How to access e-mail accounts with client applications

This article describes how to configure a client e-mail application so it can access an e-mail account on an A2 Hosting server.

How to set up a client e-mail application

There are many client e-mail applications available, such as Thunderbird, Outlook, Eudora, and Mac OS X Mail. Some of these applications can configure e-mail accounts automatically based on the account authentication information that you provide. In some cases, however, you must manually configure the account.

The exact steps to set up an e-mail account differ depending on the application that you are using, but the information required is the same. In all cases, you must set up a way to access incoming e-mail (using POP3 or IMAP), and a way to send outgoing mail (using SMTP).

Incoming e-mail: Configuring POP3 and IMAP

To configure an e-mail client for POP3 or IMAP access to an A2 Hosting server, use the following information:

1. For POP3 or IMAP server login authentication, use the following settings:
   • The account username is the full e-mail address of the account you created in cPanel (for example, [email protected]).
   • The account password is the password that you specified in cPanel for the account.

2. For the POP3 or IMAP server name, use one of the following domain names:
   

   • mail.example.com: Replace example.com with your web site's domain name.
   • The complete A2 Hosting server name for your account, such as a2s78.a2hosting.com or sr10.supercp.com. For information about how to determine your account's server name, please see this article.
   If you plan on using secure SSL/TLS access with POP3 or IMAP (and we strongly recommend that you do), you should use the A2 Hosting server name instead of your own domain name. Otherwise, your client application may display security warnings that the shared SSL certificate for the server does not match your web site's domain name.

3. The POP3 or IMAP server port settings depend on which protocol you use (POP3 or IMAP), and whether or not you are using a secure (SSL/TLS) connection. Many e-mail client applications fill in the port numbers automatically based on the protocol you specify, but some do not. The following table shows the correct port numbers for the various protocol configurations:
   

   	Secure (SSL/TLS)	Non-secure
   POP3	995	110
   IMAP	993	143

Outgoing e-mail: Configuring SMTP

You must configure the e-mail client to use an SMTP server, or else you will be unable to send outgoing messages. Although you must use an A2 Hosting POP3 or IMAP server to access your messages, you are not obligated to use an A2 Hosting SMTP server to send messages. For example, using your ISP's SMTP server may be faster because it is located on the same network as your computer.

To configure an e-mail client to send messages through an A2 Hosting SMTP server, use the following information:

1. For SMTP server login authentication, use the following settings:
   • The account username is the full e-mail address of the account you created in cPanel (for example, [email protected]).
   • The account password is the password that you specified in cPanel for the account.

2. For the SMTP server name, use one of the following domain names:
   

   • mail.example.com: Replace example.com with your web site's domain name.
   • The complete A2 Hosting server name for your account, such as a2s78.a2hosting.com or sr10.supercp.com. For information about how to determine your account's server name, please see this article.
   If you plan on using secure SSL/TLS access with SMTP (and we strongly recommend that you do), you should use the A2 Hosting server name instead of your own domain name. Otherwise, your client application may display security warnings that the shared SSL certificate for the server does not match your web site's domain name.

3. The SMTP server port settings depend on whether or not you are using a secure (SSL/TLS) connection. Many e-mail client applications fill in the port numbers automatically based on the protocol options you specify, but some do not. The following table shows the correct port numbers for the various configurations:
   

   	Secure (SSL/TLS)	Non-secure
   SMTP	465 or 587	25 or 2525

   Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) block port 25 as a spam prevention measure. If your ISP blocks port 25, use port 2525 instead.