How do I send emails using a Wifi hotspot?

Q My Samsung NC10 laptop sends and receives emails without problems when I’m connected to my broadband line at home. However, when I’m out and about and connect the laptop to Wifi hotspots I am only able only to receive emails. In other words, I cannot send any messages.

It doesn’t matter whether the hotspot is a free one or not – messages simply will not send. In my email software the incoming mail server (Pop3) is set to ‘mail.talktalk.net’ with outgoing (SMTP) mail directed through smtp.talktalk.net. Am I set up incorrectly?

A The laptop is set up correctly – but only for use at home. The problem here is that you are trying to use Talktalk’s system to send emails when away from home. Many internet service providers (ISPs), Talktalk included, limit the use of the outgoing (SMTP) mail server to computers connected directly to their network, either via broadband or dial-up. This is to prevent abuse by spammers.

To get around this you could use Talktalk’s webmail service. Alternatively you can change the email software to use an SMTP server that allows ‘open relaying’. This will allow you to send emails regardless of how or where you are connected. Google's Gmail service, for instance, employs such an SMTP.

If you don’t already have one, visit Google Gmail to sign up for an email account. Then, change your email software’s SMTP settings to ‘smtp.gmail.com’. Google Mail has a detailed guide to its SMTP settings.

However, by doing this the ‘Reply to’ address will be changed to your Gmail email address (rather than your normal Talktalk email address). This may confuse recipients and complicates retrieval of replies.

To fix this, log in to your Gmail account using the web interface, then click Settings followed by Accounts and Import. Now click the ‘Send mail from another address’ button and work through the wizard to set up the preferred Reply to address.

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