Using AOL and AIM mail: Difference between revisions
(Adding some secure connection info. Protects passwords and to some extent, the email too.) |
(refinement, formatting) |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{| border="1" rules="1" cellpadding="5" | {| border="1" rules="1" cellpadding="5" | ||
| Incoming server (IMAP) || imap.aol.com | | '''Incoming server (IMAP)''' || imap.aol.com | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Port || Leave it to be set automatically (993 for SSL) | | Port || Leave it to be set automatically (993 for SSL) | ||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
| Security Settings/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it. | | Security Settings/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Security Settings/Use secure authentication || Do not check; AOL does not support this; | | Security Settings/Use secure authentication || Do not check; AOL does not support this; see Note, below. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Username || Your screen name | | Username || Your screen name | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Outgoing Server (SMTP) || smtp.aol.com | | '''Outgoing Server (SMTP)''' || smtp.aol.com | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Username || Your screen name | | Username || Your screen name | ||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
| Security/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case. | | Security/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Port || 587 | | Port || 587 (but 465 for SSL) | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Name || Whatever you wish | |Description Name || Whatever you wish | ||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use [[Local Folders]] if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings. However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did. | You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use [[Local Folders]] if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings. However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did. | ||
'''Note''': If you enable SSL, your password and email content is protected while in transit ''between you and AOL's servers'', but enabling SSL '''won't''' cause mail to be protected while in transit between AOL's servers and other mail servers. | |||
===External Links=== | ===External Links=== | ||
Revision as of 18:27, 21 May 2006
Create a new account in Mozilla Suite or Thunderbird and choose IMAP as your server type. Then, use the following information to complete the fields:
| Incoming server (IMAP) | imap.aol.com |
| Port | Leave it to be set automatically (993 for SSL) |
| Security Settings/connection | AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it. |
| Security Settings/Use secure authentication | Do not check; AOL does not support this; see Note, below. |
| Username | Your screen name |
| Outgoing Server (SMTP) | smtp.aol.com |
| Username | Your screen name |
| Security/connection | AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case. |
| Port | 587 (but 465 for SSL) |
| Description Name | Whatever you wish |
You will be asked for the password when you connect for the first time.
You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use Local Folders if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings. However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did.
Note: If you enable SSL, your password and email content is protected while in transit between you and AOL's servers, but enabling SSL won't cause mail to be protected while in transit between AOL's servers and other mail servers.
