Sprint PCS Mail To End 12/31/08 - Idiots! - Page 2

MouseGlider · 08/25/2008, 01:12 PM

theog,

What do you mean you can use your own domain:

*** AOL is a "premium" free email service... you can even use your own domain and it looks just like regular aol. They also took out the signature line from outgoing emails. ***

You mean you can have 'yourname@abc.com' for incoming and outgoing rather than 'yourname@aol.com'?

theleetbeagle · 08/25/2008, 01:20 PM

I believe that's what he means. You can do this through google, too. You have to own your own domain of course and alter it's DNS records (MX records?)... some sort of records.

TurboTiger · 08/25/2008, 01:49 PM

Has anyone been able to confirm that we will no longer be able to use Sprint's outgoing SMTP server for our email apps like SnapperMail. And wouldn't that effect many Versamial users?

This was indicated in previous post and a bit confusing.
TIA

Burkhardi · 08/26/2008, 08:10 PM

You may have known about, or received an email on your PCS account about Sprint killing the Sprint PCS email service on 12/31/08.

If you use an email client like Snapper, Chatter, Mobile Email and such to send emails from a third source (e.g. Time Warner Road Runner, Comcast, etc) you will be dead in the water.

Most email providers will not let you send emails from a server other then their own. The work around for years is/was to use the PCS Email SMTP server, username and password.

I called Advanced Tech support at Sprint today and they said, "yes, they are going to turn it all off and there is no plans right now to keep the SMTP server running or give us a new one".

The person I talked to said for all of us (that means you) to email Dan Hesse at Sprint and ask him to do something.

Here is the email I sent to Dan at Dan@Sprint.com

Please do the same, thanks, Matt

UPDATE [8-28]: Please include your account number and PCS Phone number in the email to Dan (note mine after my signature). They replied back to me saying they needed that info.

Quote:

Dan,

It was announced that Sprint will terminate the PCS Mail service (username@SprintPCS.com) on December 31st 2008, part of this shutdown will also effect people that use the SMTP sever to ‘relay’ email from Road Runner and other email services who have been doing this for years.

Please leave the SMTP server running or allow us to access another one (see below for details)

Terminating the ability to use/get PCS mail is one thing, we understand you have to save money and there are other options if you were just using it for mail and not relaying (e.g. Hotmail, Gmail etc).

However, users that use the PCS SMTP server to relay email (e.g. Time Warner Road Runner, Comcast, etc) will find out quickly on 1-1-09 that they can no longer do that they had/have been doing for years. Unlike the main part of the PCS email that can have a workaround (Gmail, hotmail and such), these users will be dead in the water.

Many Sprint PCS users use the PCS mail’s SMTP server to “relay’ emails to customer, family and friends.

In closing, please keep the PCS Mail SMTP (smtp.sprintpcs.com) server running or give us another one we can use.

Kindest Regards, Matt Burkhard
Account - XXXXXX
PCS Phone number - XXX-XXX-XXXX

Details:
Many email providers will not let you relay emails (send their emails on a different server then their own (for spam and authenticity reasons). I can only speak about the provider I use, but other email providers are the same way, many, many Palm Treo owners use this feature.

There are no issues with using an email client (e.g. Mobile Email, Snapper Mail, Chatter Mail, Palm Mail) to receive the mail (via the providers POP3 server), but when they try to send and email from that same providers SMTP server, they get a kickback saying that they do not allow this. The solution for years as been to change the outgoing SMTP server in your setup, to the PCS Email SMTP SERVER (smtp.sprintpcs.com) and to use your PCS Email user name and password to do so. This was all done transparent to the person getting the email, so they were able to respond with out issue and it was seamless, streamlined and worked for years. When Sprint shuts down PCS Email in December, not only will be loose PCS email, but it will also cripple many other email uses.

Burkhardi · 08/26/2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboTiger

Has anyone been able to confirm that we will no longer be able to use Sprint's outgoing SMTP server for our email apps like SnapperMail. And wouldn't that effect many Versamial users?

This was indicated in previous post and a bit confusing.
TIA

Sounds like they are going to kill the SMTP (smtp.sprintpcs.com) server as well...

Yes, I think you are right, it will effect Snapper, Chatter, Versamail and the works.

I made a post about it here
http://discussion.treocentral.com/sh...d.php?t=170423

The Advance Tech support person I talked to said to that they are going to turn it all off and I should email Dan and tell others to as well. So I sent an email to Dan, I'll see what happens next.

This REALLY STINKS IMHO!!

TurboTiger · 08/26/2008, 09:03 PM

I just fired off an email to Dan.

Tks for the info Matt,

Good Luck

TurboTiger · 08/26/2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burkhardi

Sounds like they are going to kill the SMTP (smtp.sprintpcs.com) server as well...

Yes, I think you are right, it will effect Snapper, Chatter, Versamail and the works.

