Gizmo Guide™: Determining Your Email Hosting and Setting Up an Email Client

Skill Level: Member

Estimated Time: 15-30 minutes

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of email addresses and domains
• Access to your email account credentials (if available)
• Access to a web browser and an internet connection

Tools Required:

• Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
• MXToolBox (https://mxtoolbox.com/)

Expected Outcome:

You will be able to:

1. Determine where your email is hosted.
2. Recover your email account if you’ve lost access.
3. Set up your email in popular clients like Gmail, Outlook, or Thunderbird.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Determining Where Your Email is Hosted

1. Check Your Email Domain Records with MXToolBox:
   • Go to MXToolBox.
   • In the search box, enter your email domain (e.g., example.com) and select “MX Lookup.”
   • Click “Check” to see a list of mail exchange (MX) records.
2. Review the Results:
   • If the MX records show entries like aspmx.l.google.com, your email is hosted with Google (Gmail or Google Workspace).
   • If the records show entries like outlook.com or hotmail.com, your email is hosted with Microsoft (Outlook/Office 365).
   • If you see records pointing to another hosting service (e.g., mail.examplehost.com), your email is hosted by that provider.
3. Confirm via Your Email Provider:
   • Log in to your email provider’s website to verify your email hosting (e.g., Google, Microsoft, or a third-party provider).

2. Recovering Your Email Password

If you can’t access your email account:

1. Go to Your Email Provider’s Login Page:
   • For Google: accounts.google.com
   • For Microsoft/Outlook: account.live.com/password/reset
   • For other providers, visit their login page.
2. Click “Forgot Password?”
   • Follow the prompts to reset your password using your backup email, phone number, or security questions.
3. Set a New Password:
   • Choose a strong password you haven’t used before.

3. Setting Up Your Email in Popular Clients

Gmail (Adding a Non-Gmail Account)

1. Open Gmail and go to Settings (gear icon) > See all settings.
2. Click the Accounts and Import tab.
3. Select Add a mail account.
4. Enter your email address and follow the prompts to set up your account with the correct settings (IMAP/POP).

Outlook

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Add Account.
2. Enter your email address and click Connect.
3. If prompted, enter your password and account settings (IMAP/POP).
4. Click Finish once the setup is complete.

Thunderbird

1. Open Thunderbird and go to Account Settings > Add Mail Account.
2. Enter your name, email address, and password.
3. Thunderbird will attempt to automatically detect settings. If not, enter your server settings manually (IMAP/POP).
4. Click Done to complete the setup.

4. Common Email Settings

If you need to enter settings manually, here are the common configurations:

• For Google (Gmail/Google Workspace):
  • IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com (Port 993, SSL)
  • SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com (Port 587, TLS)
• For Microsoft (Outlook/Office 365):
  • IMAP Server: outlook.office365.com (Port 993, SSL)
  • SMTP Server: smtp.office365.com (Port 587, TLS)

Tips for Success

1. Use Strong Passwords: Ensure your password is unique and secure.
2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA for extra security.
3. Keep Backup Recovery Options Updated: Ensure your backup email and phone number are current.

Need More Help?

If you’re still having issues, schedule a Remote Nerd Session™ or a Nerd Visit™ for hands-on support.

Contact Us:

• Phone: 865-622-2422
• Email: help@neighborhoodnerds.com