About SMTP
IT Connect > Email > UW Email > SMTP
- What is SMTP?
- When Do You Need to Know About SMTP?
- When Do You Need SMTP Authentication and Encryption?
- How Do You Set Up the SMTP Authentication and Encryption Option?
- Help
What is SMTP?
Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) is the network protocol used to send email across the Internet. When you send email, its first stop is a server running SMTP. The primary UW SMTP (mail-sending) server is smtp.washington.edu.
When Do You Need to Know About SMTP?
You DO NOT need to know about SMTP if you are using email software running on a computer other than your own. For example, if you are using Alpine on Dante or Homer or using Web Alpine on MyUW, you can stop reading here.
You DO need to know about SMTP (you will need the UW SMTP server name) if you are running email software (e.g., Outlook Express, PC-Pine) on your own desktop computer, and you want to configure your software to work with UW email servers. When you edit the configuration file and get to the "Outgoing Mail Server" (SMTP) question:
- If you are using a UW-provided Internet connection (i.e., campus Ethernet or UW dial-up modem), you enter smtp.washington.edu.
- If you're NOT using a UW-provided Internet connection, you need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask for the SMTP server name to use for "Outgoing Mail Server."
When Do You Need SMTP Authentication and Encryption?
Things get complicated when you want to use UW Email with a desktop email client (e.g., Outlook Express) AND a non-UW-provided Internet connection (e.g., dialup, cable, DSL).
Problem
Email ORIGINATING OUTSIDE the UW (i.e., from a non-UW
network) and DESTINED for an address OUTSIDE the UW is NOT
accepted by smtp.washington.edu unless the connection is
authenticated and encrypted. This policy prevents the UW
SMTP server from becoming a "spam relay," forwarding on
junk email.
Solution
Setting the SMTP authentication and encryption option when
you configure your desktop software solves this problem, as
well as giving added security to your email.
Note: If you are using Norton Antivirus software, be sure the "Scan Outgoing Email" feature is turned off before you connect to the UW SMTP server.
Examples
You want to use the SMTP authentication and encryption option if:
- Your ISP (dialup, cable, DSL) has a policy that restricts use of their SMTP server if the "reply to" address is not within their domain (i.e., if it is set up like the UW SMTP). This is done to prevent use of their email service to send spam. This creates a problem when you want your reply address to be your_uwnetid@u.washington.edu. Note: In rare cases, an ISP may only permit access to port 25 (the usual SMTP port) for use of its own SMTP server, AND it may restrict use of its SMTP server. If this is the case, use the UW SMTP server (smtp.washington.edu) with authentication and encryption set, and specify the port number 587.
- You connect to the campus network using the same computer (e.g., a laptop) for both UW-provided Internet connections and a third party ISP. This creates a problem since your SMTP setting is different with each ISP. The SMTP server is generally specified as part of the email software configuration and not easily changed. You might sometimes connect using the UW-provided connection (campus Ethernet or UW dial-up modem) and at other times use a third party (dial-up or cablemodem, DSL).
- You want to encrypt your email communications. (Your local departmental policy may require it.) Note of caution: Encrypting the communication between your computer and the FIRST SMTP server does NOT guarantee the message will be encrypted ALL the way to its destination.
How Do You Set Up the SMTP Authentication and Encryption Option?
In general, you configure your desktop email software to use SMTP authentication and encryption by using "TLS for SSL" (i.e., "STARTTLS"), setting it either to "required" or "if available," and/or "permit authorization." Specific configuration directions are available on the individual software Web pages.
Compatible Desktop Email Software
The desktop email software below is known to be compatible with the SMTP authentication and encryption software (STARTTLS) implemented on smtp.washington.edu. Click the software name for configuration details.
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Non-compatible Desktop Email Software
The following email software is known to have settings that APPEAR to provide STARTTLS (the authentication and encryption software), but they are NOT compatible with the smtp.washington.edu server:
Apple Macintosh:
- Outlook Express (tested through version
5.06)
- Entourage (tested through version 10.1.4)
- Eudora (tested through version 5.1) (UW Technology does not support Eudora.)
Help
To get help or make comments about the information on this page, Send a Question to UW Technology or call 206-221-5000.
