ISMail Setup: Basic Access Test

The Basic Access Test determines if your ISMail Servers can be accessed from the internet. The results can be used to troubleshoot access problems. You can (and should) run this check any time you think there may be a problem with internet connections to the ISMail Servers.

The basic access test does the following:

1. IP Address Lookup

Purpose: check that the IP address used to access the Servers is correct.

Result: OK, if the address displayed is the external IP address of the machine running the Servers, and if that machine is directly connected to the internet. Also OK, if the address displayed is the external (public) IP address of a firewall, router, or proxy server used to connect the machine running the Servers to the internet.

What to do: if OK, continue to next test. If you are unsure if the IP address is OK, continue to next test.

Troubleshooting:

If the machine running the Servers is directly connected to the internet, compare the IP address displayed to the address(es) listed by ISMail (roll your mouse over the ISMail icon at the bottom right of the screen). If there is no match, wait 2 minutes and repeat the test. If there is still no match, then the machine is either not connected directly to the internet, or the IP address is changing too rapidly to use the Servers.

If the machine running the Servers is connected to the internet through a firewall, router, or proxy server, check the external (public) address of the firewall system. If there is no match, then the IP address of the firewall system is changing too rapidly to use the Servers.

2. SMTP Server Test

Purpose: check that an SMTP server is running at the IP address found above.

Result: OK, if there is a good response to a simple SMTP connection request.

What to do: if OK, continue to next test.

If there is no response, then either the machine you are using to run this test does not have the SMTP server running, or else a firewall, router, or proxy server is interfering with access to the SMTP server. First check that the SMTP server is running. Make sure ISMail is running, then right-click the ISMail icon located at the bottom right of the screen and check if 'Stop Smtp' is darkened. If not select 'Start Smtp', Exit and re-run the Basic Access Test.

If the SMTP server is running and this test fails, check the configuration of your firewall, router or proxy server. It must pass requests for port 25 (SMTP) to the IP address of the machine running the SMTP server. Refer to the documentation for that system for detailed instructions on how to make any required configuration changes.

3. POP3 Server Test

Purpose: check that a POP3 server is running at the IP address above.

Result: OK, if there is a good response to a simple POP3 connection request.

What to do: if OK, continue to the next test.

If there was no response, then either the machine you are using to run this test does not have the POP3 server running, or else a firewall, router, or proxy server is interfering with access to the POP3 server. First check that the POP3 server is running. Make sure ISMail is running, then right-click the ISMail icon located at the bottom right of the screen and check if 'Stop Pop3' is darkened. If not select 'Start Pop3', Exit and re-run the Basic Access Test.

If the POP3 server is running and this test fails, check the configuration of your firewall, router or proxy server. It must pass requests for port 110 (POP3) to the IP address of the machine running the POP3 server. Refer to the documentation for that system for detailed instructions on how to make any required configuration

4. IMAP4 Server Test

Purpose: check that an IMAP4 server is running at the IP address above.

Result: OK, if there is a good response to a simple IMAP4 connection request.

What to do: if OK, continue to the next test.

If there was no response, then either the machine you are using to run this test does not have the IMAP4 server running, or else a firewall, router, or proxy server is interfering with access to the IMAP4 server. First check that the IMAP4 server is running. Make sure ISMail is running, then right-click the ISMail icon located at the bottom right of the screen and check if 'Stop IMAP' is darkened. If not select 'Start IMAP, Exit and re-run the Basic Access Test.

If the IMAP4 server is running and this test fails, check the configuration of your firewall, router or proxy server. It must pass requests for port 143 (IMAP4) to the IP address of the machine running the IMAP4 server. Refer to the documentation for that system for detailed instructions on how to make any required configuration

Note on Multiple Server Installations: ISMail can not be run on both a firewall and a system located behind the firewall at the same time (since both share one external IP address). Nor can it be run on multiple systems behind the same firewall (again, these systems share one external IP address). In these cases, the firewall check may incorrectly succeed if run from an ISMail system behind the firewall, and server behaviour is unpredictable (and probably not what you expected).