Could someone please explain how/why this works

Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
- for internet access.

Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
email or newsgroup account settings such that the
outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
associated with my former land line broadband
provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
newsgroups through my email client, which is
Thunderbird

I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
understanding of these things, but nevertheless
wonder how this is?

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Ruth <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:

> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
> - for internet access.
>
> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
> associated with my former land line broadband
> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
> newsgroups through my email client, which is
> Thunderbird
>
> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
> wonder how this is?

I'm surprised that this works! Who was your former ISP?

Many providers won't allow the use of their SMTP servers unless you're
physically connected to one of their accounts. Some will allow it provided
you use secure password authentication, but you usually have to use
non-standard ports because '3' blocks [1] the standard ports - but some ISPs
(e.g Plusnet) don't allow non-standard ports, even with authentication - so
you're stuffed!

So, either your former ISP was somewhat lax, or you already had your email
accounts set up to use authentication with non-standard ports.

Ah! - just noticed your Gmail address, which may well explain everything if
that's your regular email address - 'cos you won't have been using your
former ISP's SMTP server anyway!

[1] This is certainly the case when using a '3' dongle - not sure about
using a skype phone as a modem.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:59:34 +0000, Ruth
<redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:

>Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
>broadband provider, and now use 3...

>Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
>email or newsgroup account settings such that the
>outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
>associated with my former land line broadband
>provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
>newsgroups through my email client, which is
>Thunderbird

You're using individual.net for newsgroup access. And you *appear* to
be using GMail for email access.

Both of these services are not linked to your previous broadband
account, so you can use them via any Internet provider.
--
Martin Jay

Roger Mills wrote:
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Ruth <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
>> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
>> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
>> - for internet access.
>>
>> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
>> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
>> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
>> associated with my former land line broadband
>> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
>> newsgroups through my email client, which is
>> Thunderbird
>>
>> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
>> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
>> wonder how this is?
>
> I'm surprised that this works! Who was your former ISP?
>
> Many providers won't allow the use of their SMTP servers unless you're
> physically connected to one of their accounts. Some will allow it provided
> you use secure password authentication, but you usually have to use
> non-standard ports because '3' blocks [1] the standard ports - but some ISPs
> (e.g Plusnet) don't allow non-standard ports, even with authentication - so
> you're stuffed!
>
> So, either your former ISP was somewhat lax, or you already had your email
> accounts set up to use authentication with non-standard ports.
>
> Ah! - just noticed your Gmail address, which may well explain everything if
> that's your regular email address - 'cos you won't have been using your
> former ISP's SMTP server anyway!
>
> [1] This is certainly the case when using a '3' dongle - not sure about
> using a skype phone as a modem.

ALL my email and newsgroup accounts are set up
using Thunderbird and ALL those accounts are still
using my former providers outgoing server
settings. The gmail account is simply my munged
throwaway newsgroup email address; I don't post
through the googlemail portal (if that's the right
terminology!)

On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:21:57 +0000, Ruth
<redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:

>ALL my email and newsgroup accounts are set up
>using Thunderbird and ALL those accounts are still
>using my former providers outgoing server
>settings. The gmail account is simply my munged
>throwaway newsgroup email address; I don't post
>through the googlemail portal (if that's the right
>terminology!)

Which ISP were you previously using?

Many will keep an email account live after its parent Internet account
has been closed. Some require SMTP authentication for out-going
email, which may work through another ISP.
--
Martin Jay

Martin Jay wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:59:34 +0000, Ruth
> <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
>> broadband provider, and now use 3...
>
>> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
>> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
>> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
>> associated with my former land line broadband
>> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
>> newsgroups through my email client, which is
>> Thunderbird
>
> You're using individual.net for newsgroup access. And you *appear* to
> be using GMail for email access.
>
> Both of these services are not linked to your previous broadband
> account, so you can use them via any Internet provider.

...and you may well have used a validated SMTP realy, which they simply
haven't removed the validation from.

On 2009-10-30, Ruth <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:
> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
> - for internet access.
>
> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
> associated with my former land line broadband
> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
> newsgroups through my email client, which is
> Thunderbird
>
> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
> wonder how this is?

You posted this via Individual.net, not any ISP's server. You have to pay
Individual €10 a year so you or someone must be aware of that arrangement!

When you cancelled your ISP account, they actually may have converted the
account to 'Pay-as-You-Go' dialup - and as long as you actually use their
dial-up service often enough, the associated email account and so on will
remain active. BT certainly did that when I moved away from them, and I
now pay them for a 'BT Yahoo Premium Mail' account to keep the old address
alive years later. I have to 'authenticate' each time I connect to their
POP, SMTP, or webmail, (just as with any independent email service) but my
email software can handle that automatically.

