Mac users carrying laptops backwards and forwards from home to work or cafes or travelling overseas know only too well the frustration of finding an outgoing mailserver that works. Or just the hassle of fiddling around in their settings to get the right one for each place.

Three solutions to this problem can save time and headaches.

A. Using Gmail’s alias and SMTP server

Melvin Rivera has written a step-by-step tutorial with screenshots which solves this problem by using Gmail’s SMTP server and Gmail’s alias option.

He also shows you how to add the Gmail SMTP server to Mail.app’s settings.

This is a great solution if you only want to send email from one account (i.e. one alias) and the place you are in doesn’t block traffic on port 587.

B. Be your own mail server

Another way around this is to be your own SMTP server. You can easily do this on a Mac laptop by using the built-in postfix SMTP server. Dan Kogai offers instructions for doing this manually through the command line.

If the command line is not your thing, two utlities can take some of the pain out of the process.

RapidoSMTP (freeware) has just been updated. The new version (available here ) is more reliable and allows you to define the port number you want to use:

Postfix Enabler is shareware but offers many more options.

C. Quick switching between home and work servers

Unfortunately my life doesn’t involve sending emails while drinking lattés in endless cafes. I just shuttle between work and home. My work is too ferocious for Melvin’s work-around above, so I need two mail servers and I need to switch them for all my email accounts twice a day.

To do this, I use Andreas Amann’s “Change SMTP servers” script, part of his excellent Mail Scripts collection.

A Quicksilver trigger launches it and the switch is done almost before I notice it. It’s the quickest way I know to do this otherwise time-consuming task.email, roadwarrior, smtp servers, mail.app, apple mail, tips, applescript, gmail, postfix, productivity

Tags: Apple Mail, Apple Mail Tips, applescript, email, GMAIL, mail.app, postfix, Productivity, roadwarrior, SMTP servers

Apple has updated two of its technotes for Apple Mail.

Mac OS X 10.4, Mail: Messages seem to be missing, or “Message has not been downloaded” alert appears when opening provides tips on how to rebuild POP and IMAP mailboxes or re-import them when you know that some are missing.

Mail: Can’t send messages, “Cannot send message using the server smtp.xxxxx.com” alert appears shows you how to troubleshoot and change SMTP servers.

I always find it hard to see what has changed in these technotes. They contain nothing revolutionary or visibly new. Still, bearing Apple’s imprimatur, they command respect.technotes, apple, apple mail, mail.app, missing messages, SMTP servers

Tags: Apple, Apple Mail, mail.app, missing messages, SMTP servers, technotes