When configuring an email client it is important to set up the correct email addresses. Here we will look at email address set up that is generally applicable to all email clients (outlook express, IncrediMail) and all email providers -POP3 mailboxes, Yahoo email, Msn Hotmail

When you set up an email client like outlook express for accessing POP3 mailboxes, Yahoo email, Msn Hotmail or any other service provider you will be confronted with a screen asking for display name, email address,reply address.

The important fields are :

Display Name: This is usually your name or nickname and will appear on your email in the from address. In the Example above steve

Email Address: This is the email address given to you by your email provider. In the example above steve@....... (left bank here because of email harvesting). The email address is usually associated with a physical mailbox.

Reply address: This is the email address That the recipient will reply to and is either blank or set to the same address as the Email address-The effect is the same. In the example above it is set to be the same as the Email address.

Reply Address Different From Email

Normally you set up the email and reply address to be the same. There is however a case for setting them to be different and that is normally when you have changed email providers but have retained your old email address. In order to retain your email address you need to own the domain name and this is covered in more detail in a guide to email addresses and lifetime email addresses. Assuming for now that your addresses are as follows:

old: steve@oldISP.com

new: steve@newISp.com

lifetime email address: steve@mydomain.com

You would set up your email client (outlook express , IncrediMail) as follows:

Set up for old ISP

DISplay Name: steve

Email Address: steve@oldISp.com

Reply address: steve@mydomain.com

Set up for new ISP

DISplay Name: steve

Email Address: steve@newISp.com

Reply address: steve@mydomain.com

Notice that in either case the reply address is the same and it is your lifetime or permanent address. Anyone replying to email from you will reply to the reply address (steve@mydomain.com). You will need then to make arrangements with your email address provider to forward this email to your new mailbox.

Email Forwarding

Email forwarding allows you to continue to use an existing email address e.g. an email account provided by your lifetime email address provider steve@mydomain.com regardless of which ISP (Internet service provider) you use.

If we continue the example of oldISP and newISP then any email messages that are sent to steve@mydomain.com need to be forwarded to either the oldISP address or the newISP address

oldISP

Your ISP or email provider is oldISp your email address and physical mailbox is steve@oldISp.com.

You arrange with the lifetime email address provider (usually you do it yourself through a control panel) to forward email sent to steve@mydomain.com to your mailbox steve@oldISp.com.

newISP

You then decide to change your ISP or email provider to newISp your new email address and physical mailbox is now steve@newISp.com.

You now arrange with the lifetime email address provider (usually you do it yourself through a control panel) to forward email sent to steve@mydomain.com to your mailbox steve@newISp.com.

Catch-All Email Addresses

A catch all address is a special case of email forwarding. With a catch all email address then all email sent to anyone@yourdomain.com will be forwarded to a single mailbox.

info@yourdomain.com-----> Mailbox1

sales@yourdomain.com -----> Mailbox1

admin@yourdomain.com -----> Mailbox1

When retrieving email you only need to connect to mailbox1 to retrieve email sent to any of the addresses.