will have reliable service (quick delivery), can be used from anywhere and they have strong relationships with the major email providers to make sure your emails get through and don't end up on spam lists / blacklists.

Webstix is Not an ISP or Local Computer Support Company

It's important to understand the difference between an Internet Service Provider (ISP), website host and IT support company. We're a website hosting company (as well as a website design company, of course). We provide the space on the server for you and give you the settings. We'll do our best to help you get your email set up on your computer (which works fine for most of our clients) but sometimes people need more help getting their email set up on their computer. That extended help is where you would hire an IT company or computer support company to help you. ISPs or DSL/cable TV companies have these type of people on staff (and may even come out to your home or office) but Webstix does not do that.

Again, we give you the settings for the space we've created for you and do our best to give you some help. We mainly focus on keeping our servers up and running so that you can access your email and so your website stays running.

Should I Use Thunderbird or Outlook?

It's up to you. Both work. If you use other Microsoft applications or your company requires Outlook, then you should use Outlook. I like Thunderbird - it works fine. If you use iCloud on Apple/Mac, then I would suggest sticking with Apple's Mail program because everything integrates really well.

Webstix Email Settings

Here are the settings to use for your email program. You will need to know which server your email is on. Please contact Webstix for your specific settings to use.

To fully configure your email application, you need the following information:

• Your name (which you know already - this is your real name, not your username or "Me" or something like that).
• Your email address.
• Incoming server name.
• The server type - for Webstix, choose POP3.
• Your username (in our case, your email address is also your username).
• Your password.
• Your SMTP server name. Your SMTP server may also require a separate username and password).

Do NOT choose SSL or secure email or secure ports for your incoming email server. Your outgoing/SMTP server may be SSL/secure though - you need to get your SMTP server settings from whichever provider you choose. Use port 110 for your incoming server (again, do NOT choose "Use SSL").

More Resources:

• How to Set Up Your Email in Outlook
• How to Find Out Where Email is Hosted
• Webstix Email Services

Thanks,
-Tony

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