Using the mail.uic.edu Authenticated SMTP Outgoing Email Server

• SMTP or Outgoing mail server: mail.uic.edu
• For some software you have to specify the port. The proper port for SMTP is 25. Because more and more ISPs block port 25, including SBC/ATT Yahoo DSL, the ACCC is now suggesting that everyone start out using an alternate port.
  • In most cases, you first try 587 and Start TLS if Available. Port 587 is set up exactly like port 25.
  • Or you can use Port 465 and SSL.
  • When using Eudora, it's better to start with port 465 because you select port 465 and turn SSL on just by selecting: Required, Alternate Port
• Turn on authorization for the SMTP connection.
• Turn on secure connection or SSL for the SMTP connection.
• Specify your netid and ACCC common password to log in to mail.uic.edu.
  
  
• If you outgoing email doesn't go out, check your firewall to see whether the port you're using is blocked: either 587 (if you are using Start TLS) or 465 (if you are using SSL and alternate port). Note that the Windows XP firewall does not provide any outbound protection, but the Windows Vista and other firewalls such as ZoneAlarm do.

This is all you need to set up any email program that supports secure SMTP or outgoing email with mail.uic.edu. And lots of them do -- I even have SnapperMail on my PDA set up to use mail.uic.edu.

Some other Web pages, with pictures:

If you want screen shots or if you're using Netscape or Mozilla, check out:

Email at Fermilab TSL Configuration.

Yale University has instructions for all sorts of email programs, including PDA email programs:

Sending authenticated email

I know this works in Eudora for Windows Version 6.2; it may work in Version 6.0. (But SSL for incoming email doesn't work in 6.0, so Eudora for Windows 6.2 is required for using mail.uic.edu for incoming email; download it free from the Web.) I don't know about anything lower.

Note: There are special considerations if you are upgrading Eudora for Windows to 6.2 from Version 4 or 5. Please see Installing over an Old Version of Eudora?.

To set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Eudora 6.2 for Windows:

1. Open Eudora.
2. Tools -> Options -> Sending Mail
   • For SMTP Server, type: mail.uic.edu
   • Select: Allow Authentication from the dropdown list.
   • Don't bother to select a SMTP Relay Personality. This is the personality whose userid and password will be used to authenticate to mail.uic.edu. It would be really nice if you could select the account that you use to authenticate with, but I couldn't get Eudora to do that. Regardless of what you select here, Eudora will use the netid and password of the account you're checking the mail of. I'm sorry. If someone can get it to work with a different email account, please send email to document@uic.edu and let me know how you did it.
   • Select: Required Alternate Port for Secure Sockets when Sending (SSL is Secure Sockets Layer). (This uses port 465, though it doesn't say so in the Port Options.)
     
3. Click OK.
4. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (465, if you followed these instructions.)

If Required Alternate Port doesn't work, use Port 587. This is something of a pain, so it pays to try Required Alternate Port first. Set Port 587 and go back to Sending Mail and select: Start TLS if Available for Secure Sockets when Sending. If you don't have the Ports option, move the file Esoteric.epi (which you'll find in your Eudora ExtraStuff folder) into your Eudora folder, then restart Eudora.

If you upgrade to Eudora 6.2 and you get ads, your installation is in sponsored mode. To switch to paid mode:

1. In Eudora, select Help -> Payment & Registration.
2. Click Change Your Registration and insert the following information in the appropriate fields exactly as it is shown here.
   • Registration Number: get this from E-Sales
   • Registration Type: Paid
   • First Name: University Of Illinois Chicago
   • Last Name: SiteLicense

I'm sorry I can't give you the Registration number here, but this is a public page; you have to get it from a protected page in E-Sales:

1. Log into E-Sales.
2. Click on the My Software button on the top left.
3. Find Eudora 6.2.1; click on Download.
4. Click on View Order Details
5. The Registration Number is in the Product Password Information section.

If you have upgraded to Eudora for Windows 7.0, our first recommendation is to downgrade back to 6.2. Version 7.0 has a lot of bugs and isn't ready for prime time. You can install Eudora for Windows 6.2 over Eudora for Windows 7.0 with no problems.

