The BBC''s ISP, beeb.net to close

skaterboy

Hi

I currently utilise the smtp/pop3 email facility of the BBC's Beeb.net.

The BBC have decided that they are to close this service. Whilst I don't use their internet connectivity, I do/did use their email service through Outlook.

Does anyone know a provider that provides free to use email, that can utilise pop3 and smtp?

Cheers

penrhyn

Get yourself a GoogleMail account.

Bascule_2

I'd have to recommend gmail from Google. It has a very easy to use web interface but also offers pop3 and IMAP (which I think is better than pop3 especially if you access the account from more than one computer or from your mobile).

I have had a beeb.net account for a long time but got fed up with the small amount of storage. So I got a gmail account and set my beeb account to just forward everything to that. I then used a very nice feature of gmail to send email as if it was coming from beeb.net. So I could do all me emailing from gmail but keep my beeb.net address. That way I didn't have to bother all my contacts with a new email address. Until now! It's a shame that beeb.net is going but I'm quite happy go fully gmail.

BigBouncyBall

gmail or yahoo accounts are fine - they aren't going out of business anytime soon and will last you for ever.

superscaper

I was going to suggest gmail as well but I guess that doesn't really cover smtp. Depends why you need the smtp. I can understand not wanting to use your ISP's smtp but you can still use it though. Not sure of any free service that offers it though.

espresso

superscaper wrote: »

I was going to suggest gmail as well but I guess that doesn't really cover smtp. Depends why you need the smtp. I can understand not wanting to use your ISP's smtp but you can still use it though. Not sure of any free service that offers it though.

How to use Gmail as your SMTP server here.

ianonline

skaterboy wrote: »

Hi

I currently utilise the smtp/pop3 email facility of the BBC's Beeb.net.

The BBC have decided that they are to close this service. Whilst I don't use their internet connectivity, I do/did use their email service through Outlook.

Does anyone know a provider that provides free to use email, that can utilise pop3 and smtp?

Cheers

How did you use beeb's smtp if you didn't use their internet connection?

I've used beeb's pop email for years but I've always had to use my ISP's smtp server to send emails (and simply changed the "from" field to display my beeb email address").

I signed up to gmail last year to take advantage of their google checkout offer at the time (£10 off purchases made via google checkout for new customers). When I realised I could use their smtp server with my existing ISP, I vowed to start using gmail instead of my beeb email. I never got round to switching all my email subscriptions to my gmail account but now that beeb have decided to pull the plug, it's given me the push I needed to switch. I like the idea that gmail is portable so you can switch your ISP and continue to use gmail pop and smtp.

This is the official google guidance on configuring your email client for pop (which also includes settings for smtp).;)
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=12805

So it's another vote for gmail from me. :T

Ian :cool:

timbim_2

I like gmail. Another pleasing alternative, although I realize it is slightly out of place in a money saving forum, is to buy a .co.uk domain name, and then get all your email through that. Only costs around £4 per year if you get the right deal.

skaterboy

Hi,

Well, not such a tricky choice here then.

Gmail here I come! along with the rest of the family/extended family.

Only problem I have to go around to all their pc's and set them all up. Don't fancy a weekend of family visits just yet.

I guess Gmail should last longer than Beeb.net

Thanks for all the help on this.

Cheers

eevie

I am in the same boat. We've used BEEB for years for all of the family's emails even though we've gone through several different ISPs. it has been so convenient to stick with the same email throughout the changes.

I very nearly missed the notification emails I have set up outlook express to filter out any emails that do not have my email addresses in the TO field, so they were put straight into a junk folder I created.

I had great email addresses with BEEB as I was able to set up each email account using our first and second names, I bet these will have all been bagged on gmail

I'm not looking forward to the task of notifying everyone of my new email address.

But from this thread it seems gmail is the way to go.

BritBrat

superscaper wrote: »

You may want to read the rules on advertising and links in signatures.

I see a new sig coming ":: No unapproved links in signatures please - FT :: "



I have had mine deleted twice and I have never had a link in it live or dead

I got very angry the last time, I even upset Martin.

Lets hope they dont do it again or its war.

Plan is make a macro with very large text and post in in every post I make, but lets hope I dont have to.