Well, if you have an internet connection and pay for it, then chances are that you already have an email
account with your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Since we don't know who your ISP is, can't really tell you how to setup Microsoft Outlook to utilize it's
email features with your email account provided by your ISP.
Example ISPs:
Comcast, Verizon, Road Runner, AT&T, America Online (AOL), etc.
You should note that not all ISPs offer free email accounts with their service, although most do. With that in
mind, not all offer POP/SMTP access.
In order to use Microsoft Outlook with your email account from your ISP, you will need to know what the POP
and SMTP servers are and any other information. Some examples (just to name a few): whether or not the
username is "(e-mail address removed)" or just "UserName", if Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is used, or if the
outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Your ISP should have this information.
I should also STRONGLY note that SOME ISPs DO NOT allow you to send mail (via SMTP), unless it is through
their SMTP server. I used to have an ISP that was like this and it drove me nuts.
An example ISP that DOES NOT offer POP/SMTP access is America Online. At least, the last time I checked (over
6 years ago?).
As you have not provided what version of Microsoft Outlook you are using, I will assume that it is either
Microsoft Outlook 2002 (XP) or Microsoft Outlook 2003.
Please note that this isn't the newsgroup for anything related to Outlook Express as it is NOT a part of
Microsoft Office.
With that in mind, what I can tell you to do is to sign up at Yahoo! for a Yahoo! Mail Plus account.
To sign up for a Yahoo! Mail Plus, visit
http://mailplus.mail.yahoo.com/
Once you have purchased Yahoo! Mail Plus, follow instructions here:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/pop/pop-28.html
If you are getting errors...
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/pop/pop-10.html
If you want to sign up for a free Gmail account from Google, you are (polite form) Sadly Outta Luck (SOL).
At the time of this post, you CAN'T sign up for a Gmail account unless someone has sent you an invite (via
email). Currently, Google is only offering Gmail as part of a preview release and limited test. They don't
have details on when Gmail will be made more widely available, as that depends in part on the results of the
test.
Source:
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about.html#signup
I have a Google Gmail account with 50 invites left. If you want one, then send me an email at
(e-mail address removed)
WITH the subject "Gmail invite".
Please note that this email account is ONLY temporary! This disposable email address will be deleted when I no
longer have any invites left.
For those that already have a Gmail account, log in here:
http://gmail.google.com/
Then follow the instructions provided here:
http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13273
To setup Gmail with the Microsoft Outlook 2002 (XP), follow the instructions here:
http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13276
To setup Gmail with Microsoft Outlook 2003, follow the instructions here:
http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13278
I don't know of any other free email service (with the exception of Google's Gmail) that provide POP/SMTP
access for free. I'm sure that there are some users out there on this newsgroup that know some.
Bottom line is:
Unless you already have a Gmail account, you WILL need to pay for POP/SMTP access. This means that you will
need to pay a monthly (or yearly) fee to send AND receive email though Microsoft Outlook (or any other email
client for that matter). This is the case with Yahoo! Mail Plus.
I hope this information helps you.
