E-Mail Help

• Security PopUp
• Problems with SSL
• Problems with WebMail Attachments
• Problems with Attachments in Email Client
• Spam
• Viruses
• Configuring Outlook / Outlook Express
• Configuring LDAP Address Book
• Still need help?  Contact Us

Security PopUp
Normal WebMail is secure.  Your username and password is passed in an encrypted session.  The certificate used to pass the credentials is a Linked Solutions Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate.  The certificate was not provided by Verisign® or other certificate authority but was created by Linked Solutions.  You may receive a pop up (below) that states that the certificate could not be verified by a certificate authority (like Verisign®)  Click OK to accept Linked Solutions 128 Bit encrypted certficate.

Problems with SSL
Linked Solutions uses a 128 bit SSL Certificate to secure WebMail and other portions of the web site.  Your web browser needs to support 128 bit SSL encryption.  Select "Help" => "About" in your web browser to display the encryption level.  Many browsers default to 40 bit encryption.  The "About" window normally includes a link to upgrade your browser encryption.  Please follow your browser instructions for upgrading to 128 bit encryption.

Problems with WebMail Attachments
The Linked Solutions WebMail component has a "known bug".  The mail server is behind a series of firewalls to protect it from the "elements" on the Internet.  The complex configuration allows the mail server to remain secure and to allow WebMail to be served up to even clients behind other corporate firewalls.  However there are problems with attachments while using SSL.  We have created an alternate link to get to WebMail without SSL to allow you access to attachments.  This method is not as secure, but allows you to get to attachments when away from your office or home.  We recommend you change your username and password more frequently when using this method.

Problems with Attachments in Email Client
In an effort to combat viruses, worms and Trojan applications, your email is filter for virus, SPAM and for unwanted attachments.  MANY of the attachment that have the POSSIBILITY of carrying a virus, worm or Trojan are deleted from both your INBOUND (to you) and OUTBOUND (from you) mail.  Many of those types of attachments are automatically or easily launched upon receiving them.  To protect you and your PC, they are deleted.  The list below contains the prohibited attachments.  One method of sending and receiving LEGITIMATE attachments of that type is to either change the extension (like from *.exe to *.ex_) or send it as a compress file (a zip file). Please contact us if you still experience difficulty.

BLOCKED ATTACHMENTS
*.ADE, *.ADP, *.BAS, *.BAT, *.CHM, *.CMD, *.COM, *.CPL, *.CRT, *.EXE, *.HLP, *.HTA, *.INF, *.INS, *.ISP, *.JS. *.JSE, *.LNK, *.MDB. *.MDE, *.MSC, *.MSI, *.MSP, *.MST, *.PCD, *.PIF, *.REG, *.SCR, *.SCT, *.SHS,  *.VB, *.VBE, *.VBS, *.WSC, *.WSF, *.WSH

SPAM
Spam or unsolicited junk email is a tremendous problem for everyone.  In an effort to save you from that problem, we do our best to filter all SPAM from your e-mail.  This is a complex process that does not guarantee 100%.  If SPAM filtering is to aggressive, it may filter LEGITIMATE email that you are expecting our would want.  If it is not aggressive enough, you begin again receiving the unwanted e-mail.  Please contact us if you are not receiving email you are expecting.  It may contain keywords that we filter spam by.  If you are receiving SPAM, you have two options. 

1. When you receive a spam, you have a choice to either just delete it and move on, or report it to the spam filter to help improve its performance. To report the spam select the message in your inbox, right-click and select "Forward as attachment." (If your email software doesn't support "Forward as attachment" simply forward the mail.)
   Address it to assp-spam@linkedsolutions.net and click send.
   You've done your duty and added the evil spam to the spam filter's collection.
    
2. Anyone you email will never have a message blocked.
3. Never email a spammer -- you validate their address authorizing them to spam us.
4. Don't forward spam  (except to assp-spam@linkedsolutions.net) to anyone else - it makes the spam filter think we like it.
5. The spam filter keeps track of mail we send and spam we receive -- if an incoming message is not from someone we've emailed and it's more like the mail we send than the spam we receive then it gets through. Otherwise it's blocked and the sender gets the message, "Mail appears to be unsolicited -- report errors to postmaster@linkedsolutions.net"
6. If you become aware that mail you want is being blocked send the sender an email so their mail isn't blocked any more.  It will add their address to our "white" or OK list.
7. Purchase or subscribe to a client side SPAM filtering tool.  This is software or a service that filters SPAM as it reaches your local email client.  They can be purchased online or at a local retail store.  Here are some online examples.  They vary in efficiency and complexity to install and configure.
   http://www.spampal.org/  (Free)
   http://www.spamnet.com/ ($3.99/month)
   http://www.spamnet.org/ ($19.95/month)

VIRUSES
Viruses, Worms and Trojans are a huge problem on the internet.  They are easily (and frequently) transmitted, often unknowingly, via email.  All INBOUND (to you) and OUTBOUND (from you) mail is scanned for viruses to protect you and those you send to from these programs.  Virus protection is updated frequently. HOWEVER it is up to you to have up to date ANTIVIRUS programs running on your local PC.  If you are found to be an unknowing "distributor" of viruses (ie your PC is infected) your account may be disabled until your PC is disinfected.
VIRUS - A program that runs on your local PC that does something malicious.  They frequently embed themselves within other legitimate programs virtually "infecting them"
WORM - A program that modifies itself and uses alternate methods of attacking and propagating itself to other computers.
TROJAN - A program that runs on your client giving unscrupulous people illegal access to your PC without you knowing it.

Outlook Setup - Getting Started
In your Outlook client, open the "Tools" menu and select the "Accounts" option.

In the Account Options window, select the "Mail" tab at the top and click the "Add" button on the right to add a Mail service.

Enter your name in the "Display Name" field as you would like it displayed to people you send e-mail to.  Click Next

Then, enter your email address (your UserID@yourdomainname.com). Click Next.

Enter the incoming mail server (mail.linkedsolutions.net) and the outgoing mail server (mail.linkedsolutions.net). Even if your domain name is different, the mail server will still be "mail.linkedsolutions.net" (as long as we are hosting your email!)

Enter your login and password, and make sure the Secure Password Authentication box is unchecked.  Click Next.

Click the "Finish" button to create the account. You are almost ready to check your email now.

Back on the Internet Accounts window, highlight the account you just created, and click on the "Properties" button. This will open a window with email settings.

In the "Advanced" tab, make sure the Outgoing (SMTP) mail port is set to 125.

Click the Outgoing Server tab.  Ensure the "My outgoing server SMTP requires authentication" box is checked and the "Use same settings as my incoming mail server" is also checked.  Click the OK button to save these settings. Click Close on the Internet accounts window.  Email is now setup for you.