MailRelayer™ ~ FAQ
This page features a set of frequently asked questions about MailRelayer, a software product that provides remote Internet access to email stored on PCs. If you arrived at this page from outside our Web site you might like to go to the MailRelayer home page to get an idea of what it’s all about.
Is MailRelayer a product or service?
MailRelayer is a product, not a service. It is software that you purchase once and run on your PC. Competitors, such as LoudPC, operate as services and charge you every month!
However, if you want to access your mail using a Web browser (as opposed to an email client) then you will need to use MailRelayer in conjunction with a Web-based service that acts as an IMAP-WebMail gateway. Does this mean you have to pay a subscription? You may choose to but it is not necessary; excellent free services are available.
Does MailRelayer keep copies of all my email?
No. MailRelayer works directly with the messages stored by Outlook®. It does not need to copy anything.
With MailRelayer there is no synchronization and no replication. There is no need! MailRelayer puts your email live on the Internet right from your own PC.
Can I gain remote access to my Outlook Contacts?
Yes! You can view all your Outlook Contacts. Due, however, to the limitations of the technology on which MailRelayer is based, it is not possible to add to or edit your Contacts.
Can I be working with my email on PC while other people read it remotely?
Yes – there is absolutely no problem with that.
Do I need a static IP address?
No. A Dynamic DNS service is a good alternative. Both free and modestly priced paid services are available.
Can I use it behind a firewall?
In principle, yes. In practice, it depends on your being able to get the firewall configured to allow incoming connections to certain ports on your PC, normally 25 for SMTP and 143 or 993 for IMAP.
Can I use it through a proxy server?
We don’t have a lot of experience with proxy servers but believe the answer to be a firm maybe. Some proxy servers do support server connections although they will generally require specific configuration. However we suspect that many proxy servers will not be compatible with MailRelayer.
When I install MailRelayer, will I need to share all my folders? Or will they be shared automatically?
All your folders will be shared automatically with a couple of exceptions. The first exception is that any folder with a name containing a slash will not be shared; this is because IMAP makes a special use of the slash. This can be useful because, if you want to hide a folder, you can do so by adding a slash to its name. Also, if you have any folders with names starting with # then they also will not be shared.
I connect to the Internet using a cable modem and my ISP blocks all ports from 0 to 1023. Can I use MailRelayer?
Yes. You can configure MailRelayer to operate its server on any port you choose. So with an ISP that blocks (and we understand that some DSL providers do this as well as cable ones), you can select a port above 1023.
Can MailRelayer support multiple simultaneous IMAP clients?
Yes, absolutely. MailRelayer itself places no limit on the number of concurrent users and, with a fast Internet connection and a good PC, it can handle 100 at a time. However we recommend having no more than 3 or 4 users accessing any one account simultaneously.
Can I use MailRelayer to share Outlook folders on a LAN?
Yes, you can but MailRelayer may not be the best choice for that purpose. You might do well to consider a product called OLfolders instead.
If you have a question about MailRelayer that is not answered here, please email it to us. We will respond to you by email and add the question and answer to this FAQ if they promise to be of general interest.