If you must stay with Eudora for Windows 7.0, here are a few notes: In Eudora 7.0, you can use ports 25 and 587 but not 465. If you use port 587, you need check to select a new option called Use submission port (587) which is under Tools -> Options -> Sending mail.

Note added November, 2007: How about Eudora 8.0.0b1? The official beta of the Mozilla Eudora is now available. I have been using it for a few months on both Windows and Macs and I like it enough to have converted to using it as my primary email program. (It is based on Thunderbird, so it isn't quite as "beta" as it might seem.) Your mileage will of course vary. Penelope Releases.

Thanks to Joseph Kaufman for the port information on Eudora 7.0.

SSL is only supported for Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X 10.2 or higher; not for Mac OS 10.0 or 10.1. These instructions are for Eudora for Macs Version 6.2+ and Mac OS X. For instructions for Mac OS 9, see Eudora for Mac OS 9.

To set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Eudora for Macs:

1. Open Eudora
2. Special -> Settings -> Getting Started
   • For SMTP Server, type: mail.uic.edu
3. Go down to SSL option screen. Click your mouse in the left side of the window and type SSL; it's a bit hard to find otherwise:
   • For SSL for SMTP, select Required Alternate Port from the dropdown list.
     (This uses port 465, though it doesn't say so in the Port Options)
   • For Alternate Port SSL Negotiation, click Maximum Compatibility
4. Click OK.

Having problems? Perhaps you should switch. It appears that people have been having more problems setting up Eudora for Macs to use SSL than any other email client. The current state of Eudora for Mac is pretty sad; it is nowhere near the program it used to be. If you have problems setting Eudora up, perhaps it's time to consider switching to another Mac email client: Mail.app, Thunderbird, or Entourage. I'm not going to recommend one or another; there are some of us at the ACCC who like each one the best. And we all think that they all are pretty good programs. So take your choice.

Note added November, 2007: The official beta of the Mozilla Eudora, Eudora 8.0.0b1, is now available. I have been using it for a few months on both Windows and Mac and I like it enough to have converted to using it as my primary email program. (It is based on Thunderbird, so it isn't quite as "beta" as it might seem.) The major problem that I had was in importing from Entourage; it didn't do it. :) Your mileage will of course vary. Penelope Releases.

If you are converting from Eudora to Mail.app or Thunderbird, you might want to use Eudora Mailbox Cleaner 4.7.3 to convert your Eudora mailboxes (Mac OS or Windows) to Mail.app format and Eudora Address Book to Mac OS X Address Book format. It can even convert Eudora filters and take attachments from Eudora's "Attachment Folder" and put them back in the message they came in for incoming email.

I presume that you can use port 587, which is set up exactly like port 25. But I have my Mail.app set up to use 465, and it works.

If you are converting from Eudora to Mail.app, you might want to use Eudora Mailbox Cleaner 4.7.3 to convert your Eudora mailboxes (Mac OS or Windows) to Mail.app format and Eudora Address Book to Mac OS X Address Book format. It can even convert Eudora filters and take attachments from Eudora's "Attachment Folder" and put them back in the message they came in for incoming email.

To set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Mail.app on Macs:

1. Open Mail.app.
2. Mail -> Preferences ...
3. Click on Accounts, then highlight the account you want to use mail.uic.edu.
4. Account Information tab, select: Add server from the dropdown list.
   • Outgoing Mail Server: mail.uic.edu
   • Server Port: 465         
   • Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): Checked
   • Authentication: select Password
   • User Name: your-netid
   • Password: Go ahead and put your password here; it's a pain to enter it when you send email, after you've entered it when you logged in!
5. Click OK.
6. Then select: mail.uic.edu:your-netid from the Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) dropdown list.
   
7. Click to close the window, then click Save.
8. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (465, if you followed these instructions.)

If you are having trouble setting Outlook up, try updating it.

• Use either Windows Update: Open Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Windows Update
• If that doesn't work for you, you can go Windows Update Catalog. (You still need to use IE and you still need to download and install the Windows Update software to go this route.)

