Configuring Email Clients for SNS

Quick Start (for experienced users)

For users who are familiar with configuring email clients, please use the following settings:

Inbound: IMAP

Server: imap.sns.ias.edu
Port: 993
Use secure authentication (SSL)
IMAP Server Directory: mail/

Outbound: SMTP

Server: smtpauth.sns.ias.edu
Port: 465
Use secure authentication (SSL)
Use authentication: send user name and password

User Directory: LDAP

Follow these directions to set up LDAP lookups.

Detailed Instructions

This page describes how to configure Mozilla Thunderbird 1.x as your email client and how to make Thunderbird interchangable with pine and TWIG.

If you don't already have Thunderbird installed, Download and install Mozilla Thunderbird.
Start Mozilla Thunderbird. If the Account Setup wizard does not appear, then click Tools, then click Account Settings, then click Add Account.
In the Account Wizard, click Next on the New Account Setup screen.
The Identity screen will appear. Type Your Name and Email Address in the spaces provided, then click Next. Use the SNS Email address that we have provided. Your SNS Email address consists of your SNS login ID, followed by @ias.edu.
The Server Information screen will appear. Click IMAP. Type imap.sns.ias.edu for Incoming Server and type smtpauth.sns.ias.edu for the Outgoing Server. Click Next.
The User Names screen will appear. Verify that the Incoming User Name and the Outgoing User Name match your SNS login ID and click Next.
On the Account Name screen, click Next.
On the Congratulations! screen, click Finish.
If the Account Settings window does not appear, click Tools, then click Account Settings.
Click your IAS email account name in on the left-hand side (the account name should match your IAS email address). Click Server Settings below your IAS email account name.
On the Server Settings screen, check the box for Use secure connection (SSL). Click Advanced.
On the Advanced Account Settings screen, type mail/ for the IMAP server directory and uncheck the box next to Show only subscribed folders. Click OK.
Click Outgoing Server (SMTP). Click the button for Use secure connection: SSL. Click OK.

Now, test your configuration by clicking Get Mail. Enter your password when prompted, and be sure your inbox and other folders are present. Next, send an email to yourself as a test, again entering your password when prompted. Be sure the test email arrives in your inbox before proceeding.

Other Settings

Please note that if you travel away from IAS, you may need to set the SMTP server to a local mail server at the site you are visiting.
Note that you will have two inboxes - one is on the local disk, and the other one appears under youracount@ias.edu. The latter is really stored on the mail server, and will be visible to your from any computer on which you set IMAP as described above. All your work should be done on folders under imap.sns.ias.edu. Local Folders should be deleted or ignored.
You may create subfolders in your IMAP account. Please note that a folder can contain either sub-folders or messages, but not both. If the new folder is to contain subfolders, be sure to put a slash ("/") at the end of its name (e.g. folder1/). To create a sub-folder in a folder, right click on the folder, and choose New Subfolder....
If you want the IMAP server to save a copy of of your outgoing messages in a folder called, for example, "sent-mail", create a folder of this name under youraccount@ias.edu. Then go back to the Tools -> Account Settings menu. Click Copies and Folders and specify "sent-mail" as the folder in which copies of sent mail will be placed.
You may choose the action Thunderbird should take when you delete a message. These settings are available in Tools -> Account Settings. Click Server Settings, and select your desired option for When I delete a message.
The Institute offers all computer users access to an online directory server that allows users to look up IAS email address. Follow these directions to learn how to gain access to this service.