General Email Setup Information

General Email Setup Information

Below are the proper server entries for mail program setup at Binghamton University.

Incoming POP3 mail server: mail.binghamton.edu

Outgoing SMTP server: smtp.binghamton.edu

NOTE: Road Runner users use smtp-server.stny.rr.com as your SMTP server.

Email Forwarding

Email Forwarding

Email forwarding is a technology that allows you to redirect mail addressed to your University-assigned email accounts (ex: joesuny1@binghamton.edu) to another email account you already hold, such as a gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail account. The major benefit of mail forwarding is one of convenience, as it allows you to maintain and check fewer email accounts.

The University uses email as a primary means of official communication with students, faculty, and staff to convey policy information. For that reason, it is imperative that whether you forward your University mail using this facility or maintain your Binghamton email account, that you read information sent from the University in a timely fashion.

Note: If you are a Microsoft Exchange user (faculty and staff only) and currently have your email forwarded to the BU Exchange server, you should be aware that if you change the forwarding address using this system, your POP mail will no longer be forwarded to the BU Exchange server. If you have questions regarding this, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 777-6420.

Setting Up Mail Forwarding

Setting Up Mail Forwarding

1. Go to http://busi.binghamton.edu and click on the Set E-Mail Forwarding link on the left-hand navigation bar.
   
2. Log into the E-mail forwarding Facility.
   
   
   - SSN: Enter your SSN (without dashes).
   - PAC: Enter your Personal Access Code (PAC). Your PAC is the last four digits of the left-hand column of numbers below the library bar code on your University ID card.
   
    
3. Click the LOGIN button after you've entered your SSN and PAC.
4. Email Account Information screen:
   
   
   
   • New Forwarding Address: If you would like to forward mail sent to your University email account to another email account, enter the account name the University should send your mail to in the New Forwarding Address box.
   • Cancel Mail Forwarding: This message will only appear under accounts you have forwarded. Clicking on the link will allow you to disable mail forwarding. Any mail sent to your University email account will be sent only to your University mailbox.
   • Binghamton University Policy on Mail Forwarding: Read this section carefully as it may effect your decision on whether to forward your email and outlines your responsibilities with regard to University mail.
   • I accept the Binghamton University E-mail Forwarding Policy: Check this box if you have read and understand the Binghamton University Policy on Mail Forwarding. If you wish to forward your email to another account, you must accept this policy.
   • Press the Continue button to proceed to the next step.
5. Next, you’ll need to review your forwarding request on the Review Mail Forwarding Request screen. The screen should show the University email address you have selected to forward and the account you wish to forward your email to.
   
   
   
   • Forwarding Settings: If you have made an error, clicking this link will take you to the previous page where you'll be able to re-enter any incorrect information. If you do not wish to forward your email at all, click the Logout button at the top right of the window to exit.
   • Accept Changes: If you are satisfied that you wish to forward your email, and have entered the forwarding address correctly, click Accept Changes to complete the process and take you to the confirmation screen.
6. The E-mail Forwarding Confirmation screen shows all of your current University-assigned email addresses and whether email forwarding has been enabled.

• If you have not chosen to forward mail from the address the message Forwarding Not Enabled will appear under your address.
• If you have enabled forwarding, the email address to which your mail has been forwarded will appear below your University address.
• A confirmation will be sent to your email address. Verify that you have received this email to test that forwarding is working properly.

Forwarding BU Mail to Hotmail

Forwarding BU Mail to Hotmail

Computing Services has identified an issue that effects Binghamton University email users who are forwarding their Binghamton accounts to Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com). Depending on how you have configured Hotmail’s junk email filters, mail forwarded from BU addresses may be sent to Hotmail’s junk email folder rather than the inbox. Because the junk mail folder is emptied every seven days, you may be missing important mail and official communications from the University.

To set Junk email options in Hotmail:

• Log into Hotmail and click on the Options link on the top right of the screen.
• Click on the Mail button on the left of the screen.
• Click the Junk E-Mail Protection link on the Mail Options list.
• Click the Junk E-Mail Filter link.

On the Junk E-Mail filter screen you’ll see three options. If you have the first option (Default) checked then you shouldn’t have a problem receiving mail forwarded by the Binghamton domain.



But if either of the latter options is checked, Hotmail will automatically filter mail forwarded from your BU address to Hotmail’s junk mail folder. The next few steps show how you can make an easy adjustment to allow forwards from the Binghamton email domain.

