So there you are excited to have purchased the latest Android, iOS, or RIM device from your local Verizon Wireless dealer, and you’re ready to set up your Gmail and company mail as described here. You go through the simple steps to set up a Gmail, Yahoo!, or Live account and are happy with how easy it is.

Android

iOS

RIM Blackberry

Then you try to set up your company email, perhaps even an email account given to you from a Tera Technologies administrator. You put in all the proper settings. POP3 or IMAP, incoming and outgoing mail server, username, password and SMTP authentication and port numbers are the settings you meticulously type into your small screen. However, when the device attempts to send outgoing mail, it simply does not work. Incoming email works just fine, but outgoing fails immediately, or hangs for several seconds.

Generally when this occurs it is because the ISP, in this case Verizon Wireless, prefers that all mail go through their SMTP servers so that they are checked for SPAM before leaving their network. When this is the case, the ISP will provide a username and password that work with a specific SMTP server that they, the ISP, provide. However, Verizon Wireless has opted to turn off and disable their outgoing SMTP server since August 2009 as explained on their webpage.

Verizon Wireless has opted to turn off and disable their outgoing SMTP server since August 2009.

This would not be a bad thing, since companies that offer email service have their own SMTP settings.  Unfortunately, Verizon Wireless adds to the problem by only allowing certain email providers to send any kind of SMTP mail at all.  This unfortunate decision to not allow your company to send mail through on your device is described on their webpage here.

The only alternative that you have available to you as a Verizon Wireless customer that wishes to send mail through your mobile device is to use an SMTP server from the list of approved email providers listed in the link above.  In other words, you will have to set up an email account with a company such as Gmail, or AT&T and use their outgoing SMTP settings to send mail.

Unfortunately there is not much that your company can do to alter this behavior.  Verizon Wireless is the only wireless company that takes these drastic measures and makes their customers jump through these hoops.

We hope that Verizon Wireless provides better solutions to their wireless customers in the future.  In the meantime, we hope this post has been informative.

Verizon Wireless is the only wireless company that takes these drastic measures and makes their customers jump through these hoops.

Tera Technologies - West Michigan Small Business Web Design, Web Development and Hosting

11 July 2011

Tera Technologies is getting an upgrade!

You are receiving this letter because you are a Tera Technologies valued customer.  We wanted to let you know that we have upgraded our website and some of our services to you.  We are excited to show them off!

First, take a look at our improved website.  We have redesigned our logo and our look to showcase what we’re all about.  Throughout these past 5 years you have seen our website grow from a Flash based website, to simple pure XHTML design, and now to a WordPress powered content management system.  We hope these new changes will inspire you to connect with us once again by showcasing our abilities.

Another change that comes with this upgrade is our Tera Techblog.  The Tera Techblog will contain several tips and tricks to maximize your website, or business processes.  We’ll talk about everything between setting up your Outlook to work with Tera Technologies’ services to search engine optimization and marketing techniques.

Third, we have created two social feeds to keep in touch with us and to get information on promotions or ideas.  These social feeds are also great ways to help communicate with you in the rare case of downtime. You can reach us on Facebook or Twitter.  Make sure to find us or follow us, or both!

We couldn’t be where we are today without your support! We look forward to another 5 years with you!

- Wesley Almeida

Tera Technologies - West Michigan Small Business Web Design, Web Development and Hosting

If you have a Tera Technologies account you also benefit from the use of Webmail.  Webmail is a great way to access your email when you are away from the office, but there are times when webmail is not enough.

You can leverage the power of Outlook Express, Outlook, or Windows Mail to access your email accounts for times when Webmail is not enough.

For this to work you will need access to the following information:

• Your Email Address
• Your Email Password

Windows XP

Windows XP comes with Outlook Express already installed.  To access it, click on Start -> All Programs -> Outlook Express.  If this is the first time opening this program, you’ll come across the following screen:

Outlook Configuration Welcome Screen

You can type in the name of your account in the “Display Name” box.  This is for your convenience, so don’t worry too much about what to type in here.

Next you’ll need your email address.  Type the entire email in the box labeled “E-mail address:” as shown next.

Type your email address here.

This next portion will require the name of the mail servers.  This is very simple.  If your email address, for example, is ‘bob@widgets.com’, your email server is ‘mail.widgets.com’.  You can leave the box titled “My incoming mail server is a” to POP3.  Type in the mail server the same way in both boxes as shown below.

Type in your mail servers here.

Click “Next”.  You’ll come to the next screen that asks you for your Account name.  Again, this is for your convenience, but I prefer to type in my full name in this box.  The “Password” field requires your password.  If you don’t know your password, send me an email, or check with your supervisor for it.

Type in your Account Name and Password

Click “Next” and then click “Finish”.  There are only a few more steps to go which are important for sending outgoing mail.  Click on “Tools” as show below:

Click on Tools -> Accounts

Next Click on the Mail Tab, and click on “Properties” on the right hand side:

Click on the Mail Tab and click on “Properties”

On the next screen, click on “Servers” and look at the very bottom.  Make sure that the box labeled “My server requires authentication” is checked as shown below:

Click on the Server Tab, check the authentication box

Click OK and you’re finished! Now you can send and receive messages easily.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista comes with Windows Mail already installed.  To access it, click on Start -> All Programs -> Windows Mail.  If this is the first time opening this program, you’ll come across the following screen:

This is our starting point.

You can type in the name of your account in the “Display Name” box.  This is for your convenience, so don’t worry too much about what to type in here.

Next you’ll need your email address.  Type the entire email in the box labeled “E-mail address:” as shown next.

Type in your Email address

This next portion will require the name of the mail servers.  This is very simple.  If your email address, for example, is ‘bob@widgets.com’, your email server is ‘mail.widgets.com’.  You can leave the box titled “Incoming e-mail server type” to POP3. Make sure that “Outgoing Server Requires Authentication” is checked.  Type in the mail server the same way in both boxes as shown below.

Make sure to type in the correct values and to check the box.

On the next screen, type in your full email address and your password.  If you don’t know your password, send me an email, or check with your supervisor for it.

Type in your email and password. Click Next

Click on “Next”, and then “Finish” and you are all set.  You should see your messages coming in briefly.

Tera Technologies - West Michigan Small Business Web Design, Web Development and Hosting