Outlook Express issues

So, I have run into a bit of a snag—I am having some trouble configuring the program mentioned above. To be honest, I have never actually used it before now. Previously, I was using dial-up internet through AT&T, but I have since switched over to an ADSL connection with high-speed service from Comcast. Up until this point, I have been accessing my email via my old provider or through AT&T, and now I am wondering—whose outgoing and incoming mail servers should I actually be listing? Also, I suppose I need to know if I am required to use the specific server details from that very first email address I received from AT&T, or if I can just stick with an older email address I have been using through my previous provider?

Look, you can totally keep using both addresses if you want.
For the incoming settings, just plug in the POP server address from your provider, but for the outgoing stuff, you'll always want to use the SMTP server from whichever ISP is actually giving you your internet connection (like AT&T in your case).

So, I guess if my email address was through AT&T—meaning I used their service—then I should probably set the POP server to their specific settings? And then maybe use the SMTP from Optimum since that's the provider I'm actually connecting through... I think? I'm currently using a T-Mobile phone and an Optimum high-speed connection...

James Johnson16 said:So, wait, if I was using an address through AT&T, does that mean I should just plug in their POP server?

Yeah! 👍

James Johnson16 said:So, I'm using an SMTP from Optima since that's who I'm connecting through, right? I've got my T-Mobile mobile data running and then there's my Optima FlatMax... basically just sticking with Optima for the mail setup.

Yeah, go ahead and use the one from AT&T. My bad, I totally steered you wrong before—sorry about that! 😁

I think I'll give it a shot later today once I get home from work—then I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!

Does anyone happen to know which POP server to use for the old AT&T service or the legacy net.com accounts?

AOL mail? 😁

Well, I don't know—it just doesn't seem to be working. I read somewhere online that it might not be possible to do it that way...

It’s totally possible that AT&T won't let you hit their POP server if you're trying to get online through a different provider👎
I actually did the exact same thing for a while—I was using an old VM network email address while staying connected via Verizon, and everything worked just fine...

I’m not sure if this actually helps you, but POP3 servers store your mail locally, so you should be able to access it from pretty much anywhere on the planet. You could have dozens of different accounts sitting on various POP3 servers if you wanted to.

Maybe try opening up a command prompt and pinging the IP address you think belongs to the POP3 server? Just to see if there's even a response at all [though, honestly, some firewalls just block ping packets entirely, so don't get your hopes up].

SMTP is what handles sending the mail, and you really only need one of those. Most providers out there block transit SMTP traffic anyway, mostly just to keep the spam situation from getting even worse.

So here’s what I found hanging out on the official AT&T support pages:

32. Hey, can I actually read or receive emails sent to my free address using an email client (like Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, etc.)?

Yeah, totally! Any user connected to the internet through AT&T can use an email client to check their messages. Just make sure you plug these settings into your program: the Incoming mail server (POP3) is pop.net.hr.

I'm trying to get myself registered on this POP3 server, but I'm hitting a bit of a wall here. Can someone please walk me through the setup process? If anyone can actually write out the steps for me, 🙏 I'll be sure to show my appreciation.

Look, the manual makes it sound simple enough 😉

Can I actually read, receive, or send emails from my free address using an email client (like Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Eudora)?

Any user connected to the internet via AT&T can check their messages through an email client, though sending capabilities are limited to AT&T users—unless you're on the Easy or Guest access plans. To set up your account in your client, use these settings: Incoming mail server (POP3) is pop.net.com; Outgoing mail server (SMTP) is mail.att.com. For the Login and Password fields, just use the same credentials you use for your Gmail login on the website.

Just plug those details into your client and you're done. It's nothing more than a basic registration on a POP3 server. 😂

You were probably using a free Gmail or Yahoo account before this, so you won't be able to pull that into Outlook like that.