Configure Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird is a free e-mail client available for both Windows and Mac OS X. The following steps can be used on both platforms.

  1. Download and Install
    If you haven't already done so, you can download the latest version of Thunderbird for free from http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird and follow the instructions on the Mozilla website for your platform then open Thunderbird.
  2. Import Settings (Optional)
    If you have used a different client for e-mail and would like to use the same settings in Thunderbird you may opt to follow the instructions in the Import Wizard. If this is your first e-mail client, simply select "Do not import anything" and continue.
  3. New Account Setup
    When you open Thunderbird for the first time the New Account Wizard will open immediately. At the first step, make sure "e-mail" is selected and click next.
  4. Identity
    Enter your first and last name as you would like it to appear in the "from" field of your outgoing messages.
  5. Server Info
    Make sure "POP" is selected for incoming server type and enter pop.[your domain] for the incoming server and smtp.[your domain] for the outgoing server where [your domain] is the part that appears after the @ sign in your e-mail address. (For example, if your e-mail address is kelly@mgemaine.com you would enter pop.mgemaine.com and smtp.mgemaine.com respectively).
  6. User Names
    Enter your user name and password. Your user name is the portion of your e-mail address that comes before the @ sign and should be entered by the wizard by default. (For example, kelly is the username for the e-mail address kelly@mgemaine.com).
  7. Account Name
    This step is optional and you can usually accept the default by clicking next.
  8. Finish Wizard
    Review the information to make sure that everything has been spelled correctly then click next.
SMTP Authentication

In order to prevent our mail servers from being used by spammers we require all connections for outgoing e-mail to be authenticated with your user name and password. Without SMTP authentication you will be able to receive e-mail but not send. The following steps show how to enable SMTP authentication.

 

  1. Account Settings
    To enable SMTP authentication, select the "Tools" menu then "Account Settings..." and you will be presented with the following screen. Select "Outgoing Server" from the list at the left and click the Edit button.
  2. SMTP Authentication
    Click the SSL radio button and make sure that the "Use name and password" checkbox is checked: