Background

Sending Email from Within UMIST

Port 25 is blocked so that email may only be sent out of UMIST via smtp.umist.ac.uk. As a general rule, email clients should be configured to use this host for routing all mail.

Mail sent from within UMIST via some other route to an address within .umist.ac.uk might arrive. There again, it might not.

(mailbub1 and mailbub2...)

Receiving Email from Within UMIST

Email sent to UMIST email addresses, such as daddy.bear@umist.ac.uk, mummy.bear@postgrad.umist.ac.uk or goldilocks@student.umist.ac.uk can be accessed via both POP and IMAP protocols from the appropriate server, for example:

    mpciimbr.pop.umist.ac.uk
    mpciiglks.imap.umist.ac.uk

In addition, an email client sitting on a machine within UMIST can be configured to read mail from any POP or IMAP mail-server (e.g., hotmail.com) --- the ports, 110 and 143, respectively, are not blocked.

Setting the From: Header Correctly

Having your email routed correctly, so that it arrives at its destination is only half the story; the email must contain sufficient, correct information for replies to be routed correctly back. The simplest way to ensure this is to set the From: header (correctly). It should look something like one of these:

    daddy.bear@umist.ac.uk
    goldilocks@student.umist.ac.uk

    localusername@myhost.dept.umist.ac.uk

Using a Local MTA, e.g., Sendmail

As an alternative you can have your email routed by a local mail transport agent (MTA), for example Sendmail. Unless you really know what you are doing this is a bad idea for reasons of security and the number of worms that can be expected to leave their cans.

If you do have your own MTA then to ensure email is routed successfully to the outside world:

1. ensure your MTA uses smtp.umist.ac.uk as its relay host (recall port 25 is blocked), e.g., for Sendmail

           # "Smart" relay host (may be null)
           DSsmtp.umist.ac.uk
       

2. Either
   • "gain permission" for your server to talk to ISD's servers (i.e., have an entry for your server put in our MX records)
   or
   • use masqerading --- see the section on Sendmail.