Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SMTP server?
An SMTP server is a program that receives e-mail messages from the e-mail
client program and forwards them to their destination. When you send messages
from your e-mail program, they are not delivered directly to the recipient.
Instead, they are first downloaded by an intermediary, i.e. an SMTP server,
which then ensures that they are sent to the right recipient. Every time
you send a message, there are four factors involved in the exchange:
- Your e-mail program
in which the message was generated
- SMTP server which
forwards the message to its correct destination
- Remote server that
receives the message from the SMTP server and from which the recipient
will subsequently download it
- E-mail program of
the recipient which downloads the message from the server.
PostCast Server is an SMTP server which can operate on any Windows-based
computer.
Why do I need it?
PostCast Server can replace your ISP's server and send messages in your
regular e-mail communication, as well as efficiently distribute newsletters
and deliver messages to different mailing lists. It is particularly optimized
for distribution of a large number of messages and its performance is
on an enviable level even with the slowest modem Internet connections.
What are its advantages? Here are some:
- Faster
message delivery
- Increased privacy
of messages
- Maximum flexibility
in the sending process
- No
dependence on the availability of your ISP's server
For more information, see this
page.
Who can use it?
PostCast Server operates on any Windows-based computer. It does not
utilize much of the computer resources and performs all its tasks in the
background, without disrupting the normal work on that computer. Here
is an example of who can use it and for which purpose:
- Any person using e-mail
on the Internet. If the ISP's SMTP server is replaced with PostCast Server,
the benefits will be numerous. For more details see this
page.
- e-Commerce companies
- to send notifications to their customers and subscribers.
- ISPs - to enable delivery
of messages to users from their Windows NT/2000 servers.
- Companies and individuals
who require fast delivery
of their newsletters.
Is PostCast Server a 'SpyWare'?
No. The program does not jeopardize your system in any way. 'SpyWare'
is any program that collects and sends information from your computer
without your explicit permission. Many 'freeware' programs supported by
displaying banner ads transmit information about the user's Web surfing
habits back to the software company.
There is a free program called OptOut which removes detected SpyWare
programs from your computer. You can download the program and find many
valuable security related information at the Steve Gibson's
web site.
You can find a complete list of free anti-spyware tools at this location:
http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/security/fwantispy.html
There are also a number of applications that let you monitor TCP and
UDP network activity on your computer. I can recommend TCPView Pro, available
from Winternals Software.
The program connects to remote ports 53 for DNS resolution and 25 for
SMTP communication. It also uses standard HTTP connection if you enable
'Automatically check for updates' check box in the Settings window to
connect to the postcastserver.com server and check for updates. It periodically
downloads a text file which contains information about the latest version
from: http://www.postcastserver.com/html/updates/upinfo.ini
How much time does it take to get the program ready for
operation?
You can easily start sending messages using PostCast Server very soon
after its installation. The program supports all e-mail programs, so that
it is not necessary to change the way you are working with e-mail. You
can still do the same things with your favorite e-mail program.
All you have to do to get your program ready for operation is to change
the SMTP server address in your e-mail program. For more information,
see this page.
Is any previous knowledge necessary?
No. If you know how to send messages with the e-mail program you already
use, you will also know how to use PostCast Server. No additional knowledge
is required.
Can the server be accessed from the Internet or LAN?
The program can accept connections from the Internet
or LAN, thus opening
up a number of possibilities. If you install it on your company's server
computer that is directly connected to the Internet, all employees will
be able to send e-mail messages through it.
The program can also send messages to LAN addresses in which case every
e-mail must be addressed using the following format: User@IP or User@Computer.
How to send messages to my mailing list and which option
in the program to use?
PostCast Server is a server program. It is not intended for generating
and sending messages
to mailing lists. The program has been designed for stable, secure
and fast delivery of already prepared messages directly from your computer
without the help of your ISP's mail server.
To generate and deliver messages to PostCast Server, you should use
some external e-mail program designed for such purpose. I would warmly
recommend the use of PostCast, my program that preceded
PostCast Server. This program will automate the entire process of sending
messages, creating a subscriber database from your mailing list, importing
order information into your database, as well as many other things. The
program is specially designed for sending personalized messages to recipients
from your list, and when used in combination with PostCast Server, it
provides an excellent solution.
See this page
for more information about sending messages to multiple recipients.
Do I need a permanent Internet connection to use the
program?
No. PostCast Server works with any Internet connection. It will also
work if you are connected to the Internet via modem and dial-up networking.
In that case, it can, if necessary, connect
to and disconnect from your ISP automatically.
Do I need Windows NT or Unix to be able to use PostCast
Server?
PostCast Server is a Windows program that can operate on any Windows
platform. For a complete list of supported operating systems, see this
page.
If the program can completely replace ISP's server,
why do I have to enter the DNS server address?
PostCast Server does replace the SMTP server. The DNS server, however,
has nothing to do with the process of message delivery. It just serves
to turn the IP address into the domain name and vice versa. That is all.
You do not jeopardize your ISP's DNS server in any way when you enter
its address in the program. The DNS server is used by your web browser
and by every other Internet program you use.
The Professional
Edition of the program has a DNS Caching
feature that caches all DNS requests locally and greatly improves the
sending speed. |