• Click OK.
• Click the Safe List option on the Junk E-Mail Protection list.
• IMAGE - Here
• Enter binghamton.edu in the box and click Add. @binghamton.edu will appear on the Safe List. Mail forwarded from the Binghamton domain will now arrive in your inbox.
• Click the Mail button at the top of the screen to return to your Inbox.

Setting Up Outlook for Home and Work Access

Setting Up Outlook for Home and Work Access

Outlook and Outlook Express can be configured to leave a copy of your email on the mail server. This is useful for faculty and staff who would like to download their email both at home and in the office. If you enable this option, make sure your program is configured to delete the mail from the server after 5 days (otherwise your mailbox may fill up and you will be unable to receive new messages). Students should not enable this option.

To configure Outlook:

1. Pull down the Tools menu and Select Accounts…
2. Click on the Mail tab, select your mail account and click Properties.
   
   
3. Click on the Advanced tab.
   
    
4. Under the Delivery section, place a check in the box marked Leave a copy of messages on server. Also check Remove from server after 5 days.
5. Click OK to save your settings.

Using an Email Alias

Using an Email Alias

An email “alias” allows you to use an alternate name for your email account to make it easier to share your address.

At BU, you can have up to two aliases for your email account:

• An assigned alias that uses your first and last name, for example joseph.suny@binghamton.edu.
• A secondary alias that you can create yourself. (This option is currently only available to faculty and staff.)

Whether mail is sent to your regular email address or to one of your aliases, all the mail will arrive in your existing email account and is accessed using your current email userID and POD password.

To obtain an alias:

1. Go to the BUSI Email Alias Facility at http://busi.binghamton.edu/alias
   
    
2. Enter your Social Security Number (SSN) and your Personal Access Code (PAC) in the fields provided. (Your PAC is located on the back of your Binghamton University ID card.)
   
   Once you've filled out the appropriate fields, click Login to continue.
3. The Email Account Information screen displays three pieces of information about your email account.
   
   
   
   • UserID: This is the name you use (with your password) to access your email and to log into Blackboard and other services. When @binghamton.edu is added (ex: jsuny1@binghamton.edu) this is also your default email address.
   • Primary Alias: Your primary alias uses your full name separated by a period. For example, if your email address is jsuny1@binghamton.edu, you'll have a primary alias like josephine.suny@binghamton.edu. In cases where more than one person on campus shares the same name, the primary alias may vary somewhat from this example.
   • Secondary Alias: You can choose a second email alias that you select yourself. You only have one opportunity to create a secondary alias, so if you decide to add one, be sure to choose one you'll be comfortable with for a long time.
4. To request a secondary alias: - In the Request a Secondary Alias field, enter a secondary alias up to 30 characters long. Your secondary alias can consist of letter, numbers and 1 period.
   
5. Click continue after you have entered your alias. The system will check your alias choice against those already existing in the system. If there's a conflict, you'll be prompted to select a different alias.
   
   
   If there is no conflict, you'll proceed to the Review Secondary Alias Request screen.
   
6. If you are satisfied with how your secondary alias is displayed, click Accept Secondary Alias. To modify it or start over, click Modify Secondary Alias.
7. If you choose to accept your secondary alias the system will now display all three of the names for your email account (the UserID, the Primary Alias, and the Secondary Alias).
   
    

NOTE: Remember you can use any or all of these as an email address, but you must still use your UserID to access your account to receive your mail.

Logging In and Out

Logging In and Out

To access Mirapoint webmail:

1. Go to http://webmail.binghamton.edu and enter your POD username and password.
2. To end your Mirapoint session, click Sign Out; the session will be terminated, and you will be returned to the login page.

NOTE: Clicking the Close icon in the upper right corner DOES NOT close the connection to the mail server and log you out; so be sure to click Sign Out.

Navigating Webmail

Navigating Webmail

• At the top of the main Mirapoint window you'll see your user ID.
• To the far right you'll also see the universal commands Options, Help, and Sign Out that apply to the Mail and Contacts applications. You can select the application you want from the stacked-tabs in the left-hand navigation “pane” of the window.
• Options opens a window where you can specify your default Mail settings.
• Clicking a tab opens an application pane to the right. At the top of each application pane runs a toolbar that changes for each application.

