These instructions are for users who check their mail through a desktop client such as Apple Mail, Entourage, Thunderbird, or even MS Outlook. If you use our webmail system or have your mail forwarded to GMail or other provider, this FAQ does not apply to you.

An SMTP server is what handles outbound mail. Every email client has a place where you can configure the SMTP server to be used with each account.

You can choose either to use the SMTP servers provided by your ISP, or Birdhouse SMTP. We generally recommend using the SMTP services provided by your ISP (as some providers block the use of 3rd-party SMTP servers such as ours).

If you choose to use Birdhouse SMTP, use the following settings (you’ll find them in the Settings or Preferences of your favorite desktop mail client, under “SMTP” or “Outbound Server.” Note that Birdhouse requires you to make secure, encrypted mail connections to our servers.

SMTP server: gong.birdhouse.org
Username / Account name: Your full email address
Pass: Your Birdhouse email password
SMTP Authentication: Yes
Secure Sockets (SSL): Yes
Port: 587*

* The default ports 25 (non-secure) and 465 (secure) are commonly blocked by ISPs. However, it’s come to our attention that some mobile Android devices may refuse to work if you specify 587, and that they only work on 465. If auto-detect doesn’t set things up for you correctly, try specifying one, then the other until you come to a working combination. Between the many email clients out there and the many ISPs with all of their various blocking rules, it is very hard for us to come up with a “recipe” that will work for everyone.

SMTP Authentication means that your mail client must send a username and password to send mail, as well as to receive. These credentials will be exactly the same as you used for your POP/IMAP connection – your full email address and mail password. Here is how the configuration above looks in Apple Mail’s account settings dialog (different email applications will look different, but the concept is the same).

The GeoTrust SSL certificate installed at this address is valid and secure. Webmail accessed via yourdomain.com/webmail is secured by the same certificate.

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A Birdhouse user adds these specific notes on configuring your email to work over an AT&T DSL connection:

I was receiving mail OK but I could not send mail because AT&T DSL refused to allow me to use 3rd party SMTP servers. I finally found out that the following worked:

Go to this page, sign on to your AT&T/SBC Yahoo email account, and add your Birdhouse account ( id, email, and password, etc.). Wait for the verification code via email, and punch it in to activate the account so the SMTP server will work.

Set up your mail client as follows:

POP: mail.yourdomain.com
995 SSL in

smtp.att.yahoo.com
465 SSL out
SPA authentication checked
Outgoing server login – nameid@sbcglobal.net with password

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