University Computer Help Desk

Configuring Mail in Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.4 with MailVPN settings

Configure Mail with MailVPN settings so you can check and send email from off campus without needing an independent VPN connection.

Before You Begin

These instructions explain how to configure Mail on Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 with your ULID email account. Follow these instructions if you plan to use Mail primarily from off campus (with the option of using it from on campus).

If you plan to use Mail primarily from on campus, refer to:

Configure Mail with MailVPN Settings

To configure Mac Mail to use MailVPN mail settings, do the following:

  1. Launch Mail.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If Mail is not yet configured with an email account, the New Account assistant will start. Click Continue.
    • Otherwise, to add a new account, click Mail> Preferences. Click Accounts at the top of the window. Then click the plus sign (+) in the lower-left.
  3. Click the Account Type: drop-down menu and select IMAP. MailVPN settings do not work with POP. For more information, see 1172: What is the difference between POP and IMAP?.
  4. In the Account Description: box, type a name for the account, such as My ISU Email (MailVPN).
  5. In the Full Name: box, type your name as you'd like it to appear on email messages you send.
  6. In the Email Address: box, type yourULID@ilstu.edu.
  7. Click Continue.
  8. In the Incoming Mail Server: box, type mailvpn.ilstu.edu.
  9. Enter your ULID and password.
  10. Click Continue.
  11. In the Outgoing Mail Server: box, type mailvpn.ilstu.edu.
  12. Put a check mark in the box labeled Use Authentication.
  13. Enter your ULID and password.
  14. Click Continue.
    • Mail will now attempt to verify your settings. This can take several minutes after which, you might receive a message that says, The SMTP server "mailvpn.ilstu.edu" is not responding. This message indicates Mail is not yet using the correct port number for sending mail. You will provide the correct port number below.
  15. Click Continue.
  16. Put a check mark in the box labeled Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
  17. Click Continue.
  18. Click Continue again.
  19. Click Done.
  20. If the Accounts window is not open, click Mail > Preferences. Then click Accounts at the top of the window.
  21. In the Accounts window, click the Account Information tab.
  22. Click the Server Settings... button at the bottom of the window.
  23. Verify that the outgoing server settings are as follows:
    • Outgoing Mail Server: is mailvpn.ilstu.edu.
    • Server port: is 465.
    • Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) has a check mark next to it.
    • Authentication: is set to Password.
    • User Name: is set to your ULID.
    • Password: is set to your password.
  24. Click OK.
  25. Click the Advanced tab.
  26. Verify that the incoming server settings are as follows:
    • Port: is 993.
    • Use SSL has a check mark next to it.
    • Authentication: is set to Password.
  27. Click the red button to close the Preferences window.
  28. If you are prompted to save your changes, click Save.

Mail is now configured so you can check and send email.

Article Information

  • Article ID: 1321
  • Last Review: Oct 21, 2009
  • Type: Instructions

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