Customizing Email Preferences: You can customize Mirapoint webmail by specifying:

• Name and email address in the message header
• Address to which message replies are sent, if different from your BU email address
• Number of messages shown per page
• Whether or not to save a copy of sent messages
• Whether or not to use the To Trash feature
• Width and height of the compose window
• Whether to include a copy of the original message in your reply
• An electronic signature
• The display mode

To customize webmail:

1. Click on Preferences.
2. Select any of the following options:
   • Full Name: Type your name as you would like it to appear in the From header field.
   • E-mail Address: By default, this field is set to your BU_userID@binghamton.edu.
   • Reply-To: If you want replies sent to a different email address, type that address in this field.
   • Message Count: Type the number of message summaries to be shown on one page. Note that the default count is set to 20.
   • Save Sent Messages: Click Yes to save a copy of sent messages in your Sent folder.
   • Delete To Trash: By default, the Compact feature is selected. When you delete a message, the Deleted icon displays next to the message. To remove the message from your account, you must then click on Compact. The Delete To Trash feature moves messages that you delete to the Trash folder. To remove the message from the folder, you must click on Empty. To use the Delete To Trash feature, click on Yes.
   • Compose Width: Type a number to set the width (in characters) of the Compose window. Note that the default count is set to 62.
   • Compose Height: Type a number to set the height (in rows) of the Compose window. Note that the default count is set to 15.
3. For your reply messages, select one of the following:
   • Don't include original: A copy of the original message is not included in a reply.
   • Include original inline: A copy of the original message is included in the body of a reply.
   • Include original as attachment: A copy of the original message is included as an attachment in a reply.
   • Include signature: To include a signature at the end of a message, enter the text in the Signature box and then click on Yes. To turn this feature off, click No.
4. Select a webmail display Mode:
   • No Frames: This option greatly changes the appearance of webmail; it is useful with older browsers that do not support frames.
   • Frames with JavaScript (default): Your messages display in a 2-pane mode; the message list in the top pane and the message content in the bottom frame.
5. Then click OK to set your preferences.

Managing Mail

Managing Mail

Click Mail in the left-hand navigation pane to access your messages. (The message list for your last previously viewed mail folder will be displayed.)

• Bold text in the message list indicates an unread message.

The Mail toolbar command menus are as follows:

Click New () to open a Compose window; click for this menu: Mail Message: Opens the Composewindow Folder: Opens the New Folder page Click Delete () to remove messages; click for this menu: Delete: Removes selected messages from your message list Empty Trashor Compact: This menu item changes depending on your Options > Mail > Settings > Delete to Trash selection. Mailbox Quotas With webmail you can view your total allotted storage quota and the amount currently used in the status bar at the top of the Mailpage.

NOTE: The standard electronic mailbox quota on the Binghamton University mail server is 50 megabytes of disk space.

Filters

Filters

A filter is a set of conditions, or rules, associated with an action. These rules are then applied to incoming email messages and attachments, and the messages and attachments are processed accordingly. The specified actions are performed on messages or attachments for which any or all of the conditions are true.

You can create custom message filters using the Options > Message Filters page.

1. Click the Options link.
2. Then click Message Filters. (The Message Filters page will display. If you have existing filters, their order and profiles will be at the top of the page.)
3. Click New.
4. The Add/Edit Message Filter page will appear. In the Filter Conditions - Add New Filter area, specify a content condition:
   • If all of these conditions are met - filter action is done only if all of the specified conditions are true.
   • If any of these conditions are met - filter action is done if at least one of the specified conditions is true.
   • Apply to all incoming messages - filter action is done on all messages regardless of conditions. This option is deselected (disabled) by default. If you select this option, the top radio button action trigger is automatically deselected. This option is useful as a final filter in a series of filters to direct all other incoming mail to be acted upon.
5. Click More>> to enter more filter conditions.
6. Select a filter type from the drop-down list. (Filter types include filters for From, To/Cc, Subject, Body, Return-path, Junk Mail, Attachment, Message Size, and so on.)
7. Next, choose a content condition for the filter object such as contains, does not contain, matches, does not match, and so on.
8. Your final filter condition option is a value for the filter type. Enter the text, integers, MIME type, or file name you want searched for and acted on.
   • You can use the following wildcard characters with the matches or does not match options only: Asterisk (*) matches any sequence of zero or more characters; question mark (?) matches any single character.
9. In the Filter Action area, specify what you want Mirapoint to do with the message. For example: move it to a specified folder, flag it, forward it, discard it, and so on.
10. Once you have created your filter, click Apply. The system accepts the settings and a description of the filter appears above the Filter Conditions box. Incoming messages and attachments are filtered and acted on as directed. You are also returned to the Message Filters list page.

