In order to receive incoming emails using an email client such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or a mobile device application, you will need to find out about your account's incoming email server. This is basically the server address, the communication port it uses and the protocol to use ("POP3" or "IMAP"). While tracing this information may seem difficult and complex, obtaining and using it correctly to set up your email client is quick and easy if you know where to find it.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Use the Internet Connection Operator's E-mail Service
Step 1. Visit your ISP's website (from English "Internet Service Provider")
This is the official website of the company that provides you with internet connection and related email services. This method only works if you are using the email address that has been assigned by the ISP. In the case of a web email service, such as Hotmail or Gmail, it won't help.
- For example, if your email address is managed by Vodafone (for example [email protected]) you will need to access the official website of Vodafone Italy at this URL https://www.vodafone.it. If you are using Fastweb, you will need to visit the following website
- There is a possibility that an ISP will not provide email service to their customers. If this is your case, it will be clearly indicated on the official website.
Step 2. Click on the "Support" or "Assistance" link
In most cases, one of the indicated sections will be present on the official site of your ISP.
Step 3. Look for the "Email" or "Email" section
Type in your keywords
email
within the search field and press the Enter key. Review the list of results to find the link to the site page that explains how to set up an email client.
- If there is no general procedure for setting up the email service on a computer or mobile device, please refer to a more specific one, for example how to set up the Outlook client or Mail app on a Mac. Any page of the site that can help you configure any e-mail client on a computer or mobile device will contain all the information you need.
- For example, Vodafone users will have to click on the "Support" link, select the "Additional services" tab, click on the "Email, MMS, APN and Hotspot" option and finally consult the documentation relating to the problem to be solved.
Step 4. Choose whether to use the "POP3" or "IMAP" protocol
Your ISP will most likely offer you both. If you normally manage email from multiple devices (eg smartphones and computers), use the "IMAP" protocol. If you are used to checking emails only from a specific computer or mobile device, you can choose to use the "POP3" protocol.
- While almost all ISPs and e-mail services support the "POP3" protocol, not all of them allow you to use the "IMAP" protocol.
- If your goal is to be able to receive e-mail messages sent to the address given to you by your ISP, within an e-mail client such as Gmail or Outlook, you will need to use the "POP3" protocol. Most ISPs impose a limit on the size that the inbox of user accounts can reach, so using the "POP3" protocol you will actively help keep it always empty and tidy, as emails will be deleted automatically from the incoming mail server as soon as you download them to your computer or mobile device.
Step 5. Enter the address of the incoming mail server and the communication port within the e-mail client you want to use
Most ISPs use the standard "POP3" protocol port (110) to handle incoming e-mails. If your ISP supports secure connection for the "POP3" protocol, the standard port to use will be 995. ISPs that support secure connection for the "IMAP" protocol usually use communication port 993.
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For example, the address of Vodafone's incoming e-mail server using the "POP3" protocol is
pop.vodafone.it
- and the communication port is number 995. Nowadays almost all ISPs and e-mail clients support the use of secure connections (SSL) for both the incoming mail server and the outgoing mail server, but if in the If this is not the case, remember to use the standard port number 110.
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Vodafone's e-mail servers also support the "IMAP" protocol in secure mode. In this case you will need to use the following configuration parameters:
imap.vodafone.it
- and communication port number 993.
Method 2 of 5: Gmail
Step 1. Choose whether to use the "POP3" or "IMAP" protocol
Gmail supports both "POP3" and "IMAP" protocols, so you can manage your Gmail accounts using applications other than the official client.
- The use of the "IMAP" protocol is recommended when using the Gmail app, as it will be possible to manage your e-mail from both the website www.gmail.com and the Gmail app for mobile devices without any problem.
- You can also use the "POP3" protocol, but in this case it is good to specify that the mail client will download the message to the device by deleting it from the incoming mail server, so by connecting to Gmail via the website you will no longer be able to view the content of the email in question or to reply to the sender.
Step 2. Activate the "POP3" or "IMAP" protocol on Gmail
Log into the Gmail website (using an internet browser) and open the "Settings" menu. Click on the "Forwarding and POP / IMAP" tab, then select the "Enable IMAP" or "Enable POP" option according to your needs. Click on the "Save Changes" button once you have made your choices.
Step 3. Enter the address and communication port of the incoming mail server into the respective configuration fields of the e-mail client you have chosen to use
The parameters of the Gmail IMAP server are:
imap.gmail.com
and communication port number 993. The Gmail POP server parameters are:
pop.gmail.com
and communication port number 995.
- The username and password you need to provide are the same ones you use to log into the Gmail website.
- Gmail only uses secure connections to access POP3 and IMAP mail servers.
Method 3 of 5: Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or iCloud Mail
Step 1. Choose whether to use the "POP3" or "IMAP" protocol
Outlook and Yahoo! Mail offer the possibility to use both the "POP3" and the "IMAP" protocol for the incoming mail server. iCloud Mail only supports the "IMAP" protocol.
- If you only need to check email from a specific device (for example an app installed on your smartphone or computer), you can choose to use the "POP3" protocol.
- If, on the other hand, you need to be able to consult your e-mail from multiple devices and from multiple applications (or if you need to be able to access the same e-mail both from the website of your e-mail provider and from the computer application and mobile devices, such as for Gmail or Outlook), you will need to use the "IMAP" protocol.
