How to set up your system for SFF Net

Choose a help topic from this list:
(or use the Master Help Index)
   FAQs
   Test your network connection
   Software Setup Instructions
   New to SFF Net?
   Your SFF Net Account

   Newsgroups
   About the Newsgroups
   Using WebNews

   Email
   About SFF Net Email
   Using WebMail

   Chatrooms
   About the Chatrooms
   Using WebChat

   People Pages & Hosted Domains
   Your SFF Net People Page
   Your People Newsgroup
   Blogging Tools
   Hosted Domains

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Windows Software Setup Instructions

Opera
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.

Jump to Email Setup Instructions

Jump to Newsreader Setup Instructions

Email Setup Instructions

Start Opera and be sure the Panels View is active (choose View --> Panels from the menu).
Enable Panel View

Select Tools --> Mail and chat accounts from the menu.
Select Mail and chat accounts

The next screen you see depends on whether you already have another email account configured in Opera:

If you don't already have an email account set up, you'll be asked if you want to create one (say yes).

Create a new account? Just say Yes.

If you do have another email account set up, you'll see the Manage Accounts screen. Click the New button to start the New account wizard.

On the first New account wizard screen, choose Regular e-mail (POP) as the kind of account to create.

Choose to create a Regular e-mail (POP) account

Tell Opera what name and email address to use on your outgoing mail:

In the Real Name field, type in your name or nickname (not your email address).

In the E-mail address box type in your SFF Net email address (or, if you have a domain hosted by SFF Net, you may enter an email address from your domain, i.e. BettyB@mydomain.com).
IMPORTANT: If you plan to use SFF Net's servers to send outgoing mail, you MUST not set your E-mail address to anything except your @sff.net address (or an address @ your SFF Net-hosted domain) or your email will bounce.
Your screen should look similar to this before you proceed:

Set your name and email address

Enter your SFF Net username and password on the next screen:

Set your username and password

Next, you specify which servers to use for incoming and outgoing mail.

In the Incoming server field, enter pop3.sff.net.

In the Outgoing server field, enter smtp.sff.net
Your screen must look EXACTLY like this before you proceed:

Set the incoming and outgoing servers

When done, click the Finish button. Hang on, we're almost done.
Note: Opera will try to connect to the mail server at this time. Because we're not quite through with the setup, you may receive a Connection Error, and occasionally thereafter until we're done making all the configuration changes below. You can safely ignore these errors.

Once again, select Tools --> Mail and chat accounts from the menu.
Select Mail and chat accounts

This time, when on the Manage Accounts screen, highlight the @sff.net account we just created and click the Edit button to view the account properties.

Edit the account properties.

Click the Servers tab on the Account properties screen.
The Incoming POP Server section should already be filled out correctly with the pop3.sff.net server, Authentication type Auto, and your SFF Net username/password (double-check these with the sample pic below).
However, the Outgoing SMTP Server section will not be complete. You must edit the entries to include the following info:

Change the Port number to 587

Be sure the Authentication drop-down box has Auto selected. This is a critical setting since SFF Net's SMTP server requires authentication. If this setting is not correct, you will not be able to connect to the SFF Net mail outgoing mail server.

Enter your SFF Net username and password in the indicated fields.

Set the port settings and authenication method

This completes the email setup, and it's on to the newsreader instructions below. Click OK to save your configuration settings.
What's next?
Your SFF Net POP3 email box has a variety of extra features you can control, including:

Highly effective, configurable spam filters
Automatic virus and HTML script protection
Junk folder for reviewing spam caught by filters
Message preview before downloading
Email auto-forwarding
Automatic out-of-office replies

You can control these options using your web browser through our WebMail system. You'll want to read more about controlling your email box in the SFF Net Email section of the help system. What's next?
Your SFF Net POP3 email box has a variety of extra features you can control, including:

Highly effective, configurable spam filters
Automatic virus and HTML script protection
Junk folder for reviewing spam caught by filters
Message preview before downloading
Email auto-forwarding
Automatic out-of-office replies

You can control these options using your web browser through our WebMail system. You'll want to read more about controlling your email box in the SFF Net Email section of the help system.

Newsreader Setup Instructions
You must already have at least one email account set up in Opera in order to use the Newsreader function. If you haven't already done so, follow the Email Setup Instructions above to create an email account first.

Check to be sure the Panels View is active (choose View --> Panels from the menu).
Enable Panel View

Select Tools --> Mail and chat accounts from the menu and click the New button.
Select Mail and chat accounts

Click the New button on the Manage Accounts screen to start the New account wizard.

Create a new account? Just say Yes.

On the first New account wizard screen, choose News as the kind of account to create.

Choose to create a Regular e-mail (POP) account

Set the name and email address will appear on your newsgroup posts (note, these entries can be whatever you want to appear on the posts. Some folks like to obscure the email address to prevent spammers from automatically identifying email addresses to harvest from newsgroup posts (i.e. bettybREMOVE_TO_REPLY.@sff.net). Note, an obfuscated email address may cause problems sending email replies to newsgroup posts.
Your screen should look similar to this before you proceed:

Set your name and email address

Tell Opera which servers to use:

In the Incoming Server field, enter news.sff.net

In the Outgoing Server field, enter smtp.sff.net
Your screen should look EXACTLY like this before you proceed:

When done, click the Finish button. Yes, we're almost finished, but we've got a couple more things to change yet.
Note: Opera will try to connect to the news server at this time. Because we're not quite through with the setup, you may receive a Connection Error, and occasionally thereafter until we're done making all the configuration changes below. You can safely ignore these errors.

On the Subscribe to newsgroups screen, click the Account drop-down list and choose Properties:

Set your username and password

When done, click the Finish button. Hang on, we're almost done.
Note: Opera will try to connect to the mail server at this time. Because we're not quite through with the setup, you may receive a Connection Error at this time, and occasionally thereafter until we're done making all the configuration changes below. You can safely ignore these errors.

Click the Servers tab on the Account properties screen.
In the NNTP server section:

Change the Port number to 1119

Be sure the Authentication drop-down box has Auto selected. This is a critical setting since SFF Net's News server requires authentication to access the private areas.

If you have an SFF Net account, enter your SFF Net username and password in the indicated fields.

In the Outgoing SMTP Server section:

Change the Port number to 587

Be sure the Authentication drop-down box has Auto selected. This is a critical setting since SFF Net's SMTP server requires authentication. If this setting is not correct, you will not be able to connect to the SFF Net mail outgoing mail server.

Enter your SFF Net username and password in the indicated fields.
Click OK to save your configuration settings.

Opera Setup Screen

You're set to begin using the news server. Choose Mail --> Newsgroups to connect to choose which newsgroups you want to subscribe to.

On the Mail Panel, click on the "News at news.sff.net" item to toggle the display of your subscribed groups. Then, click on a newsgroup name to get a list of its message headers.
That's it! You're all set.

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