Working with different ISP's(dial-up connectivity)

Introduction

"Rainmail Server" allows you to connect to Internet using multiple ISPs. This is very important if you need immediate access to Internet and one of your ISPs is down. To work with multiple ISPs, you will need to create profiles for each. An ISP profile will contain all the information required to connect to Internet using that ISP. "Rainmail Server" configuration program allows you create and maintain different ISP profiles. The different operations allowed by "Rainmail Server" are :

In the following sections, we will look at how to add/delete/select ISP profiles using "Rainmail Server" configuration program for the dial-up connectivity.

Adding an ISP Profile

This section explains how to add a new ISP profile. Run the configuration program and choose "Add ISP Profile" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Enter the new profile name in "Profile Name" field and press "Add". You will need to enter all your ISP specific details for this profile before you can connect to internet using this ISP.

Deleting an ISP Profile

This section explains how to delete an ISP profile. Run the configuration program and choose "Delete ISP Profile" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the profile name that should be deleted using the "Profile Name" field and press "Delete". All the details associated with this profile will be automatically deleted.

Selecting a default ISP Profile

This section explains how to make "Rainmail Server" connect to Internet using a given ISP. Run the configuration program and choose "Select Default Profile" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select name of ISP you want to connect with using "Profile Name" field and press "Set". If details associated with this profile have not been filled in, the system will display an error message. You will have to fill in all the missing details before you can connect using this profile.

ISP Configuration changes(dial-up connectivity)

ISP Configuration: Changing Telephone Number to Dial

This section explains how to change the telephone number used to dial up your ISP. Run the configuration program and choose "Change ISP Dial-Out Number" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. Enter the new telephone number in "Telephone Number" field and press "Add". When "Rainmail Server" dials up your ISP the next time, this new number will be used.

ISP Configuration: Deleting telephone numbers

This section explains how to delete the telephone number used to dial up your ISP. Run the configuration program and choose "Delete ISP Dial-Out Number" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile you want to delete the setting from the Combo box. Enter the new telephone number in "Telephone Number" field and press "Delete". All the details associated with this profile will be automatically deleted.

ISP Configuration: Changing Account Name

This section explains how to change your ISP account name. Run the configuration program and choose "Change ISP Login Name" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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In the above screen, Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. Enter your new account name in "ISP User ID" field and press "Change". This account name will be used the next time "Rainmail Server" dials up your ISP.

ISP Configuration: Changing Account Password

This section explains how to change your ISP account password. Run the configuration program and choose "Change ISP Login Password" on the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. Enter the current password in the "Present Password" field. Enter the new password twice, once in "ISP User Password" field and once in "ISP Confirm Password" field. Press "Change" button. This new password will be used when "Rainmail Server" connects to your ISP the next time.

ISP Configuration: Changing DNS Addresses

This section explains how to change the DNS addresses used by your ISP. DNS is a service that maps names to IP addresses. Each ISP has its DNS servers. You will have to provide the addresses of these DNS servers provided by ISP to connect to Internet.

You will need to change these parameters if your ISP is getting new DNS addresses or if you are moving from one ISP to another. To change this setting, open the configuration program and select "Change ISP DNS Addresses" from the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. Enter the IP addresses of your new DNS Servers in the "ISP Primary DNS" and "ISP Secondary DNS" fields. Press "Change" button to accept this setting.

ISP Configuration: Changing Mail Relay Host

Each ISP has a mail relay host. This relay host forwards your outgoing mails to appropriate hosts on the Internet. "Rainmail Server" uses this relay host to send your outgoing mails and therefore requires its IP address.

Once set, this value normally does not change unless

To change this value, open the configuration program and choose "Change ISP Mail Server" from the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. Enter the IP address of your ISP mail relay host in the "ISP SMTP Address" field. Press "Change" to accept this setting. This new setting will be used the next time "Rainmail Server" sends out all your outgoing mails.

ISP Configuration: Changing Authentication Method

ISP's verify that you are an authorized user using one of the three following protocols:

"Rainmail Server" supports authentication using "Login" and "PAP" protocols.

In the "Login" process, the ISP sends you a pre-defined string that prompts you for an account name (usually ends with "Username:"). At this point, you are expected to enter your account name. Upon receiving this information, the ISP sends some string that prompts you for a password (usually ends with "Password:"). At this point user enters the password. If the account and password entered are correct, ISP then displays a prompt (usually ends with ">"). You are expected to type in "ppp" and continue with the session.

In the "PAP" process, the PPP process starts up at both the ends. The process at your end starts throwing PPP frames that have your account name and password. The PPP process at the other ends reads it and uses this information to authenticate you. No information other than your account name and password is required.

Most ISP's support "PAP". If your ISP supports "PAP", you do not have to do anything ("Rainmail Server" authenticates using "PAP" by default). If your ISP supports only "Login", you will have to find out the exact prompts after which you have to enter the account name, password and the string "ppp".

To change the way you want "Rainmail Server" to authenticate to your ISP, run the configuration program. Select "Change ISP Authentication" from the left-hand side. That will bring up the following screen:

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Select the name of the ISP Profile for which you want to change the setting from the Combo box. To authenticate using PAP, just click on the "PAP" radio button. To authenticate using "Login", click on "Login" radio button and enter the expected prompts (if different from defaults). Press "Change" to accept the new setting. These settings will be effective the next time "Rainmail Server" dials up your ISP.