I just switched my provider to Comcast moving from AT&T DSL. I used the same mail server as at work and nothing had to change as I brought my laptop back and forth on the networks. Now, my outgoing mail server port has to change depending on whether I am home in the Comcast network or outside of it.

Is there a way to globally change ports for multiple accounts in outlook? I have searched and have come up empty. My alternative now is to manually change each account I want to send mail out on. Kind of a drag to do this for the 8 or so accounts that I monitor. Any ideas??

Which e-mail port(s) are different @ home & work? The POP3 side (i.e. RECEIVING mail) or the SMTP side (i.e. SENDING mail)? If it's the latter, I would simply setup 8 additional e-mail accounts in Outlook configured to SEND MAIL ONLY.

If it's both the POP3 and SMTP sides, an SSL solution connecting back to your home network may solve the issue too. I'll await for your response to the above before I re-research the SSL soltuion.

*EDIT* I think it's actually an SSH solution, not SSL.

I think the SSH solution will be the cleanest solution once it's properly configured.

The pre-requisites for this solution are:
1) A Linux Box or DD-WRT compatible broadband router
2) A Dynamic DNS service configured on your home network
3) An SSH Client (such as Putty)

• Article on configuring HTTP Tunnel over SSH for Windows
• Article for configuring POP3/SMTP Tunnel over SSH

Combining info from the two articles above should enable you to implement a working SSH tunnel from the office so that you don't need to reconfigure Outlook's ports each time.

*EDIT* Actually, if you go w/ a DD-WRT compatible router, an even easier solution is to setup the PPTP server on the router and establish a VPN connection from your workplace to your home router. Once VPN'd in, your laptop @ work will behave as if it's at home.

*EDIT2* Windows XP (and probably 98, NT, 2000, 2003, Vista, etc.) has a built in VPN client. Add a new network connection via the "Create Network Connection" wizard and choose option "Connect to the network at my workplace (VPN/Dialup)."

Diggler, yes it is only the send mail ports that need changing. POP works fine no matter what network. I thought about send mail only, but was hoping I had missed something obvious. It just means that when you hit reply, you then need to change the Account Drop-down in Outlook 2003. A kludge, but it would work.

Another option I just thought of but never tested out would be to setup a new PROFILE in Outlook. Have the new Profile use the same .PST file as the current profile, configured w/ the identical set of e-mail accounts, only each account has the adjusted SMTP port. The e-mail accounts should be configured to both SEND and RECEIVE e-mail, assuming of course you want to be able to receive e-mail while at work.

Thought of that one too, but the problem is that when the other profile starts, it does not show the other emails. It is really for different people sharing a computer with all separate accounts. I did not see a way to configure the profile to use the same .PST file.

I have Comcast but don't use their SMTP servers. I use the ones associated with my domain(s), such as smtp.xxxxxxxx.com on port 25 without any issues, so I wonder why you're having an issue. Maybe the port blocking is not universal throughout their network? I don't know. Anyway, sometimes 3rd party SMTP servers will have another port open to get around the port 25 blocking issue. I'd suggest checking with the IT people at work and see if an alternative SMTP port is available.

Issue is similar at work - they have SMTP for outside of the network use, but it does not function inside the network - the reverse of the Comcast problem.

Correct. A new profile, by default, will likely be assigned its own .PST file.

Or someone wanting to split up their business and person e-mail accounts.

I just discovered that you can COPY an existing profile. When doing so, it appears that the copied profile not only retains the same .PST file settings, but it also retains the configured E-MAIL accounts.

1) Open up Control Panel in "Classic View"
2) Click on "Mail"
3) That should open up a window labeled "Mail Setup - Outlook"
4) The third option in the window above is "Profiles." Click that button.
5) Make sure the existing profile (likely called "Outlook") is highlighted. Click the "Copy..." button.
6) Name the new profile something meaningful (i.e. "Outlook - Workplace") and click "OK"
7) Now click the radio button for "Prompt for a profile to be used" followed by the "Apply" button, followed by "OK"
8) Highlight the new profile (i.e. "Outlook - Workplace") and click the "Properties" button
9) In the next window, click the "E-mail Accounts..." button
10) Choose the option to "View or change existing e-mail accounts"
11) Modify all of your e-mail accounts to use the alternate SMTP port @ work
12) Click "Finish" when done modifying the e-mail accounts
13) Click "Close"
14) Click "OK"

That should do it.

Brilliant catch, that does appear to use the same files, but then when you switch profiles, the same emails download again - - Typical Microsoft.

Appreciate your assistance Diggler, but the best solution appears to be duplicate accounts that are send only. Occasionally I find "sent" messages that have not yet gone due to the port problem, I then change the accountg to be used and they go. I will probably get better as I get used to this. Did not realize how lucky that I was using the same ISP as work and how easy it was. Only had issues when I was on the road, and then it was webmail.