There is much to be said for having your email, usenet, and other,
services, separate from your connection provider.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

Whiskers wrote:
> On 2009-10-30, Ruth <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
>> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
>> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
>> - for internet access.
>>
>> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
>> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
>> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
>> associated with my former land line broadband
>> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
>> newsgroups through my email client, which is
>> Thunderbird
>>
>> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
>> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
>> wonder how this is?
>
> You posted this via Individual.net, not any ISP's server. You have to pay
> Individual ?10 a year so you or someone must be aware of that arrangement!
>
> When you cancelled your ISP account, they actually may have converted the
> account to 'Pay-as-You-Go' dialup - and as long as you actually use their
> dial-up service often enough, the associated email account and so on will
> remain active. BT certainly did that when I moved away from them, and I
> now pay them for a 'BT Yahoo Premium Mail' account to keep the old address
> alive years later. I have to 'authenticate' each time I connect to their
> POP, SMTP, or webmail, (just as with any independent email service) but my
> email software can handle that automatically.
>
> There is much to be said for having your email, usenet, and other,
> services, separate from your connection provider.

I changed from Tiscali 5 or 6 years ago, but kept a PAYG dial up account in
tact. I use the dial up for several minutes once each month and my,
lineone, tiscali and telinco e-mail addies still work.
--
Heard melodies are sweet, but those Unheard are sweeter
flyingnun@tiscali.co.uk FN 2°°9 +, Mungo Brandybuck of Buckland

In article <7l65d2F3c66n3U1@mid.individual.net>, flyingnun@tiscali.co.uk
(Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°9 + on netbook) wrote:

> I use the dial up for several minutes once each month and my,
> lineone, tiscali and telinco e-mail addies still work.

I don't even bother with that - my LineOne account still attracts
millions[1] of spams a day and my tiscali addy works fine.

[1] well, over 1000, anyway

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

Ruth wrote:
> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and broadband provider, and
> now use 3 - via a S2 Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
> - for internet access.
>
> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any email or newsgroup
> account settings such that the outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
> associated with my former land line broadband provider. Yet I can still
> send email or post to newsgroups through my email client, which is
> Thunderbird
>
> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of understanding of these things,
> but nevertheless wonder how this is?

Could it be that 3 are using a transparent SMTP proxy that's
intercepting your port 25 traffic and routing it via their own servers?

Email headers should tell you whether or not this is the case.

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Support Home & Business @
|Plusnet Plc. www.plus.net
+--------------- twitter.com/plusnet ----------------

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°9 + on netbook wrote:
> Whiskers wrote:
>> On 2009-10-30, Ruth <redredredredredruth@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
>>> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
>>> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
>>> - for internet access.
>>>
>>> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
>>> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
>>> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
>>> associated with my former land line broadband
>>> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
>>> newsgroups through my email client, which is
>>> Thunderbird
>>>
>>> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
>>> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
>>> wonder how this is?
>> You posted this via Individual.net, not any ISP's server. You have to pay
>> Individual ?10 a year so you or someone must be aware of that arrangement!
>>
>> When you cancelled your ISP account, they actually may have converted the
>> account to 'Pay-as-You-Go' dialup - and as long as you actually use their
>> dial-up service often enough, the associated email account and so on will
>> remain active. BT certainly did that when I moved away from them, and I
>> now pay them for a 'BT Yahoo Premium Mail' account to keep the old address
>> alive years later. I have to 'authenticate' each time I connect to their
>> POP, SMTP, or webmail, (just as with any independent email service) but my
>> email software can handle that automatically.
>>
>> There is much to be said for having your email, usenet, and other,
>> services, separate from your connection provider.
>
> I changed from Tiscali 5 or 6 years ago, but kept a PAYG dial up account in
> tact. I use the dial up for several minutes once each month and my,
> lineone, tiscali and telinco e-mail addies still work.

I can't remember when I last used the dial-up, but the
e-mail still works anyway. It seems they regard
e-mail usage as valid activity. Anything to keep the
subscriber numbers up!

In article <7l0ns0F3ag2efU1@mid.individual.net>,
redredredredredruth@gmail.com says...
> Two months ago I chucked out my BT land line and
> broadband provider, and now use 3 - via a S2
> Skypephone handset (plugged in as a modem to my pc
> - for internet access.
>
> Since making these changes, I haven't altered any
> email or newsgroup account settings such that the
> outgoing server (smtp) settings are still
> associated with my former land line broadband
> provider. Yet I can still send email or post to
> newsgroups through my email client, which is
> Thunderbird
>
> I accept I'm showing off a total lack of
> understanding of these things, but nevertheless
> wonder how this is?

SMTP Auth.
--
Regards
Jon