SMTP, POP3, and IMAP are usually set up in email clients. Instructions for the specific setup of these clients can be found in their documentation, or in the Help community tutorials center ⧉.
Note – community tutorials are current as of the publication date and may not apply to newer versions of the software described.
In this article, you will learn:
- What SMTP, POP3, and IMAP are used for
- How to set up email connection
- Common problems
- Frequently asked questions
SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols
These protocols are used for communication between mail clients and mail servers.
- SMTP is used to send mail from the web or a client to the mail server.
- POP3 (sometimes just POP) transfers mail from the mail server to the client; by default it deletes messages from the mail server.
- IMAP downloads mail from the mail server to the client; by default it leaves messages on the mail server.
Connection setup with mail servers
To set up the connection, you mainly need the addresses of the mail servers. You can find them in the Service addresses table in the hosting service detail by following these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration.
- In the top menu, select Hosting services Webhosting, WMS, WebSite, or Mailhosting.
- Select the service whose mail servers you want to find out.
Open detail:
In addition to the mail servers, you must also know the login name and password for the mailbox you want to connect.
- Login name is always the full email address including the domain, for example
ladik@wds-test.cz. - Password can be changed, if you do not know it or it does not work, according to the instructions Emails – Change mailbox password. After changing it, wait at least 15 minutes for the change to propagate through the system.
Sending mail
Using the SMTP server, you can send emails both from a client and from the web.
| Protocol | Ports | Security |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP(S) – client | 465, 587 | SSL/TLS, STARTTLS |
| SMTP(S) – web | 587 | TLS |
Receiving mail
For receiving mail, you can choose either the POP3 or IMAP protocol.
If the mail retrieval method you selected deletes emails from the server right away, there is no backup we could restore for you in the event of data loss!
| Protocol | Ports | Security |
|---|---|---|
| POP3(S) | 110, 995 | SSL/TLS, STARTTLS |
| IMAP(S) | 993, 143 | SSL/TLS, STARTTLS |
Common problems
Common problems with SMTP, POP3, and IMAP setup include:
Non-functioning connection to the mail server
Problem: It is not possible to connect to the SMTP, POP, or IMAP server.
Cause: The most common cause of failed connections to mail servers is using an outdated address and entering an incorrect username/password.
Solution: First, make sure that you are entering the correct server address (usually in the form wesX.smtp.wedos.net or wesX.imap.wedos.net, where X is a number), username, and password.
Addresses in the form smtp-12345.m67.wedos.net are outdated and servers with these addresses may stop operating without warning. Replace them with new addresses according to this guide!
Then try different combinations of ports and security. Try to change the password and log in with the new one after 15 minutes.
If that does not help either, go through the other settings of the email client (including ports and security), as well as the antivirus software and firewall of the device you are connecting from.
Downloading mail on multiple devices
Problem: Multiple devices/clients (for example a computer and a phone) are connected to the email, but only one or the other downloads mail.
Cause: Some email clients, in their default settings, delete messages downloaded from the server.
Solution: Check that all devices leave mail on the mail server (that is, they do not use POP, or they have specific instructions not to delete messages). The client cannot retrieve from the server a message that the one before it deleted during download.
Frequently asked questions
How exactly do I set up emails in my client?
Follow the official instructions for the given client; selected procedures can also be found in the Help community tutorials center ⧉.
Can I enter mail server addresses in the form smtp.domain.tld, where domain.tld is the name of my domain?
Yes, if you set the correct servers in the domain records of the CNAME type.
For POP3(S), I have the server wes1.imap.wedos.net listed. Is that correct?
Yes, both POP3 and IMAP connections go through the wesX.imap.wedos.net servers.