🚀 go-pugleaf

(Cross-posted to demon.ip.support.archimedes - non-Demon users may need
to delete this if replying).

===============

Q1: I am trying to set up !POP, but when I try to fetch my mail I get an
error saying "connection failed" or "no response from server".  What is
wrong?

A1: If the rest of your Internet setup is working OK, you've probably
used the wrong POP3 host address in the "Users" dialogue.  The wording
of the !POP help file is partly to blame for this. (Demon users also see
Q2).

* In the "User" field you need to enter your POP3 account name.  This
could be either:

A: The bit in front of the "@" in your EMAIL address
B: The name you use to logon to your service provider 
   (may or may not be the same as A:)
C: Something totally different

... you will have to find out which from your service provider.

* In the "Host:" field you need to enter the internet address of your
provider's POP3 server.  This could be:

A: The bit after the "@" in your EMAIL address.
B: The same as the SMTP gateway address
C: Something totally different.

... again, you need to find the answer for your provider.

The !POP help file tends to imply the the answers to the above questions
are "A" and "A".  This is misleading and I'd better get around to re-
writing it!

====================

Q2: How do you set up !POP for use with Demon Internet's POP3 service?

A2: Its great that demon give you a proper internet "node name" which
can have unlimited EMAIL addresses, but this rather complicates the POP
setup!

Lets assume that your EMAIL address is "yourname@yournode.demon.co.uk".

* First, obtain version 0.997 of POP from 
  ftp://freenet.barnet.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/freenet/d.pead/pop099.arc
... this has a few tweaks of particular use to Demon users.

* In the "Settings" dialogue, under SMTP, set the "Gateway" address to
"post.demon.co.uk".  You might also want to increase the value of
"Timeout" as Demon's POP3 server can be slow at times.

* In the "Users" dialogue, the "Host:" setting is always
"pop3.demon.co.uk".  (or the obsolescent "sdps.demon.co.uk") - NOT
"yournode.demon.co.uk".

* The "User:" setting can be one of the following:

A: "yournode"
B: "yourname@yournode"
C: "yourname+yournode"

Method A will fetch all mail for all users @yournode.demon.co.uk and put
them in a mailbox called "yournode".  This is the most economical in
terms of download time but if you have more than one user you'll have to
configure Newsbase to "filter"  the mail into the appropriate mailboxes.

Method B will just fetch mail addressed to "yourname@yournode.demon.co.u
k" and put it in a mailbox called "yourname".  Everything else waits on
the server.  !POP lets you set up multiple users so that you can also
fetch mail for "cat@yournode", "dog@yournode", "spammagnet@yournode"
etc.

Method C is (as far as Demon are concerned) just an alternative syntax
for Method B.  However, !POP recognises "Method B" user names and
automatically sets the correct mail file name (which Newsbase uses as
the default mailbox name.  Use Method C if you actually *want* the
mailbox name to be "cat+yourno"!


Method B and C are much slower if you use them to habitually download
all your EMAIL.  However - if you tick the "No auto-check" box for some
of the names then mail for those users will only be fetched when you
explicity pick that user from the !POP->Check Mail menu (so you need
download mail for "spammagnet" off-peak!).

Important note - ISTR the Demon "Acceptable Use" policy specifies that
you *must* accept mail for certain special users, such as
"postmaster@yournode".  If you use methods B or C above you must either:

1. Check the AUP and add user entries for the "compulsory" user names
or
2. Make sure you periodically do a "Method A" check or enable SMTP.
  

-- 
Daniel Pead
Email: dan@octpen.demon.co.uk    WWW: http://www.octpen.demon.co.uk/