This web page tells you how to configure a PC or other system to read mail from the NJIN mail server.

If you connect to NJIN through an Internet Service Provider (i.e. if you use modems that aren't run by NJIN), this document will explain the changes you need to make in order to read mail from NJIN.

Before you set up email, you will need to have an operational network or PPP connection. You can find additional operating system-specific information at our documentation page.

Choosing a Mail Program

In order to read and send mail, you first need a mail program. A number of different programs are available. The most popular ones are

• Netscape
• Internet Explorer
• Pegasus
• Eudora

If other people you are working with are already using one of these programs, you'll probably be better off to use the same one they are. Then you'll be able to get help from your friends, and you'll be sure that more advanced features such as attachments work in exactly the same way. Otherwise, we suggest that you use your browser to read and send mail.

Please note that this document only covers graphical mail programs that can be accessed via a PPP connection. If you would like documentation for text-based programs such as Pine and MM, please refer to our Software Documentation page. If you telnet to the PILOT server to read your mail, we recommend that you use Pine as your mail program.

Setting up your Mail Program

There are many different mail programs, each with several different versions. This document is going to give specific instructions for four of the most common programs. However you should be able to find the corresponding option for other programs fairly easily.

There are three things you need to tell your mail program:

• What computer to get mail from
• What computer to send mail to
• What email address to use in your mail

The computer you get mail from will always be the NJIN mail server, i.e., email.njin.net. Most programs will ask you for your user name and password on this computer. When you set up an account you received a username and password. That's what you give here.

The computer you send mail to will normally be the NJIN mail server, i.e., email.njin.net. However if you get to NJIN through an "Internet Service Provider" (e.g. AOL or some other commercial service) or another University, you will need to use their email server. Note that you will still be reading mail at NJIN, and your email address will still be at NJIN. This simply affects the way your mail is sent. You will need to contact your ISP and ask them for the hostname of their mail server. (If they want to know which kind of server you need, tell them you are looking for the system that is doing "SMTP forwarding".)

The email address you use will be of the form "info@njin.net." The specific address is listed in the table above. But remember to use the username you got when you opened your account in place of "smith."

Here is a table telling you how to set these three items for some of the more common programs. Look for the name of your mail program. For each program, it lists the series of menus, items, etc., you need to follow to make the changes. The example is for an RCI user with a username of smith. Make sure you use the correct username and mail server name.

Program	Server to Read Mail	Server to Send Mail	Email Address
Example	email.njin.net, except for Eudora.	email.njin.net or ISP server	info@njin.net
Pegasus, v 2.42	File, Network Configuration, POP3 Host	File, Network Configuration, SMTP Host	File, Network Configuration, Advanced, From field
Eudora Light	Special, Settings, Hosts, POP Account (should read info@njin.net)	Special, Settings, Hosts, SMTP	Special, Settings, Personal Information, Return Address
For Eudora: Eudora wants something that looks like an email address instead of the server to read mail from.
Netscape, version 4.	Edit, Preferences, Mail & Groups, Mail Server, Incoming Mail Server	Edit, Preferences, Mail & Groups, Mail Server, Outgoing Mail Server	Edit, Preferences, Identity, Email Address
For NS4: In configuring the incoming mail server, select POP3, and then uncheck the box next to "Leave messages on server after retrieval." This prevents the build-up of your old email in your Pilot account by deleting it every time you retrieve your email with Netscape Messenger.
Internet Explorer 4/Outlook Express.	Servers, Incoming Server.	Servers, Outgoing Server	General, Email Address
For IE4/OE: To set up a mail server initially, choose Tools, Accounts, Add, Mail. It will go through a dialog. It will ask for this information during the dialog, along with some other questions. Once you have set up a mail server, you can adjust its properties. Select the server name with your mouse, and click the right button. Choose "Properties".

Why you can't use the NJIN Mail Server to Send Mail if you are Using an ISP

In the description above, we indicated that if you are using an ISP or have Internet access through your University's LAN, you must send mail using the ISP's or your University's mail server. You can still read your mail from the NJIN mail server. You can use an NJIN email address, even for mail you send using your ISP. However the actual sending has to go through your ISP. If your PILOT account is the only email account that you have, you will need to telnet to pilot.njin.net and use Pine to send outgoing mail.

We've been forced to setup mail services this way because of continuing growth in junk email ("spam"). One of the things spammers do to hide their identity is to "bounce" email off an innocent third party. To prevent this, service providers are now expected to forward mail only for their own users. Before we started enforcing this restriction, spammers were using the NJIN servers to bounce email and were overloading the system.

Last Modified Monday, 28-Feb-2000 13:30:11 EST