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Email everywhere?

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    Email everywhere?

    I'm a convert to Gmail myself and use my Gmail account to download emails from my own's domain's POP3 email servers. I like the fact that Gmail remains on the server, so that all of it is available from anywhere (cyber cafe, iPhone, laptop, desktop etc etc).

    So when a local business approached me and asked for a simple way for them to access all their emails from everywhere, I figured that Gmail would be a good solution, and duly set them up a Gmail account which fetches emails from their domain's POP3 servers. Thus they can access all their emails on 2 smartphones (one Android, one iPhone), two mobile laptops and 2 desktop PCs.

    However it's become quite an issue recently that Gmail only fetches emails from POP3 accounts every now and again. It's got some algorithm it uses to decide how often it needs to check and does so at least once an hour, usually more like every 20-30 minutes. Of course this means that emails sent to the POP3 servers appear to arrive very late, or delayed, and this has caused them quite some inconvenience recently.

    So I ask you the esteemed technical folks on CUK to suggest how this could be better set up, so that all new emails appear on all devices almost instantaneously (or say within 5 minutes like Outlook used to manage in the "old days") and so that all historical emails are similarly available for everyone.

    They have 4 POP3 email addresses. But as a small business, everyone can read everyone's email so that if person A is out of the office, person B can see their email and respond on their behalf if necessary. They do like that one email address is not tied to one computer, as it was in the days when they used Outlook Express.

    Thanks in advance of any ideas!

    EDIT: by Gmail, I mean the free one, not Google Apps for Business
    Last edited by Platypus; 14 January 2014, 10:43.

    #2
    Originally posted by Platypus View Post
    I'm a convert to Gmail myself and use my Gmail account to download emails from my own's domain's POP3 email servers. I like the fact that Gmail remains on the server, so that all of it is available from anywhere (cyber cafe, iPhone, laptop, desktop etc etc).

    So when a local business approached me and asked for a simple way for them to access all their emails from everywhere, I figured that Gmail would be a good solution, and duly set them up a Gmail account which fetches emails from their domain's POP3 servers. Thus they can access all their emails on 2 smartphones (one Android, one iPhone), two mobile laptops and 2 desktop PCs.

    However it's become quite an issue recently that Gmail only fetches emails from POP3 accounts every now and again. It's got some algorithm it uses to decide how often it needs to check and does so at least once an hour, usually more like every 20-30 minutes. Of course this means that emails sent to the POP3 servers appear to arrive very late, or delayed, and this has caused them quite some inconvenience recently.

    So I ask you the esteemed technical folks on CUK to suggest how this could be better set up, so that all new emails appear on all devices almost instantaneously (or say within 5 minutes like Outlook used to manage in the "old days") and so that all historical emails are similarly available for everyone.

    They have 4 POP3 email addresses. But as a small business, everyone can read everyone's email so that if person A is out of the office, person B can see their email and respond on their behalf if necessary. They do like that one email address is not tied to one computer, as it was in the days when they used Outlook Express.

    Thanks in advance of any ideas!

    EDIT: by Gmail, I mean the free one, not Google Apps for Business
    I was going to say run it in reverse. With email being sent to Gmail first and then forwarded to the local accounts but as you are running it in gmail not an option.

    Can you configure the pop3 server to retain emails and forward them to the appropriate gmail accounts?
    merely at clientco for the entertainment

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Platypus View Post
      I'm a convert to Gmail myself and use my Gmail account to download emails from my own's domain's POP3 email servers. I like the fact that Gmail remains on the server, so that all of it is available from anywhere (cyber cafe, iPhone, laptop, desktop etc etc).

      So when a local business approached me and asked for a simple way for them to access all their emails from everywhere, I figured that Gmail would be a good solution, and duly set them up a Gmail account which fetches emails from their domain's POP3 servers. Thus they can access all their emails on 2 smartphones (one Android, one iPhone), two mobile laptops and 2 desktop PCs.

      However it's become quite an issue recently that Gmail only fetches emails from POP3 accounts every now and again. It's got some algorithm it uses to decide how often it needs to check and does so at least once an hour, usually more like every 20-30 minutes. Of course this means that emails sent to the POP3 servers appear to arrive very late, or delayed, and this has caused them quite some inconvenience recently.

      So I ask you the esteemed technical folks on CUK to suggest how this could be better set up, so that all new emails appear on all devices almost instantaneously (or say within 5 minutes like Outlook used to manage in the "old days") and so that all historical emails are similarly available for everyone.

      They have 4 POP3 email addresses. But as a small business, everyone can read everyone's email so that if person A is out of the office, person B can see their email and respond on their behalf if necessary. They do like that one email address is not tied to one computer, as it was in the days when they used Outlook Express.

      Thanks in advance of any ideas!

      EDIT: by Gmail, I mean the free one, not Google Apps for Business
      Imap?

      https://support.google.com/mail/trou...=en#ts=1665018

      Comment


        #4
        Nah, too sensible.

        Just forward everything from the POP3 to GMail IMAP accounts on arrival and delete it from POP3. POP3 is designed to be single-threaded which is why it doesn't do a lot of clever things. IMAP just works.
        Blog? What blog...?

        Comment


          #5
          I'm not sure what you're getting at there. On their PCs they don't have "a client or device that supports IMAP, like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail" and even if they did that's not the issue. The issue is getting stuff from their domain's POP3 servers into Gmail i.e. I send an email to [email protected] and it takes 20-30 minutes before it appears in the Gmail inbox.

          Thanks, Mal, forwarding is an interesting idea. I'll play with it and see what happens.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Platypus View Post
            Thanks, Mal, forwarding is an interesting idea. I'll play with it and see what happens.
            Right, as I suspected ... not quite right

            Send mail to [email protected] and it gets forwarded to [email protected]

            Upon replying, the sender's address is [email protected] whereas I want it to be [email protected]

            Bummer.
            Last edited by Platypus; 14 January 2014, 11:38.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Platypus View Post
              Right, as I suspected ... not quite right

              Send mail to [email protected] and it gets forwarded to [email protected]

              Upon replying, the sender's address is [email protected] whereas I want it to be [email protected]

              Bummer.
              Yep, but you can define the "return" address in the GMail options. Some email clients then bugger it up again, reporting it as "gmail on behalf of fred", but that's not easily managed if you're using an intermediary.

              Plan B is to get hold of a good ISP like A&A or Freeola and use their IMAP facilities directly.
              Blog? What blog...?

              Comment


                #8
                Why not just get Google apps or similar to take over the email provision, and do everything through webmail?
                Originally posted by MaryPoppins
                I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
                Originally posted by vetran
                Urine is quite nourishing

                Comment


                  #9
                  Yep. PermieCo just use GMail for everything; it's fine. That's what I'd do if I was setting up a new business. POP3 mailboxes are a ridiculously outdated idea.

                  I still have Thunderbird on my PC to download the mail via IMAP, because I liked the idea of having a local copy in case Google throws a wobbly, but then that's probably a bit unnecessary.
                  Will work inside IR35. Or for food.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
                    Why not just get Google apps or similar to take over the email provision, and do everything through webmail?
                    It's no longer free which is usually the price many people require
                    merely at clientco for the entertainment

                    Comment

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