Step 2. Configure the use of the "POP3" protocol for Outlook (if you have chosen to use the "IMAP" protocol or if you use iCloud and Yahoo
Mail, you can skip this step). If you have chosen to use the "POP3" protocol, log into the Outlook website and click on the "Settings" icon, then select the "View all Outlook settings" item. At this point select the "Mail" tab, click on the "Synchronize e-mail" item, click on the "Yes" radio button in the "Allow devices and apps to use POP3" section and finally click on the "Save" button.
Step 3. Enter the address of the incoming mail server and its communication port in the mail client you want to use
Outlook, iCloud and Yahoo! Mail only use secure connections for both the "POP3" protocol and the "IMAP" protocol in order to preserve the security of your data.
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Outlook POP Server:
pop-mail.outlook.com
- , door number 995;
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Outlook IMAP Server:
imap-mail.outlook.com
- , port number 993;
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POP server of Yahoo! Mail:
pop.mail.yahoo.com
- , door number 995;
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Yahoo! IMAP server Mail:
imap.mail.yahoo.com
- , port number 993;
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ICloud Mail IMAP Server:
imap.mail.me.com
- , port number 993;
Method 4 of 5: Personal Email Domain
Step 1. Visit the website of the hosting service that manages your email server
If you have purchased a web domain managed by one of the countless hosting services, use the browser on your device to access the corresponding website.
Step 2. Click on the link of the "Support" or "Assistance" section
The address and other configuration settings of the e-mail server of the hosting service you have contacted can be found quickly and easily by consulting the customer support section of the official website.
Step 3. Search using the keywords "incoming mail server" or "incoming mail server"
Examine the list of results to be able to select the link for the page that explains how to set up an email client to be able to download emails addressed to your domain. Within the page in question, the addresses and all the specific parameters of the incoming and outgoing e-mail server will be clearly indicated.
- If you are using Hostgator or Bluehost (and most other hosting services), your incoming mail server address will have the following format "mail.my_domain.com" (in this case remember to replace the parameter "my_domain "with your web domain address). The "POP3" server port is number 110, while the standard "IMAP" server port is number 143.
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In order to use a secure connection to both the "POP" server and the "IMAP" server, relative to the Hostgator hosting service, you will need to trace the name of the server that is actually managing your website. Log into the Hostgator website and access the "Cpanel". The server name will be displayed next to the "Server Name" item visible on the left side of the page. For example, if the server name was
gator4054
the full address of the incoming mail server will be
gator4054.hostgator.com
- . If you need to use a secure connection in conjunction with the "POP3" protocol, use the communication port 995. If you need to use a secure connection in conjunction with the "IMAP" protocol, use the communication port 993.
- The Bluehost hosting service uses the following format for the incoming mail server address "mail.your_domain.com" for both the "POP3" and "IMAP" protocols. If you need to use a secure connection in conjunction with the "POP3" protocol, use the communication port 995. If you need to use a secure connection in conjunction with the "IMAP" protocol, use the communication port 993.
Method 5 of 5: Test the functionality of the Incoming Mail Server
Step 1. Send yourself a verification message
After configuring the e-mail client with the correct data (incoming mail server address and communication port) try to send yourself a test e-mail. If the e-mail client you are using has a button that allows you to test the current configuration (as in the case of Outlook), click on the button in question to perform the same procedure described in this section of the article with a single click..
Step 2. Check the inbox of your mail account
Please wait a few seconds after sending the test email before checking if you have received a new email.
- If you are using Gmail to receive e-mails from another mail provider (either using the "POP3" protocol or the "IMAP" protocol), the delivery of the test message will take longer than usual, as Gmail servers check the existence of messages outside the domain only once per hour. To speed up the testing process, go to Gmail's "Settings" and click on the "Accounts and Import" tab. Scroll to the "POP3" or "IMAP" settings section and click the "Download mail now" button.
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If you get an error while sending the mail, it most likely means there is a problem with the client settings for the outgoing mail server (SMTP server). Check the SMTP server address and its communication port of the email client you are using according to your email provider's settings, to check if there are any discrepancies.
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Gmail's SMTP server address is
smtp.gmail.com
- and the communication port is number 587 (which becomes number 465 if you want to use a secure connection).
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The Outlook SMTP server address is
smtp.live.com
- and the communication port is number 25 (in this case the port number does not change in the case of a secure connection).
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The Yahoo SMTP server address is
smtp.mail.yahoo.com
- and the communication port is number 465 or 587 (both accept secure connections).
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The iCloud Mail SMTP server address is
smtp.mail.me.com
- and the communication port is number 587 (in this case the port number does not change in the case of a secure connection).
1366710 17 Step 3. Request help from technical support
If an error message appears when you try to send or receive an email, search the web using the corresponding codes. There could be a variety of causes for the problem, such as an incorrect configuration of the server's domain name or an authentication problem. If the problem occurs when using your ISP or personal web domain email address, call the customer support number for help or search the web using the code in the error message.
Advice
- If you are using a web mail service or push notifications, the protocol used by the incoming mail server is most likely the "IMAP" protocol.
- If you are having trouble connecting to the email server you want, contact your ISP or the web service operators you have trusted directly.
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