Free Geek Email
There are three different interfaces that can be used to access your freegeek email: POP3, IMAP, and Squirrelmail. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Squirrelmail
Squirrelmail is probably the easiest way to access your email, since it involves only a web browser and can be used from any location.
Go to http://web.freegeek.org/squirrelmail and enter your email address (whoyouis@freegeek.org) and password and you are set. (A common mistake is to just enter the username and not your full email address.)
Client based email
Use the following settings to connect from an email client such as kmail, evolution or thunderbird. The server port is included below for clarity, but is usually automatically set when you choose the encryption type.
Receiving email
IMAP
IMAP allows you to access your email from anywhere and leave the email on a server, but requires a separate email program. Most email programs (even windows ones) can handle IMAP. The main disadvantage of IMAP (and webmail) is that the messages are inaccessible when you are offline.
Settings
- Protocol - IMAP
- Server - mail.freegeek.org
- username - your entire freegeek email address <whoyouis@freegeek.org>
- server port - 993
- Encryption - SSL
- Authentication - Clear Text
POP3
The "old traditional" email system. POP downloads the email to your machine, making it inaccessible from other locations unless you choose to leave a copy of the email on the server (which does not always work well with all clients).
- Protocol - POP3
- Server - mail.freegeek.org
- username - your entire freegeek email address <whoyouis@freegeek.org>
- server port - 995
- Encryption - SSL
- Authentication - Clear Text
Sending mail
Inside the freegeek network
- Protocol - SMTP
- Server - mail.freegeek.org
- Server port - 25
- Encryption - none
- Authentication - none
Outside the freegeek network
Use the SMTP server provided by your ISP.
The SMTP server on mail.freegeek.org is locked down to prevent its use as a spam relay. From outside Free Geek it can only be used to send email to freegeek.org addresses, and then only if your IP address is not on a blocked (dialup or dhcp) list.
Wireless access is "outside Free Geek", even if it is inside.
Mail can be sent through freegeek's SMTP server for a short while after checking your POP email. This does not work for IMAP accounts.
Misc.
To change your password, talk to one of the ASSes (in person).
your address plus - mail addressed to "whoyouis+stuff@freegeek.org" will get delivered just the same as mail to "whoyouis@freegeek.org". You might use this feature to give different addresses to different sign-up services. Note: You must use a "+" sign.