Checking mail on unsecure wifi

[jasmynsway]

So my job has wifi that's unsecured. When I go to check my email I get an error message that the email client can't connect to the server. Is this something apple built in or can I do so something to fix it?

 

[leelai]

I'd like to know the answer to this one too, it bugged me no end on a recent trip overseas. I stayed in 3 different hotels, I could send emails from 2 of them but not the third. There was another guest there who was an IT guy. He wasn't familiar with IPads but went through all my settings trying to find an answer. His answer was that it had more to do with the Internet service provided rather than the iPad itself. That the hotel had blockers on the service as a cost cutting measure. He suggested talking to the Hotels IT guy but he wasn't available. Could this be it?

 

[Chays]

Hi all,

I can actually answer this one from personal experience. I go to a school where wifi is available across the whole property. It is all unsecured if you look at it, but when you try and get on, it says it's not accessible.

I went to speak to my school's IT department and they said that I needed to login under my username and password, the same one I use to log onto the schools computers in the media centre. Most businesses have this so that they can monitor you data usage and websites viewed by their employees. As I my case this is a school, and they want to make sure that the teenagers don't look at anything the shouldn't on the schools account.

As for the hotel issue, it could be that the hotel doesn't wish for people to sit in their lobby and access the Internet free of charge. It might only be available for customers staying in the hotel. If you speak to the reception or IT people, there might be a username and password allocated to your room to use for the duration of your stay. They will then be able to check that you are a customer and not some person taking a chance.

So to access the Internet you will require authentication. Go speak to the IT department to help you.
For me I had to go to settings, wi-fi, select options for that network (blue button next to network name), then at the bottom where it says 'http proxy' I had to switch it to manual. There is now 3 field below it (server, port and authentication switch). I had to switch on authentication, which reveals 2 new field, namely username and password. The IT department gave me the serve and port details, and I used my normal username and password. Then I was able to check my mail and surf the web.

My suggestion would be to take it to the IT department and ask them please to help you. Show them the section of setting I explained above and ask them for the server and port information.

Hope this helps and wasn't over complicated.
Chays

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Another possibility to add to the list is that many email service providers won't accept email using the insecure SMTP mail protocol from an 'unknown' location - i.e. somewhere that's not, say, your home where they can verify your identity. This is because insecure SMTP doesn't require a password to send email, so it's easy to impersonate someone else.

This is known as the 'Port 25 relay' problem.

To overcome this problem you need to edit your email settings and switch to SMTP with SSL, which requires a password. It's usually easier to set up a new 'duplicate' email account on your iPad with SSL for outgoing mail and the same settings as before for incoming mail. Once you've got the 'new' account working, you can delete the 'old' one. SSL will work fine from home too.

Tim

 

[leelai]

Hi all,

As for the hotel issue, it could be that the hotel doesn't wish for people to sit in their lobby and access the Internet free of charge. It might only be available for customers staying in the hotel. If you speak to the reception or IT people, there might be a username and password allocated to your room to use for the duration of your stay. They will then be able to check that you are a customer and not some person taking a chance.


Thanks Chays. But I was staying at the hotel and had a password. I was able to receive emails, surf the net, send imessages, everything but send emails. I tried gmail and hotmail addresses, I got the message 'unable to connect to server'. Another guest was receiving emails but none from gmail and she couldn't email them either.

 

[Chays]

Hi leelai,

That is strange, maybe it has something to do with what Tim said above?

However, if it does happens again, maybe try logging onto your mail through safari. Go to gmail.com itself and send a email through the website, it's not first prize, but at least you can still use it to send email while away.

Regards,
Chays

 

[leelai]

Another possibility to add to the list is that many email service providers won't accept email using the insecure SMTP mail protocol from an 'unknown' location - i.e. somewhere that's not, say, your home where they can verify your identity. This is because insecure SMTP doesn't require a password to send email, so it's easy to impersonate someone else.

This is known as the 'Port 25 relay' problem.

To overcome this problem you need to edit your email settings and switch to SMTP with SSL, which requires a password. It's usually easier to set up a new 'duplicate' email account on your iPad with SSL for outgoing mail and the same settings as before for incoming mail. Once you've got the 'new' account working, you can delete the 'old' one. SSL will work fine from home too.

Tim

Thanks Tim. I'll save that for next time I travel and see if that solves it although I wouldn't have a clue how to. Just find it weird that it worked in the first 2 hotels and not the third.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

That's true - my explanation doesn't ring true with your experience, so probably it's safe to ignore my suggestion - or at least put it as a last resort....

Tim

 

[leelai]

Hi leelai,

That is strange, maybe it has something to do with what Tim said above?

However, if it does happens again, maybe try logging onto your mail through safari. Go to gmail.com itself and send a email through the website, it's not first prize, but at least you can still use it to send email while away.

Regards,
Chays

Thanks Chays, that's a good idea to try. I did try from my emails site but no go from there either.

 

[jasmynsway]

Another possibility to add to the list is that many email service providers won't accept email using the insecure SMTP mail protocol from an 'unknown' location - i.e. somewhere that's not, say, your home where they can verify your identity. This is because insecure SMTP doesn't require a password to send email, so it's easy to impersonate someone else.

This is known as the 'Port 25 relay' problem.

To overcome this problem you need to edit your email settings and switch to SMTP with SSL, which requires a password. It's usually easier to set up a new 'duplicate' email account on your iPad with SSL for outgoing mail and the same settings as before for incoming mail. Once you've got the 'new' account working, you can delete the 'old' one. SSL will work fine from home too.

Tim

Sounds like this is my issue. Thanks!