SMTP Delivery

1. What is SMTP delivery and who is it suitable for?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is a means by which mail is transferred from one mail server to another. Usually SMTP is used in combination with other mail protocols such as POP3 or IMAP; these other protocols running on the local server from which you collect your mail.

With SMTP delivery all mail to your Plusnet email address is routed directly to a mail server of your choosing.

It's most commonly used by business customers that want to handle all of their email directly.

2. Static IP addresses

To use SMTP delivery on your account, you'll need a static IP address.

• Business accounts use static IP addresses
• Residential accounts offer dynamic IP addresses (with some exceptions, see our IP Addresses guide)

If you're using a residential account and need to switch to a static IP, go to Control Your Broadband and follow the on-screen instructions. You'll find it within Connection Settings in the Member Centre.

3. Setting up SMTP delivery

Here we'll show you how to set up SMTP delivery for

• Your Plusnet email domain
• Hosted domains

Once you've followed the instructions below, mail addressed to the domain you've set up will be directed to your SMTP server within 12-24 hours.

Your Plusnet email domain

1. Go to Manage My Mail - you'll find this under Email Settings in the Member Centre
2. Click the Mail Delivery Options link at the top of the page
3. Select the Static IP option
4. Enter your static IP address and click Submit

Hosted domains

To configure a hosted domain for SMTP delivery to your Static IP address follow the instructions below.

1. Go to Domain Names in the Member Centre and click Configure for the hosted domain you want to use.

2. Under Email Settings choose SMTP and press Submit.

If you want to use an alternate IP address, choose Other. Doing this means that you'll need to add DNS records manually. See our Manage DNS Records guide for help with this.

4. The Autoturn server

This information does not apply if you've set up manual records for your hosted domain.

Once SMTP delivery is set up, all mail will be delivered directly to the IP address of your mail server. If your mail server is offline for any reason, then mail will be stored on our Autoturn server.

When your mail server is back online, use the following command to make Autoturn deliver any mail it has stored for you:

finger postmaster@autoturn.plus.net

5. Spam protection

Our Spam Protection system is not available for domains configured to use SMTP delivery. This is because mail is delivered directly to your server and does not pass through our systems.

6. I'm having problems with my mail server

Our Support Team can only offer basic help in regards to SMTP delivery.

You may find help on our Community Site Forums or on one of the following newsgroups:

• plus.net.tech.general
• plus.net.service.customer-feedback newsgroups

This page last updated 24th July 2009