Virginmedia Email, which way to go?

[ChrisR]

We're using Virginmedia ISP so have email accounts with them, some blueyonder, some virginmedia. (They're all with Virgin, which bought blueyonder.)
So far have been using Outlook Express, which mostly works. (Sometimes get spurious password problems which just about get sorted out.)

We'd like to
1) migrate to a web based free email host like gmail
2) untie ourselves from Virgin, which will mean telling a lot of contacts over a period.

New Laptops which we have, come with Windows Live , which has some problems getting virgin/blueyonder emails.

So we'd appreciate suggestions for going forward.
I think:
If we stick with Windows Live for now, we could start using gmail and pick up all emails with WL.
Or might we be able to direct all Virgin emails to gmail?
Is there a very good free email client (OE is expensive!)

We're getting other problems - if one computer "sees" an email at Virgin. the others don't see it (in their inbox). I want them all to see it.
They're still on the Virgin Server ( it's set to not delete them).

Any helpful suggestions welcome.

 

[Monkeh]

Is there a very good free email client (OE is expensive!)

Outlook Express is free. But crap, and replaced by the even crappier Windows Mail.

Thunderbird

We're getting other problems - if one computer "sees" an email at Virgin. the others don't see it (in their inbox). I want them all to see it.
They're still on the Virgin Server ( it's set to not delete them).

It's no longer 'new', so it doesn't get fetched. Use IMAP, not POP3.

You can use Gmail to provide mail for any domain you own, as well as @gmail/googlemail addresses.

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks I'll look at that.
IMAP doesn't mean anything at the mo.. Errm, why's it better?

Maybe it's Outlook (non Express) they're flogging.

You can use Gmail to provide mail for any domain you own, as well as @gmail/googlemail addresses.

So If I currently use Fred(at)virginmedia.com I can get all received mail to appear on a google email inbox page, along with my new Fred(at)gmail.com ?

 

[mattylad]

I have used gmail since it came out, I can access it from anywhere and cannot remember having a problem ever.

Oh - I canalso use an offline client program to read my mail if I really need to.

 

[Monkeh]

Thanks I'll look at that.
IMAP doesn't mean anything at the mo.. Errm, why's it better?

https://support.google.com/mail/bin/static.py?hl=en&ts=1668960&page=ts.cs

You can use Gmail to provide mail for any domain you own, as well as @gmail/googlemail addresses.

So If I currently use Fred(at)virginmedia.com I can get all received mail to appear on a google email inbox page, along with my new Fred(at)gmail.com ?

No. You can purchase a domain ('fred.com') and use Gmail for addresses at that domain.

You may be able to have Virgin forward email to another account.

 

[TwoTrowels]

Thanks I'll look at that.
IMAP doesn't mean anything at the mo.. Errm, why's it better?

https://support.google.com/mail/bin/static.py?hl=en&ts=1668960&page=ts.cs

You can use Gmail to provide mail for any domain you own, as well as @gmail/googlemail addresses.

So If I currently use Fred(at)virginmedia.com I can get all received mail to appear on a google email inbox page, along with my new Fred(at)gmail.com ?

No. You can purchase a domain ('fred.com') and use Gmail for addresses at that domain.

You may be able to have Virgin forward email to another account.

Incorrect. You can get gmail to fetch email from any account you own. It will certainly display fred(at)virginmedia.com once you have provided the password etc to prove it's your address. It's a simple process to set up and as with everything with gmail it works well.

 

[Monkeh]

Incorrect. You can get gmail to fetch email from any account you own. It will certainly display fred(at)virginmedia.com once you have provided the password etc to prove it's your address. It's a simple process to set up and as with everything with gmail it works well.

Good point, I forgot about that. I don't use such 'functionality', and it's not what I was suggesting. It won't allow checking the spam box, either.

It's also kinda pointless if you want to use a local mail client. Unless you like adding complexity.

 

[ChrisR]

Have spent forever on an 0845 to a guy in an Indian callcentre, finding a workaround or two and asking why the fellow wouldn't answer the question I was actually asking... I'll assume things work, don't quite have the energy to test things just now!

--

OK, so I download Thunderbox to a desktop and a couple of laptops, but if they're all switched on I won't be able to see all incoming emails on any one of the three, without logging on to eg virgin-webmail.com and google.com's mail.
That's causing me to frown,.. and what happens if I ever get a phone capable of receiving emails?
Leave the desktop on at home and I'll miss emails...?

I've heard of synchronizing - can that keep all the email clients inboxes & sentboxes with all the emails? How do people deal with that?

 

[Monkeh]

If you use IMAP they can all be on at once.

 

[ericmark]

With Outlook Express if you go to Internet Accounts high light the one you are sharing and go to Properties and then Advanced under Delivery you can select "Leave a cop of messages on server" and then select how many days to leave it there or remove when deleted etc. Unless this is set it will as default remove message from server.

Just checked with Live Mail and that is the same you need to go into Properties and then Advanced and click leave on server.

I have over the years had yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail and I have found some people can't receive emails sent with those systems. I will assume it is because all the free on line email systems are used for junk mail where the ones linked to an ISP are not used so much. I expect it's the way they have their junk mail settings but as the sender I have no control over their settings so I always use the ISP email for sending.

I do however give out the other addressed for them to send me email specially where it is only the rare email and I may have changed ISP before they sent the next one.

I receive yahoo, gmail, hotmail and talktalk all with Outlook Express with no problems. I have outlook but it just does too much I prefer to keep it simple.

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks Ericm

"Leave a copy of messages on server"

Yeah that's what I have , ie what I meant in first post.
They're still there on the server, but somehow there must be a "not seen yet " flag, so as Monkeh says

It's no longer 'new', so it doesn't get fetched. Use IMAP, not POP3.

I haven't had trouble with people not getting virginmedia/blueyonder emails, though I notice Windows Live started putting emails from me to me (different accounts) as Junk! It did ask though.
(If you buy a new pc you get Win7 and you don't get Outlook Express with it, by the way - that's what I thought you had to pay for but on reflection that's probably Outlook, which does a lot more.)

So - I have some more reading to do.
WIndows Live looks adequate, to be honest for now anyway. Not sure if I can use it with Imap. I know people like the Gmail extra features -
I guess (??) Thunderbox does similar things.
Question is whether to try to get it to work with Imap, or go to say Gmail as my email client.

I'm concerned about not being able to get emails while I cock things up, but I can always go to the webmail server.

I regularly send emails to a bunches of people. Does anyone else have experiences of them getting treated as spam , from gmail?