To configure your e-mail app or device to connect with A B Host:

• Connect with TLS encryption to our mail server:  mail.abhost.net.
• Check for messages with the IMAP protocol (port 143).
• Send messages with SMTP protocol (port 587).
• Identify yourself with your full email address.
• Authenticate yourself with your email password.

The above information is all you need to know (from A B Host)!  But, is it really that simple?  Unfortunately no.  There are many hundreds, if not over a thousand, email applications and devices. The creator of each app or device asks for this information differently.  Over the last twenty-five or thirty years there have been a lot of changes on the Internet, and some older apps and devices simply do not work any longer.  Most apps or devices will support some legacy configuration information. So a short history lesson may be helpful.

We will start with encryption, because it seems to cause the most trouble.  Today the current encryption standard is TLS. Prior to 1999 the encryption standard was SSL. Use of SSL was deprecated in 2015. Although the method of encryption has changed, many people still call all types of web and email encryption SSL; even though they are actually using TLS.  So if you do not see an option for TLS, turn on SSL and hope they were just using an obsolete name.  SSL required the use of different ports for encryption: so you may see port numbers 993,995, and 465.  Please do not use these ports they have been deprecated. Warning:  Many setup wizards  will change your port settings when you change the encryption type.  If you change the encryption type, double check the port settings.  Hint:  if your app was written before 2015, it is time for an upgrade!

All email services at A B Host use the host name mail.abhost.net. In the past we would setup an alias name for each client's domain, however it is cost prohibitive to do this in a secure environment.  Because, you must purchase a security certificate for each domain name used on the mail server.

We use the standard Internet well known port 143 for the IMAP protocol and the standard Internet well known port 587 for message submission with SMTP.  Port 25 should be used only by registered mail exchangers. Port 25 traffic is now blocked at many network boundaries to stop rogue mail servers from sending spam. 

Re-stated another way:

1. Check for messages with the IMAP protocol by connecting to our server, mail.ahost.net on port 143 with TLS encryption enabled. Login with your full e-mail address using PASSWORD authentication.
2. Send messages with the SMTP protocol by connecting to our server, mail.abhost.net on port 587 with TLS encryption enabled. PASSWORD authentication is required to send messages; send your full e-mail address and password.