(or use the Master Help Index)
FAQs
Test your network connection
Software Setup Instructions
New to SFF Net?
Your SFF Net Account
About the Newsgroups
Using WebNews
About SFF Net Email
Using WebMail
About the Chatrooms
Using WebChat
Your SFF Net People Page
Your People Newsgroup
Blogging Tools
Hosted Domains
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Outlook Express (Windows Mail) Version 4x and later Newsreader Setup
- Start Outlook Express and select Tools -> Accounts from the menu.
- If the Internet Connection Wizard didn't start automatically in Step 1, change to the News tab, click on
the Add button and then click on News.
- On the Your Name screen, type in the name or nickname you'd use to sign a regular letter (not your email address). Your screen
should look similar to the following before you proceed:
- On the Internet News E-mail Address: screen, type in the email address you want to appear on your newsgroup postings.
If you don't want news group users to know your email address, you can enter a fake email name. This setting is for newsgroup display only, and does not affect Outlook Express's ability to send and receive email.
Your screen should look similar to the following before you proceed:
- On the Internet News Server Name screen, type in "news.sff.net" in the News (NNTP) server: box. Be sure
the My news server requires me to log on box is checked.
Your screen entries must look exactly like the following before you proceed:
- At the beginning, we said you'd need your SFF Net username and password handy. Get them now. On the Internet News Server Logon screen,
enter your SFF Net username (not your email address) in the Account Name:
box, and your SFF Net password in the Password: box. See the Secret Handshakes page
for more information.
Your screen should look similar to the following before you proceed:
- If your version of the software asks you for a Friendly Name pick any name you want to identify your SFF Net account. We suggest "SFF Net News" or you may accept the default name.
- If your version of the software asks you to select a Connection Type, choose the method you use to access the Internet. For example:
- Click Finish on the Congratulations window to save your basic News configuration.
However, don't celebrate just yet. We've got just one more configuration setting to make.
- Go back to the main Outlook Express menu and select Tools -> Accounts from the menu again.
- Click the News tab and highlight the news.sff.net account we just created. Click the Properties button
to display the detailed settings for the news.sff.net account.
- Click the Advanced tab and change the default NNTP Server Port Number from 119 to 1119. Your entry must look exactly
like the screenshot below before clicking Apply to save your changes and closing out all of the Account windows.
Hooray! You're now all set up for SFF Net newsreading. Have Outlook Express download the complete list of newsgroups, pick the ones to which you'd like to subscribe and grab some messages! We recommend that you always stay subscribed to the sff.admin.announce and sff.admin.help-desk newsgroups, since this is where important system announcements and important user information is posted.
Visit the Outlook Express Email Setup page if you want to setup Outlook Express to access your SFF Net mail account.
Download this software
Please have your SFF Net username, password and SFF Net Email address handy (they were included in your original signup confirmation email). You'll need them to complete these instructions.
- Start Internet News from the Programs menu and choose News from the menu bar.
- Click Options from the News menu. Click on the Server tab at the top of the Options window.
- Click on the Add button and you will see the News Server Properties window.
- In the News Server Name box type news.sff.net.
- Click on the Set as Default button.
- Put a checkmark in This server requires me to logon box.
- Type in your SFF Net username in the Account Name box (i.e. bettyb).
- Type in your SFF Net password in the Password box.
Your screen should look similar to the following before you proceed:
- If you use a modem to access SFF Net, click on the Connection tab and select the I use a modem to access newsgroups radio button.
- Below the box that reads Use the following Dial-Up Networking connection, you
should see your ISP dial-up connection listed. Your screen should look similar to
the following before you proceed:
- In the Name box on the Options page, enter your name or nickname.
- In the Email Address box enter your SFF Net Email address.
Your screen should look similar to the following before you proceed:
- Click OK to save your Internet News configuration settings.
Outlook Express Version 3.x Internet News Setup
Note: If your ISP (such as Mindspring and others) has blocked your ability to use the normal SMTP port 25 as an anti-spam measure, you should change Outlook Express to use the alternate port 587 when connecting to smtp.sff.net. To do this, pull up Tools-->Accounts from the Outlook Express menu. Select the Mail tab and double-click the SFF Net email account you just created to view its Properties.
You'll find the setting that controls the SMTP port on the Advanced Tab. Change the SMTP port to 587. Your screen should look like this before you proceed:
