Table of Contents:

• Introduction to Email
• (gs) Grid-Service
• (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server
• Third-Party Applications

Introduction to Email

Your (mt) Media Temple service is always ready to accept messages using an email client such as Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail.

POP and IMAP are the two most common email protocols on the internet. They both allow an email client to communicate with your services, but they do so in very different ways.

How does POP work?

POP (Post Office Protocol) is the older of the two methods for mail retrieval. In the most basic sense, POP simply grabs emails from your server and downloads them to your email client.

Also, on any (mt) Media Temple service, junk mail may be routed into a Spam Folder which is accessible only to IMAP connections. Simply put: if you're using POP, you may not be aware that there are potentially thousands of messages being put into an unchecked spam folder. If you decide to use POP you can still view these messages using the webmail client for their service.

How does IMAP work?

IMAP is the preferred method of connecting to your email server. It simply displays the contents of your mailbox as they appear on your server. Also, by default, spam folders are configured to be IMAP-Only, meaning you will need to use an IMAP connection in order to view and delete messages.  Once again, it is advisable to use an IMAP connection to both keep an eye on your Spam folder, and to make sure you don't download email from your server that you would like to read elsewhere.

What about Email Security?

Many customers travel a lot and want to securely check their email from various locations such as a wireless hotspot. For these customers we offer the ability to use a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection. This will allow any email client to connect to your (mt) Media Temple service over an encrypted connection. We encourage all of our customers to use a secure connection when possible.

Email Port Numbers

We use the standard email ports for all of our services. Below is a list of these commonly used ports:

Incoming Connections:

• IMAP, non-SSL: 143
• *IMAP, SSL: 993
• POP, non-SSL: 110
• POP, SSL: 995

Outgoing (SMTP) Connections:

• *SSL: 465 (or 587)
• non-SSL: 25

* Recommended Ports, Note: port 587 is not enabled by default on (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Servers.

FAQs

Question: What is the preferred method to connect to (mt) Media Temple service, IMAP or POP?
Answer: Whenever possible we encourage all customers to use an IMAP over SSL for improved performance and security.

Question: Do I need to purchase a SSL Certificate in order to make an SSL Connection for email?
Answer: No, you can use the default SSL Certificate which comes with your access domain. If you purchase a SSL Certificate, then you may use that for email as well.

External Resources:

• Wikipedia: IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
• Wikipedia: POP (Post Office Protocol)
• Wikipedia: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

(gs) Grid-Service: Email Information

The following will show you the information needed to use email with your (gs) Grid-Service. As we encourage secure connections the following information is provided assuming you are making a secure IMAP connection with SSL.

Incoming Mail Server:

Your incoming mail server is going to be the access domain for your service. This can be found in your Server Guide.

• Example: s#####.gridserver.com

Incoming Port:

Since we are making a SSL connection use port 993.

• Example: 993

Incoming SSL:

We are making a secure connection so make sure SSL is enabled for your incoming mail settings.

• Example: Yes, SSL Enabled

Username:

The username is going to be the full email address which you or the account owner created within the AccountCenter.

• Example: username@mt-example.com

Password:

The password can be set by the Account Owner in the AccountCenter. Be sure to use a strong password, and change it regularly. If you need to change your password please do the following:

1. Login to your AccountCenter
2. Click on your Primary Domain
3. Click on Email Users
4. Find your email address from the list of users, click edit.
5. Change your password, then click on save at the bottom.

Note: If the user knows their current password they can choose to reset it via Ucontrol.

Outgoing Mail Server:

Your outgoing mail server is going to be the access domain for your service. This can be found within your Server Guide.

• Example: s#####.gridserver.com

Outgoing Port (SMTP):

Your outgoing port numbers may need to be set manually. As we are using a secure connection you will want to use port 465.

• Example: 465

Outgoing SSL:

We are making a secure connection so you will want to make sure SSL is enabled for your outgoing mail settings, just as you did for the incoming settings.

• Example: Yes, SSL Enabled

Webmail

The (gs) Grid-Service offers several webmail applications, allowing you access from any browser with an Internet Connection.

• Example: https://s#####.gridserver.com/webmail

Ucontrol

Ucontrol is a tool for individual email accounts. It provides email users with a central place to edit various settings for their specific email names. This feature allows the Site Administrator or Owner of the account to give their users more privacy by enabling them to manage their own password, set up auto-reply messages, and manage anti-spam settings. For more information please visit the following article.

FAQs

Question: Are there any email limits on the (gs) Grid-Service I need to be aware of?
Answer: Yes, the (gs) Grid-Service does have several limits, for details please read the following article.

(dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server: Email Information

The following will show you the information needed to use email with your (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server. Our example uses IMAP with SSL.

Incoming Mail Server:

Your incoming mail server is the IP Address for your server which can be found in your AccountCenter.

• Example: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Incoming Port:

 Use port 993 for a SSL connection:

• Example: 993

Incoming SSL:

 Make sure SSL is enabled for your incoming mail settings within your email client.

• Example: Yes, SSL Enabled

Username:

The username is going to be the full email address created within the Plesk Control Panel.

• Example: username@mt-example.com

Password:

The password set within the Plesk Control Panel. Be sure to use a strong password, and change it regularly. If you need to change your password please do the following:

1. Login to Plesk
2. Click on Domains
3. Click on the domain
4. Click on Email
5. Find the email address and click on edit
6. Change your password, then click on save at the bottom.

Note: If the user knows their current password, they can choose to reset it by logging into the Plesk Control Panel using their own credentials.

Outgoing Mail Server:

 The IP Address for your Server.

• Example: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Outgoing Port (SMTP):

Your outgoing port numbers may need to be set manually. As we are using a secure connection you will want to use port 465.

• Example: 465

Outgoing SSL:

We are making a secure connection so you will want to make sure SSL is enabled for your outgoing mail settings within your email client.

• Example: Yes, SSL Enabled

Webmail

The (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server comes with the Horde webmail client, allowing you access from any browser.

• Example: https://webmail.mt-example.com

FAQs

Question: Can I access webmail using the server's IP Address, such as http://webmail.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx?
Answer: By default this is not possible on the (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server. However, advanced users can find a workaround possibly.

Question: How can I enable port 587 for outgoing (SMTP) connections to send mail?
Answer: Port 587 can be enabled via the Plesk Control Panel. For details please read the following article.

Third-Party Applications

There are many great email applications that work with all of our services. Below are just a few to choose from:

Apple Mail (Mac)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Blackberry (Blackberry devices only)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Entourage (Mac)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Gmail (POP access only)

Homepage | Setup Guide

iphone/ipod touch (iphone/ipod touch devices only)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Outlook 2007 (Windows)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Outlook 2003 (Windows)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Outlook Express & Outlook 2002 (Windows)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Postbox* (Mac, Windows)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Thunderbird* (Mac, Windows, Linux)

Homepage | Setup Guide

Windows Live Mail (Windows)

Homepage | Setup Guide

* Staff Favorites

Revisions:

03-24-2010: Article rewritten for clarity