Address Book

Address Book

To address mail with the Address Book:

1. Click on the Address Book button at the top of the Compose window.
2. At the Contacts page, select the address by clicking on the appropriate category, such as To, Cc, or Bcc.
3. If you are selecting contacts from more than one page in Address Book, click on Save Selection.
4. To add a group, click on Groups and then select the group by clicking on the appropriate column, such as To, Cc, or Bcc.
5. When finished, click on Back to Compose to return to your message.

Folders

Folders

As with other webmail services, you can create folders in Mirapoint to organize your messages. After you create a folder, you can copy and move messages between folders. You can also create filters that will sort incoming mail into a selected folder.

Folder Naming Conventions:

• When you create a folder, you can include any of the following characters in a folder name: letters, numbers, space, hyphen (-), and underscore (_).
• These characters cannot be used in a folder name: dot (.), front slash (/), plus sign (+), quotation mark ("), asterisk (*), and percent sign (%)
• Bold text in a folder name indicates that the folder contains unread messages.
• The number in parentheses indicates the number of unread messages.

Adding and Deleting Folders

To add a folder:

1. Click on Folders.
2. In the Folders window, type a name in the Folders box and click Add.

To delete a folder:

1. Click on Folders.
2. At the Folders window, click on the delete icon ( X) of the folder you want to delete.
3. In the Confirm Folder Delete window, click on Delete.

Copying and Moving Messages Between Folders:

1. With the contents of the folder displayed, click on the check box next to a message to select it.
2. From the Move/Copy drop-down box, choose the folder where the message will be moved.
3. If you want to copy the message to the selected folder, click Copy or, If you want to simply move the message to the selected folder, click Move.

NOTE: If you are using the Compact feature, the Delete icon displays next to the message. To remove the message from the original folder, click on Compact.

Recieving Mail From External Accounts

Recieving Mail From External Accounts

An external mail account is any account external to this mail account.

• Your webmail account uses IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) to receive and maintain your messages on a server (a dedicated computer) from which you use an Internet browser to access and act on them.
• POP (Post Office Protocol) is a different type of protocol that allows you to retrieve your messages already received on a server. Most email services provide a POP service.

Using the Options > External Mail page, you can add POP accounts to your webmail by entering the name of the external mail POP server

1. Click Options in the banner.
2. Click External Mail in the Options window.
3. Click New to add an external mail account.

Your external POP account mail is checked only when you explicitly click the Mail Menu icon and then Check External Mail.

When you set up your external POP account, you can choose one or both of these two mail-handling options:

- Leave messages on POP server: Your messages remain on the external POP account server so you can retrieve them at a later date. If left unchecked, those messages are downloaded from the external server and are not accessible later.

- Get new messages only: Only messages that arrived at your external account since your last WebMail External POP account download are retrieved. If left unchecked, all those messages on the external server are downloaded, even if you have previously downloaded them.

- Check External: The Check External option retrieves old and new messages each time if you have left the Get new messages only option unchecked when you set up the account. If this is happening and you want to change this, go to your External Mail configuration page (Options>External Mail), click the Edit icon , and check the Get new messages only option.

NOTE: Mail from extrernal mail accounts does count against your mail quota on BU's mail server. Since your mail storage quota includes the messages in all your folders and subfolders, and mail from external POP accounts is downloaded to a folder, those messages count against your quota. The standard BU mailbox quota is 50 megabytes.

Setting Auto-Reply

Setting Auto-Reply

Auto-reply responds to incoming messages with a customized reply.

• Auto-reply continues to respond to your incoming mail until you specifically turn it off.
• The customized reply is sent only to messages addressed directly to you on either the To or Cc lines; messages sent through distribution lists or sent to you on the Bcc line are not replied to.

To start Auto-reply:

1. Click the Options link.
2. Then click Auto-reply to get to the Auto-reply page.
3. Select Yes for the Auto-reply to Messages option and enter the following data:
   • Subject line text of your reply. For example, "Out of the office until Aug. 28."
   • Message text of the reply. For example, "Please contact Joe Suny at x7777 with urgent issues."
   • Message Charset specifies the character set for your reply from the drop-down list. This selection overrides the character set specified by your preferences, if different.
4. Click Apply. You'll see a confirmation message saying that Auto-reply is started. The custom reply will be sent in response to incoming mail until you stop it.

Note: To discontinue auto-reply, select No for the Auto-reply to Messages option and click Apply. A confirmation message will tell you that auto-reply has been stopped.

Mail Forwarding

Mail Forwarding

• Use the Options > Forwarding page to set an address where mail coming into you should be redirected.
• You can specify one or more valid email addresses as destinations for your forwarded messages.

NOTE: Automatic forwarding does not save a copy of the message to your Inbox.