Error 550 Outgoing Mail Server Security Instructions

In our continuing effort to improve our services to our customers, we are implementing some new mail security systems. This will allow you to send e-mails to our servers from outside of our network as well as keeping unauthorized spammers from using our mail system. These changes may require you to make some changes to your e-mail setup. This e-mail will tell you how to do that. You can also call our toll-free tech support number 24 hours per day for more "hands on" help with this setup.

Please note that you will start getting Error 550 or password errors when you try to SEND e-mails unless you make these changes soon. Your INBOUND e-mail will not be affected by this upgrade.

Here are the instructions for the most commonly used e-mail programs. We will begin with instructions for Windows PC systems and then we will cover Macintosh systems. We also have Novell GroupWise setup instructions at the end.

Windows:

New Outlook XP 2002: Open your e-mail program -> click Tools menu at top and choose the E-mail Accounts option -> click circle that says "View or change existing e-mail accounts" so that it has a blackmark then click the Next button -> click to highlight your e-mail account in the main box then click the Change button (upper right corner of e-mail accounts window) -> "More Settings" button -> click "Outgoing Server" tab at top -> click in the checkbox to add a checkmark to the "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" option -> Your incoming e-mail settings will work -> Do NOT put in a checkmark for using a secure password! -> click the OK button -> Next button -> Finish button. <Outlook XP 2002 screen shots>

Outlook Express 5 & Outlook 98 & 2000: (Note: If using Outlook Express 4 then upgrade to version 5 for free online.) Open your e-mail program -> click "Tools" menu at top and choose either "Services" or "Accounts" depending upon your type of setup -> click the "Mail" tab -> highlight your e-mail account and then click the "Properties" button -> click the "Servers" tab -> click in the box to put a checkmark where it says "My server requires authentication" -> click the "Settings" button -> click in the circle to select the option where it says "Log on using" and then put in the first part of your e-mail address in the Account Name box (e.g., santa@northpole.com would put santa without the @northpole.com) -> plug-in password -> checkmark "Remember password" if you want that feature -> do NOT put a checkmark in "Log on using Secure Password Authentication" -> OK button -> Apply button -> OK button -> Close button -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Outlook Express screen shots> <Outlook 2000 screen shots>

Outlook 2002: Open Outlook 2002 -> Tools menu -> Email Accounts option -> select "View Or Change Exisitng Account" -> select "Change" -> choose "More Settings" option -> select Outgoing Server tab -> put a checkmark in "My server requires authentication -> select "Log on using" and then put in the first part of your e-mail address in the Account Name box (e.g., santa@northpole.com would put santa without the @northpole.com) -> plug-in password -> checkmark "Remember password" if you want that feature -> do NOT put a checkmark in "Log on using Secure Password Authentication" -> OK button -> Apply button -> OK button -> Close button -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Outlook 2002 screen shots>

Outlook 97: This program will not work with outgoing mail server authentication. You will need to upgrade to a newer version of Outlook or you can switch to Outlook Express. These new programs will give you an option to import your old e-mails and addresses to the newer program. Check the file menu for the import option if you are not prompted to import your old info during the setup of the new program.

Netscape 7.0: Open Netscape -> Click the "Window" tab at the top and choose the "Mail & Newsgroups" option to get into the mail section. Once there, click the "Edit" menu at the top and choose the option for "Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings." A new window will pop-up. Click on the "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" option in the box on the left then click to add a checkmark to the box where it says "Use name and password." Plug-in your e-mail account name (including the @isp.com part) then click OK. Repeat this process for each of your accounts if needed. The advanced button allows you to setup multiple times if needed. <Click here for screen shots.>

Netscape Communicator 6: Open Netscape -> click "Task" menu at top and choose "Mail/News Account Settings" -> click to highlight "Outgoing (SMTP) Server -> click in little box to put an "x" in the option for "Always use name and password" and plug-in the name (e.g., if your account is santa@northpole.com then put in santa without the @northpole.com) -> click the "Advanced" button -> click to highlight your mail server then click the "Edit" button -> click in little box to put an "x" in the option for "Always use name and password" and plug-in the name (e.g., if your account is santa@northpole.com then put in santa without the @northpole.com -> hit OK -> hit OK again -> hit OK one last time -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Click here for screen shots.>

Netscape Communicator 4.X: Open Netscape -> click "Edit" menu at top and choose "Preferences" -> click "Mail & Newsgroups" in left frame so that more categories drop-down beneath it -> click "Mail Server" category to select it -> put in your e-mail name in the "Mail Server User Name" box (e.g., if you are santa@northpole.com then put santa without the @northpole.com) -> change the outgoing (SMTP) mail server address by adding your e-mail name as follows: switch mail.ispname.com to yourname@mail.ispname.com) -> click OK -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Click here for screen shots.>

Netscape 3.X: Does not work with SMTP authentication. You will need to upgrade to at least Netscape 4.x. You can download this version or the newer version Netscape 6.x for free at www.downloads.com or www.tucows.com. Netscape will prompt you to "import" your old e-mails and addresses when you install the upgrade.

Eudora 3/Light: Won't work. You need to upgrade to Eudora 5 which is available for free at www.downloads.com and www.tucows.com.

