WebbyPOP


Function

Acts as a gateway between POP3 client programs and a Web based email server. Currently MailCity and HotMail are the only two supported servers. NB Attachments are not supported for either receiving or sending.


Requirements

If you obtained this distribution from Simtel or some other site where the distribution does not include 
the VB6 run-time modules, you will need to obtain them. They be found at ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/dll/simvb6-2.zip

A working account on either MailCity or HotMail

A POP3/SMTP based email client program (eg MS Outlook Express.)


Status

WebbyPOP is at v0.15.

WebbyPOP is currently Freeware.


Important

Most email client programs by default download all email from the POP server and then delete the email from the server. This may be inappropriate for two reasons:

1) Removing all the email from the server to a local machine, negates one of the advantages of web based email servers, ie being able to access your email from any location.
2) WebbyPOP is beta software and if there are still bugs in the program you may end up losing all your email.

What I advise, is to make sure that the settings on your client software specify that email should not be deleted from the server. Having said that I have found some client software to be buggy in this form of operation. Though not in a dangerous capacity, only that new email is reported each time a check is made. The software does not seem to be able to determine old email from new email on the server, it assumes all email on the server is new email.

An alternative to this deletion danger is to run in 'Fake Delete' mode. WebbyPOP will only pretend to perform deletions, and in future requests made by the client software, WebbyPOP will pretend that the email no longer exists. This means it is up to the user to maintain their web server inbox by periodically visiting their inbox web page and manually making deletions.


Quick Start

Within your email client, set your logon name and return email address, as per normal. In fact the values don't matter since you shall be setting the true logon information in the WebbyPOP program. These two values (your logon name and return address, will only be used as an identifier to WebbyPOP for POP3 and SMTP connections, respectfully.)

Set the POP3 and SMTP server addresses in your email client software to the address of the machine that is running WebbyPOP, if you are using the same computer for WebbyPOP and the email client you should be able to use 127.0.0.1.

If you can find a timeout setting in your email software set it to at least 90 seconds. The web servers generally take a lot longer to respond than POP servers.

Start WebbyPOP.

Attempt to make a POP3 connection (eg check for new email.) An error should be reported.

Attempt to send an email. An error should be reported.

Using the WebbyPOP program, click on Accounts. You will now be requested for your account information for connecting to your web email account. Enter your logon name, password, whether you are using MailCity or HotMail, and whether your client program supports email with HTML or only text. Click Assign and you should be prompted for your SMTP connection information. Usually, this will be the same as for your POP3 connection, but if you need to, you can use one account for sending and one account for receiving email.

Everything should now be operational.

Go back to your email client and attempt to access your inbox and/or send some email.


Multiple Accounts

As you have already seen you can have different accounts for receiving and sending email. You can also have multiple accounts for sending and multiple accounts for receiving if you so wish and your client software supports it. (MS Outlook Express, for one, does.) All you need to do is make sure that for each account set up on your client software there is a different logon name a different return address. The first time you use the new settings an error will be reported, as for the first account, and as such the procedure for setting up the WebbyPOP account details should be repeated.

If you don't want to go through the send, error, set up loop, you can go directly to WebbyPOP and set the account details that you will be using. In this case you will need to enter the logon and return address information manually.


Cache

There are two cache settings available.
1) Cache accounts. This allows WebbyPOP to maintain email header information locally. This setting does not effect the operation of HotMail accounts but should make large MailCity accounts faster. The only reason to activate this setting is that it is possible for WebbyPOP to become out of sync with a MailCity account if a manual alteration is made to the inbox which is not detected by WebbyPOP. This is unlikely to occur.
2) Cache Email. This allows WebbyPOP to keep a cache of downloaded email. If the client requests an email that has already been downloaded then there is no need to re-fetch the email. The obvious disadvantage with this setting is that it uses extra disk space.


HTML v Text

Web server accounts keep the email formatted with HTML. If the client software does not support HTML then WebbyPOP will attempt to pull out the text from the HTML. However, doing this may loose some of the email's formatting.


Limits

Only one connection at a time is supported, though WebbyPOP may accept more that one simultaneously. This function is not yet supported.

Attachments are not supported for either receiving or sending. Also relatively large messages may not work. I would be interested in having feed-back on what relatively large means.

Some clients seem to be very fussy about date formats. Netscape Messenger is one that does not seem to like WebbyPOP's interpretation of a date.


Problems

If you can not get WebbyPOP to work, the first thing to check is that you can connect to your Web email server using the traditional route, ie with a browser. I have found that sometimes they are very slow at responding, giving frequent timeouts. Check my home page for an update to WebbyPOP. If you are still having problems with WebbyPOP please send me an email, with as much information as possible.


Changes

3rd June 1999 v0.15
Fixed WebbyPOP to work with HotMail post IE5 launch
Fixed MailCity send bug


3 April 1999 v0.14
Trace facility added (email author on how to start it)

22 March 1999 v0.13
Bug fixes in the accounts administration functions
Fixes to reflect changes at MailCity and HotMail

12 March 1999 v0.12
Installation settings fixed
Various bug fixes


Contact

Bob Nicholls
Bob.nicholls@mailcity.com
http://jump.to/bob_nicholls  (check here for the latest news on new versions)


Disclaimer

As usual with freeware and shareware, user beware. The author takes no responsibility for any negative 
effects caused to animate or inanimate objects from the use of this software.
