Trying to run web-based email through either Entourage or Apple Mail

[misshardbroom]

I'd be incredibly grateful if anyone could help with this. I've even broken my self-imposed MN ban to post it.

I have a Mac mini running OS X version 10.4.11.

My email address is an Orange webmail one, which I access through Orange's website. However, it's incredibly unreliable and slow, and drives me crackers. From mid-morning onwards, I can't send new messages or reply to ones I've received, it just freezes.

So I thought it might be worth trying to access my Orange webmail through either Entourage or Apple Mail (both of which are installed on my computer).

I've tried following the step by step process presented to me when I open either application, and it won't work. I've also tried Googling it and following the online instructions on the Apple website, but to no avail.

I know I could just set up a new, better, web-based email account but so many people have this address and I use it extensively for work, so I don't feel that I can.

Can anyone explain it to me in very simple terms?

(Going out to pick up from school at 3, so please don't think I'm being rude if I disappear for a bit).

bump.... please!

not sure which online instructions you've seen, but I did a search for SMTP on the Orange.co.uk website. Now, the following is likely to be for those using Orange for their internet access only, and might not apply to you...

mail account: pop.orangehome.co.uk

user information
name: e.g. - John Smith
email address: e.g. - [email protected]

Incoming mail (POP3): pop.orangehome.co.uk
Outgoing mail (SMTP): smtp.orangehome.co.uk
Account name: yourname.orangehome.co.uk
Password: YoUrPaSsWoRd (note case)

I have only an iMac and it's not online at present, but have never seen Entourage, so don't know what you are asked for when adding a new account. The details above were for someone setting up MS Outlook (yuk!) but the general info is good.

I have a couple of Orange mail accounts as I have 2 PAYG numbers. My login details are a bit different,

POP server pop.orange.net
username
password

I don't use Orange for sending, partly history (Orange bought Wanadoo, which bought Freeserve and I was glad to get rid of my Freeserve account). Only keep the Orange mail as it bleeps my phone for free!

For sending, you may be allowed to send using SMTP server smtp.orange.net
(OK - just checked and that server name is shown here on an Orange site)

I use Google Mail, FastMail and Runbox.com (the latter two are paid-for accounts) and know that with Google Mail, (the free one) you can set that up to send a mail message showing your existing Orange mail address.

I know a few people complain about GMail being a little sluggish, but you could use that for sending if you cannot use the SMTP method with Entourage, and people should respond back to your Orange address which can then be collected with Entourage every 10 or 15 minutes

(I'm guessing now, it's common to have automatic 'check for mail' option on the s/w I have used such as MS Outlook Express, Opera and so on).

(I'm on OS X 10.2.3 so cannot experiment with versions of s/w you have, but home there is enough above to allow you to answer what you need to fill in on Entourage/Apple Mail.)

Thanks very much for this, it's been very helpful.

Still struggling because (as I probably should have said), my email address is a [email protected] one - and the orange website helpfully doesn't tell me the name of the server for fsmail addresses.

Will soldier on....

There are conflicting notes about people with fsmail.net addresses.

One one forum, WebUser (magazine) there's someone saying that fsmail was a webmail-only service.

However, on OrangeProblems.co.uk there are people saying it doesn't work at the moment.

Elsewhere, on WonBlog.co.uk someone comments that there has been "long enough for people to migrate to Orangehome.co.uk mail addresses" as if there was some notification that Freeserve mail addresses were being withdrawn.

I know it is a pain to change, and you probably don't want to go the whole hog and get something like misshardbroom.info so you can mail sent to you as [email protected] (OK, some other domain, something more creative, but you get the idea) as that'd be extra hassle and so on.

Only reason I mention 'pain to change' is that if the mail service is flaky, and might someday be withdrawn, then better to start teaching everyone you have a new mail address and the sooner the better.

I had an e-mail address and webspace with an ISP in the USA for 8 years, but in the end they were bought up by a big cable service from another State and my ultranet.com mail address died a month or two later.

I would always advise clients to not tie their e-mail to their ISP, so they can change ISP any time they want without having repeated and endless hassle over losing contact with people.

For a business, having their own domain is easy. For an individual or family, easy to use a free account like Google Mail (and advantage is that with a 10 GB mailbox, it won't get filled overnight if someone sends you a load of photos from their holiday / wedding /etc).

One morning I had over 40,000 e-mail messages in my Freeserve mailbox, taking it to 4 times their normal maximum, so I had to delete them before they suspended my FS mail account...

Switched to Runbox a while ago (they charge a fee, but also have a 10 GB limit, and allow me to pull in e-mail from other mail accounts).

Also worth looking at SpamGourmet.com sometime as you could use a different mail address for each website you use, and never give them your actual e-mail account (blocks spam).

think you're right, WebDude. I've been reading a bit more online and it sounds as though I'm not the only one with fsmail problems. It's a big bag of poo.

Thanks again for your time to advise on this, I'm off to GoogleMail!