Eudora 4.3 & 5.0: Open Eudora -> click "Tools" menu at top and choose "Options" -> select "Getting Started" option (1st at top in list to left) -> set the "Login Name" as the first part of your e-mail address (e.g., if your account is santa@northpole.com then put in santa without the @northpole.com -> plug-in your Incoming and outgoing (SMTP) mail server addresses as mail.ispname.com -> plug-in your full e-mail address in the return address box -> click to put a checkmark in the little box towards the bottom that says "Allow Authentication" -> click OK. <Click here for screen shots.>

Pegasus 3.12c: The earliest version of Pegasus that supports SMTP authentication is version 3.12c. You can download a free upgrade at www.pmail.com. Open Pegasus -> File menu -> Network Configuration -> Sending tab -> only put a checkmark in the username option in the authentication section -> plug in the first part of your e-mail address as the username and your e-mail password. For example, if your account is santa@northpole.com then put in santa without the @northpole.com as your username. <Click here for screen shots.>

IncrediMail:  Open IncrediMail -> click the "Tools" menu at the top and choose "Accounts" -> click the "Servers" tab at the top -> click to put a checkmark in the option that says "My server requires authentication" -> OK -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us.

Opera 6: The Opera 6 browser doesn't support SMTP authentication and can't be used with e-mail systems that use that anti-spamming protection. Opera reports that a later release of their browser will add that capability.

NeoPlanet 5.2: NeoPlanet 5.2's integrated mail program does not support SMTP authentication. They tell us that they will add it in the foreseeable future. Until then, you can click on the E-mail menu at the top to choose "E-mail Settings." Remove the checkmark in #1 by clicking on it so that using their integrated mail program is not selected. Click the button immediately to the right that says "Select a different e-mail program" and then choose Outlook Express or whichever e-mail program on your computer that you would like to use as an alternative to NeoPlanet's integrated mail program.

GoldMine: This program cannot be used because it does not support SMTP authentication which is required to use our systems.

Windows 3.1: We are unable to find any Windows 3.1 e-mail programs that can handle SMTP authentication although Outlook Express 5.X remains a possibility. We can confirm that the following "16-bit" e-mail programs for Windows 3.1 do not work: Netscape Communicator 4.08, Fox Mail 2.7, Internet Explorer/Outlook Express 4.X and Pegasus 3.12.

Macintosh:

Outlook Express 5.02: Open Outlook Express -> click the "Tools" menu at the top and choose "Accounts" -> click to highlight your e-mail account -> click the "Edit" button at the top -> select the "Click here for advanced sending options" option -> select the "SMTP server requires authentication" option but not the other two options in the window that pops up -> select the "Log on Using" option -> plug-in the e-mail login and password information for your e-mail account -> close pop-up window -> click OK button -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Click here for screen shots.> Warning: Version 5.01 does not support SMTP authentication. This is important so please do a free upgrade to version 5.02 or a later version when available.

Outlook Express 4.5: Doesn't work with SMTP authentication. You will need to upgrade to Outlook Express 5 which you can download for free at www.tucows.com or www.download.com. OE5 will give you an option to "import" your old e-mails and addresses during setup. If this doesn't happen then click the "File" menu at the top and choose the "Import" option for an easy step-by-step migration of your old e-mail data to the newer program.

Outlook Express 4.0: Doesn't work with SMTP authentication. You will need to upgrade to Outlook Express 5 which you can download for free at www.tucows.com or www.download.com. OE5 will give you an option to "import" your old e-mails and addresses during setup. If this doesn't happen then click the "File" menu at the top and choose the "Import" option for an easy step-by-step migration of your old e-mail data to the newer program..

Netscape Communicator 4.7: Open Netscape -> click the "Edit" menu at top and choose "Preferences" -> click "Mail & Newsgroups" in the left part of the window so that more options drop down -> click to highlight "Mail Servers" -> put in your e-mail username where it says "Outgoing mail server user name" -> click OK button -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Click here for screen shots.>

Entourage (Office 2001): Open Entourage -> click the "Tools" menu at the top and choose "Accounts" -> click to highlight your e-mail account -> click the "Edit" button at the top -> click to place a checkmark in the option to "Save password" and plug-in your password -> in the "Sending Mail" section click on the option that says "Click here for advanced sending options" and then select the option that says "SMTP server requires authentication" -> Do not choose the "secure password" option -> click OK button -> Repeat this process for each of your e-mail accounts with us. <Click here for screen shots.>

Mac OSX Mail: Click the icon that looks like a postage stamp with a bird on it to open your e-mail program -> click the "Mail" menu at the top of the program and choose the "Preferences" option -> click the "Accounts" button in the top left corner -> click to highlight your e-mail account -> click the "Edit" button -> click the "Account Information" tab at the top of the window that pops-up -> click in the little box to add a checkmark where it says "Use authentication when sending mail" -> put in the first part of your e-mail address as the "SMTP User" (for example, if your e-mail is santa@northpole.com then put in santa) -> put in your e-mail password as the "SMTP Password" -> click the OK button -> repeat this process for each e-mail account that you have with us. <Click here for screen shots.>

Eudora 4.3 & 5.1 For Macs: Open Eudora -> Special Menu at top -> Settings option -> scroll down box on left side of window and select "Sending Mail" option -> make sure that "Allow Authorization" is selected with a checkmark. <more details>

Eudora Light 3.X: Eudora Light (3.x) will not work. Please go to www.tucows.com or www.downloads.com and download Eudora 5.1 for Macs. It is free and works much better than the old 3.x version of this program.

Options For Really Old Macs: There are three programs that will work with SMTP authentication that can also be used on really old Macs. Mulberry 2.0.8+ www.cyrusoft.com and MailSmith http://www.barebones.com/products/mailsmith.html are two of them. The third only supports 68040 processors or higher running Mac O/S 8.1 or better. It is called Green Freeware version 1.0b13 and can be found at http://www.eware.fr/dev/index.html

Novell GroupWise:

Highlight your e-mail account and click the Properties button. Click the "Server" tab and put a checkmark in the option that says "My outgoing server requires authentication." Verify login name and password then click the OK button followed by the "Close" option.