The ACCC doesn't support Outlook, and all the Outlooks work differently, but here is how you set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Outlook Express and Outlook 2000.

Use port 465. Yale says that Outlook only support STARTTLS on port 25, not 587.

1. On the Mail tab:
   • Click on the name of your email account to highlight it and click the Properties button.
2. On the Servers tab:
   • For Outgoing mail (SMTP): type: mail.uic.edu
   • Check My server requires authentication
   • Click Settings ...
     • Either click Use the same settings as my incoming mail server
     • Or click Log on using and type your netid and password for Account name: and Password: and check Remember password
   • Click OK
3. On the Advanced tab:.
   • Outgoing mail (SMTP): port number 465
   • Check This server requires a secure connection.
4. Click Apply, OK, and Close the Internet Accounts window.
5. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (465, if you followed these instructions.)

And here is how you set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server with Outlook 2002 (also known as Outlook XP) and 2003.

If you are having trouble setting Outlook up, try updating it.

• Use either Windows Update: Open Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Windows Update
• If that doesn't work for you, you can go Windows Update Catalog. (You still need to use IE and you still need to download and install the Windows Update software to go this route.)

Use port 465. Yale says that Outlook only support STARTTLS on port 25, not 587. It was my experience that port 587 did not work.

1. In Outlook, Tools -> E-mail Accounts...
2. If you're modifying an existing account, click on View or change existing e-mail accounts.
   Otherwise, click Add a new e-mail account. Click Next>.
3. Highlight the account you're modifying and click Change... or click Add if you're adding a new account.
4. For Outgoing mail server (SMTP): type: mail.uic.edu and click the More Settings... button.
5. On the Outgoing Server tab:
   • Check: My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication
   • Click Log on using and type in the netid and password for the account you want to authenticate with in the User Name: and Password: boxes. You can save your password here; it doesn't make sense to enter it every time you send an email message. But remember to change it when you change your password.
6. On the Advanced tab:
   • Under Outgoing server (SMTP),
     • Check This server requires a secure connection (SSL).
     • Outgoing mail (SMTP): port number 465
     • Click OK.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Next>, Finish, and Close.
9. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (465, if you followed these instructions.)

This is for version 10.1.3, which is the current version as I add this. There is no particular reason to expect that it will work in future versions of Outlook Connector. If you find out that the instructions are out-of-date, please let us know at uicalendar@uic.edu.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Start-> Settings -> Control Panel -> Mail
3. Click the E-mail Accounts button.
4. View or Change Existing E-mail Accounts
5. Click Next.
6. Select Oracle Connector for Outlook.
7. Click Change....
8. For Outgoing mail (SMTP): use mail.uic.edu
9. Click More Settings....
10. On the Outgoing Mail tab:
    • With the Settings pulldown set to General :
    • Set Secure Server Connection Using to SSL.
    • With the Settings pulldown set to Authentication :
    • Check The server requires authentication and
    • Fill in the netid and password boxes.

And here is how you set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Entourage on Macs. SSL is only supported for Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X 10.2 or higher; not for Mac OS X 10.0 or 10.1. Only version 2004, (11.x) will work. Entourage v.X (10.x) will not work.

Use port 587, which is set up exactly like port 25. You can also try 465.

1. Select Tools -> Accounts from the top menubar
2. Select the ACCC account you want to change and click on the Edit icon
3. In the Edit Account window, in the Account Settings tab.
• In the SMTP server field, enter: mail.uic.edu
• Click on the Click here for sending options button
• Check the box next to SMTP service requires secure connection (SSL)
• If you are located on campus, you can leave port 25 as is. If you are connecting from outside of campus and port 25 doesn't work for you, check the box next to "Override default SMTP port" and enter 587 as the port number.
• Check the box next to SMTP server requires authentication and select either Use same settings as receiving mail server or Log on using in which case you will need to enter your netid and common password in the Account ID and password fields.
4. Click outside of the popup window and then click OK to close the Edit Account window.
5. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (587, if you followed these instructions.)

