What FIREWALL port does MAIL use?

Question

What FIREWALL port does MAIL use?

I'm a bit of a MAC novice, but I'm quite good with PC.

With my firewall that I was using (NORTON INTERNET SECURITY, it was brilliant).

I used to have to ALLOW a program access to the internet/network.

Or i could add it to the firewall manually by allowing connections on a specific ports.

When connecting to a completely WINDOWS network on my college campus (without their knowledge) I was able to access the internet using SAFARI at blazing speeds!

BUT NOT Mail.

This leads me to believe that their firewall was "blocking" the "port" that I was using to access my .mac server.

WHAT firewall port does Mail use?

This was, I may be able to get the network administrators to "open" the port.

Also is there a way of setting to the same as Safari, so that I can access .mac without having to get the administrators to enable anything?

Thank's for any help you can give me

Dan

2 x 15" Powerbooks, 14" iBook, Windows PC Mac OS X (10.4.4) Networked, ethernet/wirelessly, using the Windows PC as a Print and File Server

Posted on Feb 2, 2006 10:27 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 10, 2006 4:36 AM in response to Daniel Walters

If you are using Mail to connect to the Apple dotMac email service, you should open TCP port 143 (IMAP). If you are using Mail to pick up from conventional ISP mail accounts (POP/SMTP), you chould open TCP ports 25 (SMTP) and 110 (POP3).

You can of course pick up your mail at blazing Safari speed by using the dotMac web-based mail interface at http://www.mac.com while waiting for your firewall team to sort their settings out.

CB

iMac G5 & iBook G3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

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Answer 2

Mar 10, 2006 9:44 AM in response to Cyberbat62

Thankyou. I'm going to forward these details to the administrators.

Up till now I HAVE been used .mac on the web, and you're right, it is BLAZING

🙂

Thank's for your help.

Dan

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Answer 3

Mar 12, 2006 5:48 AM in response to Cyberbat62

Is there any way in which I can CHANGE the ports that Mail uses?

My college's network staff won't open the port for me (They say, quite reasonably that I'm not supposed to be accessing the network with my Mac anyway - it's a security issue!)

Thank's for your help
Dan

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Answer 4

Mar 12, 2006 8:39 AM in response to Daniel Walters

This is what I wrote in the thread I started on this issue:

If beating your head on that stone wall lacks appeal, you can just switch your account over to POP. That uses port 110 for incoming and, if they don't allow that either, well — how medieval.

FYI to anyone reading this thread... To enable POP in Apple's Mail program:

1. Create a New Account
2. In the 'Incoming Mail Server' field, enter 'mail.mac.com'
3. Enter your Username and Password (username is your address without '@mac.com').
4. In the 'Outgoing Mail Server' field, enter 'smtp.mac.com' (with the authentication checkbox unchecked).
5. Click 'Done' and your now-POP-enabled account will retrieve messages and delete them from the server.

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Answer 5

Mike Cee

Level 1

145 points

Apr 29, 2006 11:16 AM in response to Cyberbat62

Great answer. Thanks!

I was having problems sending emails from an iBook that was accessing the Internet via a mac mini that is Sharing and ethernet connection via AirPort.

Internet access via Safari was fine, but Mail couldn't check or send email. I opened the ports you listed and can now send / check email on the iBook while still running the Mac Mini's firewall.

It's great when people like you actually answer the question that has been asked.

mjc

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Answer 6

May 21, 2006 4:20 PM in response to Daniel Walters

Here's another useful tidbit:

My ISP in Toronto, Canada (Rogers) starting blocking port 25 for outgoing mail to prevent spam (I heard that a number of ISP's were following suit), and simultaneously torpedoed my .Mac account in Mail.app. I had to change my smtp.mac.com port to 587.

So for keeping the firewall ON and letting an Internet-sharing computer's IMAP mail through, set a firewall rule to keep TCP ports 143 and 587 open.

Cheers,
dB

eMac 1 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

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