Discussion » Internet roaming help

This is a read-only copy. The forum ran on iamcal.com from 2000 until its database was lost in 2016, and this topic was rebuilt from copies saved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Some replies may be missing, and its dates are approximate.
Posted by Brock, around June 2006:
 
Right then, technoids.

I am using various wireless access points to check my email and do all my online stuff. But my email programme can only receive at present, as the smtp server is different for every location (spam prevention, I imagine). Is there anything I can do to my settings to sort this? I remember that I had to get it added to the allowed list (or something similar) when I moved to broadband in Gloucester, but I surely don't have to do that every time, do I?
Posted by ellipse, around 11th June 2006:
 
ooo oo ooooooooo
i sort of know this
well conceptually but not fully

so i sent you an email
Posted by Brock, around 11th June 2006:
 
I don't think it's to do with (as you suggest) a UK smtp host, but more that it isn't the smtp host of the isp of the connection I am on. Like I say, it did it when I just switched BB providers when I moved between two locations in the UK, so I am unconvinced that just changing the settinngs will work, unless there is a universal setting for "I am not spam, and here is a generic smtp host" switch...

TECHIES!!!!!!! Where the fuck are you? Webmail is such a testicle chafe.
Posted by ellipse, around 12th June 2006:
 
maybe you should ask cal nicely
Posted by WarHead, around 12th June 2006:
 
I'd love to help you, old fruit, but I only use a mail client on my home PC and web-mail when out and about, so I don't know the answer to your question.

This is probably the wrong place to ask really.

Especially these days.
Posted by Miki_DUPE1, around 12th June 2006:
 
everything better in the oldendays warhead ?!

no useful contribution from me, sorry
Posted by Grim..., around 12th June 2006:
 
What is this 'email program'? And who do you send / recieve mail with?

If you get Thunderbird, you can get a free (say) Yahoo! account and get Thunderbird to send mail using the Yahoo! address, but pretend it's sending it via your proper account (it's not hard).
If you can't do it with Yahoo!, I can sort you a forwarding email account.
Posted by ellipse, around 12th June 2006:
 
so would i be right in thinking all brock needed to do is use a mailserver?
like mail.XX.com
Posted by Grim..., around 12th June 2006:
 
Don't think so - it's his IP that's the problem, not theirs.
Posted by WarHead, around 12th June 2006:
 
As opposed to his NLP, which is another problem entirely.
Posted by Brock, around 12th June 2006:
 
Ok. I use Thunderbird. I have a free webmail programme that allows me POP3 access. From my initial ISP, I then moved. The next BB isp wouldn't let me send through their system until I had added my smtp server to the list of "allowed servers" from my address. This (I assume) was to prevent ghosting spam from made up smtp servers and so avoid traceability. I cannot, obviously, do this every time.

Receiving is fine and dandy, but I have to reply through my webmail, which I hate. I'm not sure how a Yahoo account would help, as I would still need an smtp server to send from here, would I not? The method that Grim suggests should work with what I have now, I think, but it doesn't want to play. Or is it that my smtp is refusing connections from any odd places? Should I speak to them?
Posted by ellipse, around 12th June 2006:
 
ok but have you tried the methods grim or i suggested?
instead of yahoo you could use gmail
Posted by Grim..., around 12th June 2006:
 
Stop saying things like 'free webmail programme' because that doesn't help atall. Details, Brockles.

A Yahoo account uses a Yahoo! SMTP server (smtp.mail.yahoo.com off the top of my head) and they don't care where you access from.

So just set Thunderbird to send via the Yahoo! account, while telling everybody it's sending from your other one.

Easy, eh?
Posted by ellipse, around 12th June 2006:
 
see now that's what i told him to do right at the start Grim

maybe he wants the wrong advice instead?
Posted by Grim..., around 12th June 2006:
 
Now you've moved to the US you're not putting enough e-stamp's on your mails, Brockles!
Posted by Saltation_DUPE1, around 13th June 2006:
 
brock: grim's right and you're right, re yahoo. free a/cs have no smtp access, paid-for accounts DO have internet-wide access to a centralised smtp server. what you say makes sense for free a/cs, what grim... says makes sense for paid-for a/cs.

most ISPs deliberately constrict their smtp servers to only accepting connections from direct connections from within their own networks. (and 3rd party WiFi networks can also block outgoing smtp requests.) but not all: it's worth you attempting to simply connect to your home ISP's smtp server from a 3rd party wifi location: takes 5 secs to test and if it works, you're done: no problem exists.

chances are it won't, so you'll be stuck with either handling multiple Locations/servers, or fixing on a preferred centralised 3rd party smtp server.

re the latter: a one-off US$15 will give you access to the outstanding fastmail.fm service. It Just Works. everyone i know who's used it remains happy as larry years later. and since it's IMAP-focussed, you can then treat multiple machines as all the same mail database, no matter how many you have or where you are. it also serves as offsite mail backup.

re the former: get a mac and simply create multiple Locations in your system preferences (under Network). then you can simply switch to, say, "Starbucks on my corner", "Airport-LAX", "Work", "Home", or whatever, in a couple of clicks. my old laptop had about 8 main locations, this desktop has 5: "Ethernet DHCP" "Ethernet Manual" "WiFi Linksys" "Direct Modem Connection" "NAS hack"
under windows... dunno. never heard of a location manager under windows. could be worth some searching on google or some software sites though.
Posted by Grim..., around 13th June 2006:
 
yahoo.co.uk accounts have free SMTP access.
At least, mine does.

And Windows XP (with either Service Pack 1 or 2 - 2 I think) has a built-in location manager, but I'm not convinced that this will solve the problem.
Posted by Saltation_DUPE1, around 13th June 2006:
 
hmm. my yahoo.co.uk accounts don't. but like gmail vs googlemail, that could be a signuptime-dependent status.

and yeah, the builtin XP location handling sucks. as does Mac OS X's compared to Mac OS's, for that matter. bring back the mac! solaris with an apple badge is still unfun! bring back the macintosh concept!
Posted by ellipse, around 13th June 2006:
 
get a mac?
sal he just brought a laptop
Posted by loz, around 13th June 2006:
 
- account disabled -
Posted by Grim..., around 15th June 2006:
 
sal he just brought a laptop

Was it a mac?
Posted by Saltation_DUPE1, around 15th June 2006:
 
'cos if it rains, he'll want a mac
Posted by ellipse, around 16th June 2006:
 
is it working brock?