Jeff G.'s Hotspot SMTP-Auth Provider Status Report Options

[Jeff G.]

This Scorecard lists Service Providers that provide Authenticated SMTP Services (linked to their main website URLs), Mitigating Objective Facts (linked to the sources of those facts), and Subjective Comments. Additions and comments are welcome.

SpamCop.Net ("Leave the SMTP server set up with the server your ISP provides." and "No, sorry, we don't."): Sorry, not offered.

MochaMail ("New Accounts Coming Soon!"): Works well with no perceived limitations.

MailAndNews.com ("At this time we are not accepting new accounts."): Reliability problems but no perceived limitations.

MyRealBox ("The MyRealBox system will continue to no longer accept new accounts at this time." within "MRB News" halfway down the page): Reliability problems but no perceived limitations.

DynDNS.org MailHop Outbound (Minimum $14.95 for the first year and $9.95 for additional years at 150 Relays Per Day): I haven't tried it.

Yahoo! (Minimum $19.95/year for "POP Access & Forwarding"): May require POP before SMTP instead of Authenticated SMTP.

Yahoo! UK & Ireland (Free via smtp.mail.yahoo.com or smtp.mail.yahoo.co.uk after signing up for "POP Access & Forwarding"): Works, but recently added a little text advertising at the end of the body. For instance:

 
___________________________________________________________
How much free photo storage do you get? Store your holiday
snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos http://uk.photos.yahoo.com

Gmail (A beta service of Google, free via smtp.gmail.com using SSL Port 465, subject to caveats and requiring an invitation): Works well so far...


Revision History:
v1.00 by Jeff G. - Initial Release
v1.01 by Jeff G. 2004/03/08 13:24 EST - Added SpamCop and respaced
v1.02 by Jeff G. 2004/03/08 16:10 EST - Added Yahoo!
v1.03 by Jeff G. 2005/05/31 10:18 EDT - Added Gmail and made a minor grammar correction
v1.04 by Jeff G. 2005/07/15 08:48 EDT - Updated Yahoo! UK with ads

This post has been edited by Jeff G.: Jul 15 2005, 07:48 AM

[WB8TYW]

Some of us are reluctant to provide public lists of the free authenticated e-mail servers that we know of to prevent the riff-raft from taking them over. But be sure there are many of them. And even the free ones are usually passing the hat to cover operational expenses.

One I use has been far more reliable than any commercial ISP that I have used, and their configuration is not even in the minimum fault tolerant configuration that a commercial operation would be in.

QSL.NET offers free agressively spamblocked e-mail reflectors to Amateur Radio operators, but not a mail server for outgoing mail. One may be available on a pay per use, but I am not sure about that.

-John
Personal Opinion Only

[Firefly]

fastmail.fm - $14.95 one-time cost - includes 16MB POP/IMAP e-mail too. I used this for my wireless PDA until the wireless provider opened their own server.

[northchurch37]

Hi Jeff,

i use Mailhop Outbound to get around SMTP limitations with my PDA on the go. I have a Palm with VersaMail. All accounts are IMAP, so I can download subject headers on the fly using GPRS via my IR to a Nokia phone or in a Wi-Fi hotspot. I use Outbound to send messages so I don't have to fiddle with changing SMTP depending on the method of connection. This sure beats carrying a laptop everywhere!

For instance, I sent a quick message (typed on the Palm keyboard) last night from a restaurant in Old Compton St while waiting for my main course. The whole process of taking out the phone and PDA from my pack, activating the IR function, connecting via GPRS to my mobile network, downloading message headers, checking content where needed and closing up all takes just a few minutes.

You'll notice a slight delay on the outbound SMTP as Mailhop needs to verify details - but on GPRS this was about 10 seconds - not bad for 'set and forget'.

I'm curious if anyone else reading this does similar things (to) with their PDA.

[jamesf]

I have been using AuthSMTP.com - for some time now. It works with Outlook 2002 on my PC at work and Entourage on my Mac.

Low cost and has always been reliable for me both from ISP's both in the US and Europe.

Noticed their web site is being redesigned but email them - they have always been helpful!

[Wazoo]

For general purposes, a site that didn't kill me with cookies, pop-ups, etc ....
Free Email Providers Guide
http://www.fepg.net/

NOTE added a bit later - this list is definitely not kept current. I blew a half-hour trying to actually find a "free" e-mail provider that provided POP access and of those that still existed, I found only 2 that actually still offered a "free" account, the rest having gone to a "paid" scenario. Leaving the link here for a bit, maybe help for someone with different requirements ...???

[Miss Betsy]

Yahoo! UK & Ireland (Free via smtp.mail.yahoo.com or smtp.mail.yahoo.co.uk after signing up for "POP Access & Forwarding"): I just tried it.

Most of the 419 scams, I have received lately, have come through them. Although they always send nice little notes saying that they appreciate the report and have canceled the account, they don't seem to have any way of stopping these criminals from using their service.

Miss Betsy

[jamesf]

AuthSMTP provide extra authentication to stop the scammers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I am surprised Yahoo do not get blacklisted - but perhaps people are loathe to do it because of how many users it would affect.

[turetzsr]

<snip advertisement>
I am surprised Yahoo do not get blacklisted

...Why do you say that? See, for example: patakyr's posting in thread "Using DNS Blacklist, problems using blacklist" and Ellen's reply in thread "changed email address and messages getting blocked"

- but perhaps people are loathe to do it because of how many users it would affect.

...No, I'm not!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) <g>

[Jeff G.]

Yahoo! UK has started adding advertising. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)