Hi Tom, thanks for the explanation. I think the best thing to do is to
actually try it out with my proxy server, which I'll be using at university,
and if it doesn't work, then well, it doesn't work. However, since I'll be
using wireless ethernet for internet access on the university campus, Keyweb
should be quite stable with that connection, more stable than a GPRS
connection over bluetooth, I hope. I'm aware of those issues, so don't bore
me on that one <smiles>. Thanks again, greatly appreciated.
Chris Hallsworth
BrailleNote mPower user
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Lange" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Chris Hallsworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "BrailleNote List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Keymail and proxy connections
Hi,
Chris writes:
Oh wow! So how come traditional e-mail clients, like Outlook Express on a
Windows PC, don't work through a proxy connection? I'm very curious now!
Is it because of what I suggested earlier, because it's a PDA and
therefore not a traditional PC? Thanks in advance!
Here's my explanation of how things work, and someone can correct me if
I'm wrong on this. It's going to get rather long-winded, so stay with me
on this one.
The use of a proxy server really has more to do with delivery of web
content than it does e-mail delivery.
When you set up your Internet connection on a PC or a BrailleNote, you get
to a point where you're asked whether or not you'll be using a proxy
server. Ordinarily, any connections between you and a web site are
point-to-point, in which your web browser requests data from the web site
and the data is sent straight to you. On a campus or corporate network
where you use a proxy server, the content isn't requested by you and your
web browser, but rather by the proxy server, which, in effect, acts as a
go-between. Content is delivered to you by proxy. If the proxy server
decides that certain sites such as game sites, music sites, porn sites et
cetera are off-limits because of potentially harmful content, you won't
see that content even though you've requested it. End of story.
Now, here's where your confusion seems to be. When you configure an
e-mail account on a BrailleNote or a PC, you're asked about your user
data, i.e. username and password, and your inbound and outbound mail
servers. You may be asked whether or not the outbound (SMTP) server
requires authentication, meaning that before you can send mail out, the
SMTP server needs to know that you are who you say you are, thus keeping
Joe Schmoe down the street from using your SMTP server when he shouldn't
be. In the case of SSL, the inbound (POP) and outbound (SMTP) servers
send and receive data through secure ports, using encryption so that the
connection can't be hacked and your e-mail intercepted by Joe Schmoe down
the street. The issue of proxy servers doesn't really enter into it,
except insofar as it concerns how you connect to the internet itself, i.e.
through a dialup, DSL, cable or LAN connection on a campus or corporate
network. If you look at your account settings in Outlook Express, you'll
see a connection tab, which lets you specify how this is done. You tell
Outlook Express that you'll be using a previously established connection
configuration, be it dialup, DSL, cable or other network connection to get
out to the Internet. The same is true for the BrailleNote, but with an
important difference. Every time you ask to send or receive e-mail,
you're asked which e-mail account to use and which connection
configuration to use.
I hope this clears things up for you, albeit in a long-winded, somewhat
geeky caffeine-induced manner.
Cheers!
Tom
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