Setting up Microsoft Outlook Express for Secure SMTP Authentication

Introduction

This Web page provides instructions on how to configure Microsoft Outlook Express to securely authenticate your outbound (SMTP) email at MIT. It assumes that you are already a user of Microsoft Outlook Express and have successfully configured settings to send and receive email using IMAP.

For step-by-step directions on how to configure Outlook Express to send and receive email at MIT, see the full set of instructions for Setting up Microsoft Outlook Express for Use with IMAP.

Note: The example "screen capture" images provided below were taken in Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Steps and screens will be similar for other versions of Outlook Express, although they may not be exactly the same as detailed here.

[Back to top]

---

Configure Microsoft Outlook Express

1. Open Microsoft Outlook Express and and go to Tools>Accounts.
   Result: A dialog opens containing information about the various default Internet accounts provided with Outlook Express along with the account for your MIT post office server ('po12.mit.edu' in the example below).
   
   
   
   
2. Double click on the account for your MIT post office server or highlight the account (as illustrated above) and click the Properties button.
   Result: The Properties dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Servers tab then check the checkbox labeled My server requires authentication. You do not need to click the Settings button here.
   
   
   
   
4. Click the Advanced tab, then select the checkboxes for This server requires a secure connection under both Outgoing mail (SMTP) and Incoming mail (IMAP). Leave the Incoming mail port at its default of 993, but change the Outgoing mail port from 25 to 465.
   Result: Both checkboxes are checked and the Outgoing mail (SMTP) port has been set to 465. Your screen looks similar to the illustration below.
   
   
   
   
   

   Note: In the unlikely event that port 465 should fail (after you have completed this procedure and try to send email), IS&T recommends that you try port 587. Some users have been successful in sending authenticated outgoing email at MIT via port 587 in lieu of 465.

   
   
5. Click OK, then Close.
   Result: Microsoft Outlook Express is now configured for Secure SMTP. You can confirm that secure outbound SMTP has been properly configured by sending yourself a test message and confirming that mail headers contain the appropriate information.
   
   

   [Back to top]