Bereft!

[Steve Maskery]

My ntlworld email is down. National problem. It's my main POP3 box so I can't access any email. It's astonishing how inconvenient that is and makes me realize just how much I rely on this technology.


S

 

[Dibs-h]

Never have your email hosted by your ISP (who provides the connectivity) and never have the people who host your domain\email register your domains.

 

[RobertMP]

It's back now

Don't do what my wife did on her Vista laptop and just hit Ok when the box asking for log in and password comes up. It replaced her details with blank boxes just had to put her log in and pass back to what they should be.

 

[wizer]

Honestly guys, never trust your ISP to host email. I've been with Hotmail since the mid 90's and can probably count the amount of times I've had problems on one hand. I've just changed to Google Mail and so far so good with them too.

Of course, with these services I can pick up my email anywhere on any PC.

 

[Jenx]

I know diddly-squat about computers, but FWIW, My 'service' is provided by AOL, ( awful people ! :wink: ) and I use Googlemail for e-mail now, and have done for about 18 months .. cant fault it, and its 'accessible' from everywhere...
and there's no 'limits' on the amount of data like there is with 'free' hotmail. Seems good, and very user-friendly too.
HTH.

 

[kityuser]

always used yahoo mail and google mail, never had any problems.

Steve

 

[oddsocks]

Honestly guys, never trust your ISP to host email. I've been with Hotmail since the mid 90's and can probably count the amount of times I've had problems on one hand. I've just changed to Google Mail and so far so good with them too.

Of course, with these services I can pick up my email anywhere on any PC.

Wizer - what prompted the change from hotmail to google? I have used pipex for years and have not had any issues, but see the benefit of hotmail etc if mobile. I never moved to it because my relatives seem to keep getting issues with attachments and marking as safe.

Dave

 

[xy mosian]

Hi Steve,

In case this is of any help, a little known web service exists which you can pick up your email directly from your ISP's server. This can get around any problems they may have with their POP3 servers.

Have a look at www.mail2web.com. You will need your account login details etc, and it may seem a little slow, but persevere it ahs helped me out on a couple of times over the years.


xy

 

[matt]

I use Gmail too. You can sign up and use it to access your NTLworld emails but you'd still have the problem of the mails being hosted on their server and therefore susceptible to downtime.

I use my own domain for my main email address so I can switch services without having to change my email address.

I'm generally in favour of cloud computing - most applications I use these days are online.

 

[devonwoody]

This is something I have never understood about the web.

My ISP is blueyonder (virginmedia cable) if it goes down I naturally cannot access the web.

I use O/E for mail not virgin mail, is that the way you are advising above?

 

[kityuser]

This is something I have never understood about the web.

My ISP is blueyonder (virginmedia cable) if it goes down I naturally cannot access the web.

I use O/E for mail not virgin mail, is that the way you are advising above?

by OE do you mean outlook express?
if so then this isn't whats ment. We are discussing mail providers not client programmes.
Your ISP can be your mail provider, but this is not always the best option.

Most of the services discussed e.g. hotmail or Gmail are webmail services meaning your email can be accessed via a webbrowser (from anywhere on the planet) or via a client programme on your machine (such as OE). i.e. your email is hosted by a remote company NOT your isp. However normally (if you want to use a client programme such as OE) you still have to use your ISP to send messages, via their servers, mostly for security reasons...... when using the webbrowser interface everything is done via the remote company machines (for the backend of the email that is).


A good summary would be that if your ISP goes down, with webmail you may still use your email from another computer/web access point.


on the other hand I hate having all my eggs in one basket, morgage and saving and current account all with different institutions. The same goes for my web useage, ISP, web hosting and email all with different companies.
Paranoid........ probably!

hope this helps, wasn't meant to be a lecture.
Steve

 

[kityuser]

This is something I have never understood about the web.

My ISP is blueyonder (virginmedia cable) if it goes down I naturally cannot access the web.

I use O/E for mail not virgin mail, is that the way you are advising above?

of course at home, if your web goes down and you have no other access (mobile broadband?)

then you have NO email whatever you use! (webmail or like)


Steve

 

[billw]

of course at home, if your web goes down and you have no other access (mobile broadband?)

then you have NO email whatever you use! (webmail or like)

Steve

unless you're lucky enough to have a technophobe neighbour who doesn't realise their wireless internet hasn't got any security on it 8)

 

[wizer]

Honestly guys, never trust your ISP to host email. I've been with Hotmail since the mid 90's and can probably count the amount of times I've had problems on one hand. I've just changed to Google Mail and so far so good with them too.

Of course, with these services I can pick up my email anywhere on any PC.

Wizer - what prompted the change from hotmail to google? I have used pipex for years and have not had any issues, but see the benefit of hotmail etc if mobile. I never moved to it because my relatives seem to keep getting issues with attachments and marking as safe.

Dave

Dave I didn't really change for any major reason. I'm using google apps more and more and I like the google front page (igoogle) which has a widget for your email. Google calender has replaced outlook because it's completely mobile. Gmail is a bit quirky but I'm getting used to it. Google's stuff is a bit cleaner with less adverts in your face. I never had a problem with Hotmail, I just fancied a change.

Like Matt, I have my own domain(s) and route the email from source directly to whatever email system I'm using. I truly believe that everyone should do this. It means you never ever have to change your email address again. I hate seeing companies that publish their email address as [email protected] You just know that in a year they're going to change their provider and their published email address is going to disappear.

Services such as Hotmail and Gmail have 4 or 5 times the amount of backup servers than your ISP. So they are least likely to have the whole service off line. I don't remember when it last happened, certainly not in the last few years.

 

[devonwoody]

OK, I think I have got it.

Using google mail etc. means I can use another computer away from home, whereas if I only use outlook express my mail is tied to my own computer?

 

[wizer]

OK, I think I have got it.

Using google mail etc. means I can use another computer away from home, whereas if I only use outlook express my mail is tied to my own computer?

Spot on and if your computer crashes, your email is gone forever

 

[kityuser]

of course at home, if your web goes down and you have no other access (mobile broadband?)

then you have NO email whatever you use! (webmail or like)

Steve

unless you're lucky enough to have a technophobe neighbour who doesn't realise their wireless internet hasn't got any security on it 8)

of course you wouldn't use that connection though as its illegal to do so.......

:wink:

Steve

 

[head clansman]

hi all

My web page host is msm .I've used hotmail.com for more years than i can remember for my e-mails It's never every been down unless under going maintenance ,then I have always been notified before hand, I can access it from any where in the world which i do mostly when in Holland on holiday visiting my daughter . hc

 

[oddsocks]

Thanks Wizer - i'll do that