Using Mozilla Thunderbird
Overview
Mozilla Thunderbird is a powerful, free e-mail client available for Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX operating systems. Thunderbird is the preferred e-mail client for the IMAP protcol because it is the most effective at synchronizing the folders on the server with the folders within the client itself (see "Configuration Options" below). This is especially true for the Trash and Sent Mail folders.
Configuring Mozilla Thunderbird
You must provide Thunderbird with the basic information about your account before you can send and receive messages. If you have just installed Thunderbird, a window should appear asking if you would like to import settings from another e-mail client. The possibilities include Eudora, Outlook, Mail, etc. If you have been using one of these programs previously, you should select it from the list and choose import. Otherwise, choose "Don't import anything." and click next. This will bring you to the account setup wizard.
Select e-mail account and click next. This will bring you to the Identity window.
The screenshots shown here are for the Windows version of Thunderbird, but the settings should be similar for all versions and all platforms.
Identity
1. Under "Your Name" enter your name as you would like it to appear in e-mails you send.
2. Under "E-mail Address" enter your wesleyan username followed by "@wesleyan.edu".
Your screen should appear as below. When done, click next.
Server Informaton
1. You must choose between two protocols that Thunderbird can use to check your e-mail. This is the only significant choice you will have to make at this time. Once you have created the account, this setting cannot be changed.
POP (recommended for dialup users): Your computer will check for new messages on the server and download them automatically to your computer locally. By default, Thunderbird will then delete the messages from the server. Once message have been deleted, they will no longer be available through WebMail or any other computer. Additional POP settings allow you to store copies of new messages on the server for a certain number of days. If you choose POP, we recommend you store copies of messages on the server for 10-30 days. These messages will be available through WebMail until the specified number of days have passed; then they will be deleted.
IMAP (recommended for broadband users): Your computer will display the contents of your messages on the server, but it will not (by default) store the messages locally. This means that you will be unable to check your email without being connected to the internet and that the message must be downloaded from the server each time you view it. However, this also allows you to check your email through WebMail or using multiple computers. Emails can be downloaded to your computer by simply dragging and dropping them into the local folders in the margin. Emails can be deleted from the server by dragging them to the trash.
2. In the "Incoming Server" field, type your username followed by ".mail.wesleyan.edu".
3. In the "Outgoing Server" field, type your username followed by ".post.wesleyan.edu".
4. If you are using POP, there is an additional setting "Use Global Inbox". If you leave this checked, any mail received through this account will be grouped with any mail received through any other accounts. Uncheck this box if you wish to keep them separated. If you have only one e-mail account, you can ignore this option.
Your screen should (more or less) as below. When done, click next.
Finishing Setup
This will bring you to the "User Names" window. In the both the "Incoming Username" and the "Outgoing Username" fields, enter your Wesleyan username if it is not already entered automatically. When done, click next.
The next screen will prompt you for a name for the account. You may enter anything you wish here, "Wesleyan e-mail" would be fine. Click next when done.
The final screen will show you an overview of all of the settings you entered. Review them briefly, and click Finish. You have now configured Thunderbird for your Wesleyan e-mail account.