The CSO has a set of screen shots on setting up Entourage. They are very useful, but there is one thing that I don't agree with on them. They imply that you shouldn't import settings from other email programs. If you have been using another email program that Entourage recognizes, please do use its import feature. It will likely set things up for you just as you had it in your other email program. (It worked for me with both Mail.app and Eudora.)

The ACCC supports Mozilla's Firefox browser and asks that everyone use it whenever they can instead of Internet Explorer, so it only seems reasonable that we include instructions on how to set up the Thunderbird email client to use mail.uic.edu. Thunderbird is the email client that goes with Firefox. It's easy to use and quite reasonable. A lot like Firefox, in that way. If you're in search of a new email program, check Thunderbird out. It's nice. (And it does RSS.)

You can download Thunderbird at: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

If you are converting from Eudora to Thunderbird, you might want to use Eudora Mailbox Cleaner 4.7.3 to convert your Eudora mailboxes (Mac OS or Windows) and Eudora Address Book to Thunderbird format. It can even take attachments from Eudora's "Attachment Folder" and put them back in the message they came in for incoming email.

One thing you'll have to know when you're setting up Thunderbird is that, by default, you have to subscribe to mailboxes in order to use them. (Like Outlook.) To do this:

1. Open the Subscribe dialog box:
   • In Windows, right-click on the name of a mailbox in the Folders panel and select Subscribe...
   • On Macs, Control-click on the name of a mailbox in the Folders panel and select Subscribe...
2. Then highlight the names of the mailboxes you want to subscribe to and click Subscribe (or unsubscribe to and click Unsubscribe).
3. Click OK.

Here is how you set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Thunderbird.

Use port 587, which is set up exactly like port 25. You can also try 465.

1. Open Thunderbird / Eudora 8.0.0b1.
2. Select Tools -> Account Settings... from the main menu.
3. Click on Outgoing Server (SMTP) in the left area.
4. Add. (Or Edit.)
   1. Description: whatever you want.
   2. Server name: mail.uic.edu
   3. Port: 587
   4. Click on Use name and password to put a check in front of it.
   5. Type the netid that you want in the User Name: box. Thunderbird will ask you for the password the first time you send an email message.
   6. Click TLS, if available. (If you are using port 465 use SSL.)
5. Click OK.
6. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (587, if you followed these instructions.)

Here is how you set mail.uic.edu up as the authenticated outgoing email server for Netscape 7.1.

Use port 587, which is set up exactly like port 25. You can also try 465.

1. Open Netscape. Window -> Mail & Newsgroups.
2. Click on the name of the UIC account that you want to use mail.uic.edu as the outgoing email server.
3. Click View Settings for this account on the right side.
4. Click Outgoing Server (SMTP) on the left.
   • Port: 587
   • Check When Available
   • User Name: your netid
5. Then when you send your first email message, Netscape will ask you to enter your password; enter your ACCC common password.
6. If you have problems sending email, check to make sure your firewall is not blocking the port you used. (587, if you followed these instructions.)

mail.uic.edu is ideal for use with handhelds, including wireless phone-PDA combinations such as the Treo 650. As an example of handheld email programs, here is how to set SnapperMail up to use mail.uic.edu as the authenticated outgoing email server.

Use port 587, which is set up exactly like port 25. You can also try 465.

1. Open SnapperMail. Tap the Options icon, then tap Accounts.
2. Tap New Account if it's a new account or Edit Accounts if your editing an existing account.
3. If you're editing an existing account, select the account and tap Edit.
4. On the Server tab, for Outgoing Mail:
   • SMTP Server: mail.uic.edu
   • username: your netid
   • password: your ACCC common password
5. Tap More
6. SMTP SETTINGS Set #1
   • From the dropdown list, select Always Secure (STARTTLS)
   • For Port, write: 587
7. SMTP SETTINGS Set #2:
   • From the dropdown list, select Always Secure (wrapped port)
   • For Port, use: 465
8. Leave the other checkboxes unchecked.
9. Touch OK, OK, Done.

See ACCC services and the iPhone.