> 1. how come i'm able to use the same smtp on two different machines on the > home network without having to authenticate for smtp on the imap account?
It is possible that you're using a NAT router/gateway between your home network and your ISP? If so, the NAT address on the WAN side of your router serves both of your home computers. That address is the one that is known to the Qmail/Vpopmail server, not the different internal addresses. To the mail server, you're coming from the same address. To see ensure that your mail relay filters are working, go here: http://www.abuse.net/relay.html and follow the instructions for the anonymous test. -- Eric Ziegast