Outlook Express is the defacto standard email client installed on most computers today. While other email clients are available (including Netscape, Incredimail, and Eudora), Maineline.net's online technical support is limited to supporting Outlook Express. The information contained here, however, is just as applicable to any email client as it is to Outlook Express.

Outlook Express (or any email client) is an application that runs on your computer to allow you to compose, send, retrieve, and read email. The email client communicates with Maineline's mail server through the modem. The mail server, a computer dedicated to the task of handling your email, does the real work as far as delivering the email is concerned.

Incoming mail is saved in an inbox on Maineline's server until you download it using your email client, so you don't need to keep your computer connected all the time to receive the mail. Outgoing mail is sent by our mail server to another mail server designated by the email address, much like the post office delivers "snail" mail according to a ZIP code.

In this fashion, your email client can be used to compose and read messages at any time, even when you're not connected to Maineline.net, but it cannot actually send or receive new messages unless your computer is connected.

Click HERE for instructions setting up Outlook Express.