Authenticated SMTP is a security protocol which uses your login information to verify who you are when you send e-mail. This helps us protect our mail server from being abused by spammers and computer viruses, allowing the server to do its work quickly and efficiently. In addition, since the mail server knows who you are, you can send e-mail though it from any dialup or other connection, anywhere. Even the coffee shop.

SSL is an OPTIONAL security protocol which uses encryption to protect your login and other sensitive information between your computer and our servers. While we recommend using SSL to encrypt your connection to the mail server, it is not required. Enabling SSL may cause unnecessary problems authenticating to our servers. If you experience problems authenticating, disable SSL encryption and please notify support about your problem. Be sure to include what e-mail program and version you're using so that we know which programs are not working with our servers.

To configure Thunderbird to use authenticated SMTP and/or SSL, start by pulling down the "Tools" menu, then select "Account Settings..."

Click on "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" from the list on the left side of the window.

If your Outgoing Server Name is currently set to either "mail.bitstream.net" or "smtp.goldengate.net", then change it to "smtp.iphouse.com". Only change the Outgoing Server Name, your e-mail address does not change.

If your Outgoing Server Name is set to something other than "smtp.iphouse.com", then you are NOT using our mail server to send e-mail and you should NOT change any settings. Ignore the remainder of these instructions.

Check the box next to "Use name and password". Enter your e-mail address as your User Name. Thunderbird will prompt you for your password when you send a message.

To configure Thunderbird to use SSL when sending e-mail, check the box next to "TLS, if available".

To configure Thunderbird to use SSL when retrieving e-mail, find your existing e-mail account in the list on the left side of the window, then click on "Server Settings" immediately below it.

(If there is no item named "Server Settings" immediately below the account name, you may need to click on the small triangle to the left of the account name to open it.)

Check the box next to "Use secure connection (SSL)".

Finally, click on the "OK" button at the bottom of the window to finish setting up your e-mail account.