Frontier SMTP Update

Having trouble sending email? Is your ISP Frontier? It is possible that a recent update in the SMTP servers is giving you trouble. For many the problem does not lie with their email client but the settings in the client.

What happened is Frontier updated their SMPT (outgoing mail) servers. Why did they do that? To prevent spammers from using their servers to send out spam and for greater security. We applaud them for this. However, the change over has created some difficulties for many customers. Once you have updated your email client, most of the problems go away.

So what do you need to do? It is the same no matter what email client you are using.

• Open your mail client and go to where your account settings are. This varies with each individual email client and platform. You want to find the SMTP or outgoing mail server settings.
  
  
• When you find those settings, change your user name to the full frontier email address. If your name is John Doe, and your account name was johnDoe, change it to johnDoe@frontiernet.net
  
  
• If given the option, make sure you check the option to "Use Name and Password"
  
  
• Make sure the outgoing server settings are set to:
  smtp.frontiernet.net using Port 25
  
  
• If your email client wants you to "Use a Secure Connection" choose "No"

The options listed above are directly from the ThurderBird email client screens. If you are using a different email client (like Outlook, Mail or Eudora, then these setting may be called something else, but they do exist in your email client. Once we set these for our own use (and used the correct password) everything worked fine. If you do not know your password, call Frontier (585-777-1000). They know it. They knew all of ours.

Keep in mind, it is a bit frustrating, but what Frontier is doing is good. It keeps their servers running faster since they are not sending out some bozo's spam and they are not sending out some bozo's spam! The only problem we have not yet seen resolved is a problem when forwarding mail (usually interoffice correspondence, they have a virus/spam filter on the outgoing email and it has been blocking some of our text only forwards. The work around has been to copy the text to a new note and send it. A pain but we hope they are working on this. Hope this note helps you out.

SiteSteward customers may call us directly if they need help. We'll save you the long wait for poor Frontier's overworked call center. Non-SiteSteward customers can become SiteSteward customers and we will help you for free too! Think about that next time you go shopping for a web hosting company or developer. Our clients deserve the best and we make Great Stewards of your web site!