Email client settings - secure connection

[jessejazza]

Be grateful if someone could advise please. The settings for AIM email (AOL Instant Messenger email) don't seem to correspond with the secure connection pop - 995 and smtp -465 [587]. I have been able to download email using pop -110 and smtp - 25. But one should be able to use the secure settings as with yahoo and gmail.

The fact that i was able to use 110 and 25 suggests that AIM servers don't recognise secure connections - IS THIS in fact the case.

What does this mean in practice? - that one's email could be intercepted and thus insecure. [AOL seem very responsible in other aspects can they have overlooked this!]

thanks

[bob3160]

avast! doesn't directly support SSL. There is a bypass by using stunnel
A search of this forum will also reveal many examples.
Hope this helps. 

[jessejazza]

Well thanks Bob.

But that was not what i was asking - i know about Stunnel.

[DavidR]

AOHell don't seem to do 'anything' like the rest of the world, but you can't send email to ports that they don't support, e.g. listed in their email set-up/support.

Their email client is proprietary so I wouldn't doubt that AIM is any different in that regard, for years the took great lengths so other IM applications couldn't integrate with AIM.

It is possible to use the port 110 and 25 using SSL by setting the option in your settings, see image, example for Outlook Express.

However, those ports aren't the recommended ports as it screws up avast it can't play with SSL but because it uses the pop3 and smtp ports avast tries to scan it and can't so the email fails. Also AOHell's servers also need to be set-up to accept it.

The best people to ask is AOHell.

[jessejazza]

Thanks for your reply. 'AOhelL' don't actually state what ports to use - only the pop and smtp. The ports i simply tried and when 995 and 465 didn't work i tried 110 and 25. BUT what i don't understand is that if 110 and 25 are used so that the connection is NOT SECURE - is this how one can lose emails (either by them being intercepted or...)? AOL like Yahoo aren't very helpful or have a support forum. I didn't want to ask this group but i did at least put it in a general section!!

{I didn't say [apologies] that i leave out email scanning (deactivated that facility - i manually scan the "mail" directory in Thunderbird and then copy to another drive which i found better for me).}

This is not my main email but i have an AIM email as i use their Instant Messenger and have yahoogroup mail delivered there.

thanks

[DavidR]

You can't simply lose emails but they may travel through a number of email servers so could be intercepted and read but it would be unlikely that they would be deleted, that would kind of jive the game away.

I have never used SSL email and I'm not overly concerned about the fact that it isn't secure. I work on the principal that anything I put in an email could be read so confidential/sensitive contents could be put into an attached zip file which should be password protected.

For email there is always gmail which uses SSL for transmission of pop3/smtp email, though this can't be scanned by avast without something like STunnel. It can also be viewed using webmail with your browser, both of these options would also give you some independence from AOHell (assuming your ISP is AOHell), but you would have to use a different email client like Thunderbird that you are using.

I would advise allowing avast to scan your inbound email in tbird as it is being scanned 'before' it gets into your inbox so can easily be dealt with if infected. Manual scanning can have an element of risk as it is effectively scanning an active email folder/file which could result in the corruption or deletion of the email file with the possible loss of all emails contained in it.

[jessejazza]

The best people to ask is AOHell.

AOL are a bit like Yahoo impossible to get any response from. I just have an AIM email address because i use it for IM and my newsgroups [i get so many that i keep them in a different email address from other emails]. I'd be interested to know why you're not too impressed with them. They were the first provider to provide server scanning and their IM i think is better than others. For voice AIM 5.9 is very good cf with others. I spoke to someone in the US few months ago and it was excellent considering that it's not VOIP. I'm shortly changing to Linux and was surprised to see that they have a Linux version. What does impress me again is their Photo provision (unlimited space) - much better than Photobucket, Yahoo and Gmail.

I've actually decided to make use of their 110/25 ports for auto scanning so i don't have to bother with sTunnel or webmail extension (for me a bitter experience as it lost emails and somehow created 3 files for email - others seem to have had similar problems). Some glitch on my m/c i've no doubt but i wouldn't risk it again. You can even use AOL for business use - prohibited in Gmail and Yahoo i noticed.

I just wish they'd have a UK server like yahoo's .co.uk so that one could have UK adverts rather than US ones.
thx

[DavidR]

Virtually everything that AOHell create (email client, browser, AIM) is proprietary making it difficult for other software (that is standards compliant) to interact with. For years AOHell took steps to ensure that those outside AOHell couldn't interact with their products.

You will notice that AIM isn't supported by the avast! Instant Messenger provider.

[bob3160]

You will notice that AIM isn't supported by the avast! Instant Messenger provider.

It is in my version David. 

[drhayden1]

You will notice that AIM isn't supported by the avast! Instant Messenger provider.

its in mine also

 

[DavidR]

Strange, I don't know how I missed it, perhaps looking for AOHell