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Connecting to MyWestern email using IMAP

Overview

IMAP is a protocol many mail clients use to remotely access email. IMAP allows you to easily view and change messages and folders on a remote email server. Your emails stay on the server and can be accessed anywhere; This is in contrast to POP3, which only allows you to only download messages from the mail server that are in your inbox folder to the computer you are using at the time. For this reason, we recommend using IMAP instead of POP3.

Below are a few clients that support IMAP:

Setup

Different email programs will have slightly different setup processes, but all of them require the same information. This information is provided below with instructions that are intentionally broad. If you cannot setup your email program with the information below, please contact the Help Desk.

  1. Find the settings dialog for your email client. This is usually under tools or options in the menu bar.
  2. Choose to setup a new email account.
  3. When prompted, select IMAP as the protocol that will be used to access the account.
  4. Fill in your email address, name, username, and password as prompted.
  5. For the incoming server, type in: mail.cc.wwu.edu
  6. Our incoming email server will not accept insecure connections. For this reason, you will need to tell your email client to use encryption for the incoming server. Your email client may refer to this as a secure connection, encrypted connection, or SSL.
  7. The outgoing mail (SMTP) server you will use depends on which internet service provider your computer is attached to. If you are on WWU's network (including wireless or modem/dialup), the SMTP server will be smtp.wwu.edu. Otherwise, this address will be different. Some of the most common SMTP servers are listed:
    • ResTek: mail.restek.wwu.edu (see ResTek link for special instructions for setting up common email clients)
    • Comcast: smtp.comcast.net
    • Clearwire: mail.clearwire.com
    • Verizon: smtp.verizon.net
    • Qwest: pop.sttl.qwest.net (This may not work in all areas – click here for a list of Qwest SMTP servers)
  8. You may receive certificate warnings when trying to connect. To make your computer recognize WWU's computer certificates as valid, follow these instructions.