That's not exactly a Microsoft error. It's how POP3 works. An IMAP e-mail account likely wouldn't have the same issue. One way to eliminate this problem is to configure your POP3 e-mail accounts to delete mail off of the server as soon as they've downloaded the messages. However, doing so removes your ability to see those e-mail messages via the web interface once they've been downloaded into Outlook.

i was curious what ports you're using at home and which ports you're using at work? that will help identify which one is forcing you to use the non-standard port and maybe it's just a simple configuration problem?

also, if you're using a common smtp server (i.e. smtp.gmail.com), tell us that server and which ports you're using at work and at home and plenty of us here use comcast and might be able to diagnose it further.

//krunk (^_^x)

If it's ok for you to use your HOME SMTP SERVER on your laptop from both your HOME and WORK locations, there is a very clean way of solving this problem so that the ports can remain the same @ both HOME & WORK, provided you have a DD-WRT compatible router running at home:

1) Setup your DD-WRT router w/ a Dynamic DNS Service (like www.dyndns.com). Let's assume that you've registered it to domain wheel.dyndns.com

2) Determine the IP Address of your Comcast SMTP Server. Let's assume it's 11.22.33.44

3) Setup a PORT FORWARDING entry line in DD-WRT as follows:

Application: Comcast SMTP (or use an app name that makes more sense to you)
Port From: 30025 (or use a different port if you prefer)
Protocol: TCP
IP Address: 11.22.33.44 (plug in the actual IP address of Comcast's SMTP server)
Port To: 25 (or whatever port Comcast's SMTP server operates on)
Enable: [x]

Note: All of the settings above actually appear on a SINGLE LINE in the DD-WRT web interface.

4) In Outlook, configure all of your e-mail accounts to use SMTP host wheel.dyndns.com on port 30025.

Once configured, whether your laptop is at HOME, WORK, or WHEREVER, Outlook will connect to your DD-WRT router @ port 30025, where incoming requests on that port will get forwarded through the router to Comcast's SMTP Server (i.e. 11.22.33.44) @ port 25.

If port 30025 is blocked @ work, pick a more common (i.e. open) port number. Examples:

• 21 (ftp)
• 23 (telnet)
• 443 (https)
  .
  .
  .
• etc.

Diggler

Thanks diggler - this looks to be a great solution, but I will need to get a DD-WRT compatible router running at home. Logically this would get around the problem nicely. My double email solution is functioning, but I will keep my eye open for a DD-WRT compatible router. Any suggestions for a good one? Also, are you aware of any good wireless bridges. I have to add a replayTV unit to my network and it will no longer be able to directly connect to the network.

Personally, I use older models of Linksys WRT54G and WRT54GS routers (mine happen to be version 3 and lower, but v4 and lower are considered ideal). Currently Linksys is on v6, v7, or even higher of those routers, where those versions may no longer be DD-WRT compatible. The Linksys WRT54GL is fully compatible; however, it's more expensive than some other options. For example, not too long ago the Buffalo WHR-G54S was available for $25 AR @ CC but now appears to be $30 AR (also @ CC). That's still a great price for a DD-WRT compatible router (and far less expensive than what I paid a few years ago for my various Linksys routers).

For more info on DD-WRT and DD-WRT compatible routers, see the DD-WRT v23 SP2 thread.

A 2nd DD-WRT compatible router will do the trick. DD-WRT supports WDS (Wireless Distribution System) as well as CLIENT modes. In WDS mode, the 2nd router acts as both a wireless bridge and a wireless access point. In CLIENT MODE, the 2nd router acts as a wireless bridge only.

I've got three DD-WRT compatible routers setup in a WDS (w/ a VoIP adapter running over the WDS), and it works great.

Diggler

Thanks diggler, I picked up one of the routers at CC and was able to flash it with DD-WRT. I finally was able to get it to bridge to my Netgear Router. It was a lot cheaper than buying a separate bridge.

Now I may pick up another and try the connection fix for the Outlook. Thanks again for your help on this - I may still have some router configuration questions when I do that.

Agreed. A router capable of supporting CLIENT and/or WDS mode(s) is typically less expensive than an equivlanet Wifi bridge. If only the general public knew this -- manufacturers would lower the prices of Wifi bridges to maybe $20 - $25 (which is all they should retail for).

Which model Netgear Router do you have? Perhaps it supports CLIENT MODE connections too (in which case you can use your new Buffalo DD-WRT router as the primary & the Netgear as the Wifi Bridge).

It is an old WGT624v2.

You may actually be in luck. According to Seattle Wireless, the WGT624v2's telnet console can be enabled using a tool called TelnetEnable. An english version (formerly german only) HOW-TO page provides instructions for enabling CLIENT MODE on a WGT624v3; however, if the telnet console can be enabled on the v2 version, the same instructions will hopefully work on that version too.

If you succeed in getting the instructions to work, you won't need to purchase any additional hardware.

Note: The link in the "HOW-TO instruction page" to TelnetEnable is dead. The link I provided above is working as of this posting.