I made a post about it here
http://discussion.treocentral.com/sh...d.php?t=170423

The Advance Tech support person I talked to said to that they are going to turn it all off and I should email Dan and tell others to as well. So I sent an email to Dan, I'll see what happens next.

This REALLY STINKS IMHO!!

Tks for the info Matt.
I just fired off an email to Dan.
Let's hope he listens.
Good Luck

Burkhardi · 08/26/2008, 09:18 PM

I appreciate the support!

I think the whole use of the SMTP server for non PCS Email use was something that the ‘bean counters’ didn’t think about when the deemed the service not worth it (ROI).

I may be way off base, but I think come 1/1/09, there will be a bunch of calls to tech support about email not working and Sprint will probably say to contact your email provider (not really understanding the full/real issue) and start a vicious circle that will rub a lot of folks the wrong way.

Hopefully more people like you and I will step up and email Dan and get this small issue fixed.

Some may think that Dan’s people don’t read the email or care, but with enough on the same subject matter come across, they may listen?

Sort of like the movie Shawshank Redemption, where Tim Robbins character (Andy) sent a letter to the state asking for books for the library each month and they kept saying no; and after a couple years, they sent him a whole bunch (let just hope it will happened in a month and not a year or two…LOL).

Best regards, Matt

BTW, I used this for my subject:
PCS SMTP mail server: Please do not shut down

TurboTiger · 08/26/2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burkhardi

Hopefully more people like you and I will step up and email Dan and get this small issue fixed.

Matt,

Can you think of any alternatives (short of going to gmail) if this doesn't get fixed? My ISP is Cox and I can't imagine changing my email address. Or do we just settle for receiving emails on our devices and not sending.

TIA

bclinger · 08/27/2008, 04:32 AM

Those of us using external providers are not going to have a problem. In other words, if you use GMail, Yahoo!, Everyone.Net, Fastmail and bunches of others, no problem regardless of whether you are using ChatterEmail, Versastink or any of the WM applications.

Burkhardi · 08/27/2008, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclinger

Those of us using external providers are not going to have a problem. In other words, if you use GMail, Yahoo!, Everyone.Net, Fastmail and bunches of others, no problem regardless of whether you are using ChatterEmail, Versastink or any of the WM applications.

Very true and that is what Sprint was thinking, but they forgot about the other people (like TurboTiger and I) that have to use a third party server.

Are you saying that Gmail and Yahoo (web-based email) will let you send other providers email from their SMTP server?

If I just used PCS Email for email, then I would just switch to a free external service like Gmail, hotmail and other and be done (as a matter of fact, I have a hotmail account and use it like crazy). I could just send a blanket email to everyone telling them that I have a new email adress.

Do you have a solution for poeple like TurboTiger and I that use the free PCS Email SMTP server to send email from other accounts?

I didn't know Everyone.net would let you send email from other servers then there own, does Everyone.net charge to use their SMTP server? I assume they do. I wish Time Warner did that (let you send from other servers)...

Here is how it currently works for me...
Hotmail: I use this address for anytime anyone that I don't know needs my email address (to buy stuff, sign up for things, message board use, etc). In this way, I keep Spam and junk off my personal email.
Road Runner (my ISP): I use this for email to people that I know and trust.
PCS mail: I use this for close family since no matter where I am at, it will "push" the email to my phone. I also use this to send emails for Road Runner from my Treo.

I have been doing this for years, ever since I had my Treo300

To use Hotmail, I have to log into the hotmail site and use their combersome interface. With RoadRunner, I can lauch Chatter and it's just like being at home. If I loose thie featrure, the I will have to log into the Road Runner webmail which is comersome like Hotmail.

Once this changes, I will have to log into email from the web like I do for hotmail which makes it a pain, not as stream line and such.

Unlike now, where I can lauch Chatter and have it send/receive five different email accounts from three different providers at one time, I'll have to go use this long song and dance...

VaccPalm · 08/27/2008, 08:45 AM

I use optonline mainly and I am going to be losing my ability to send email . that sucks. I am not interested in using gmail etc.

Burkhardi · 08/27/2008, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboTiger

Matt,

Can you think of any alternatives (short of going to gmail) if this doesn't get fixed? My ISP is Cox and I can't imagine changing my email address. Or do we just settle for receiving emails on our devices and not sending.

TIA

The only pain in the rump solution I can think of would be to use Cox's Webmail (if they offer it). This would be more or less sending email from the web and not your phone (per se) and is why I had the subject line of " 12/31/08 Sprint will terminate sending email from your phone... ".
This is what made the treo speical IMHO; anyone can log into the internet and check and send mail, the Treo and Sprint let you do it like you were at home on your ISP account.

For example, I use Time Warners Road Runner in Austin, Texas; so I would have to go to the this website https://webmail.austin.rr.com/ and then log in and use the service which is in no way near as rich of an excperaince as using Chatter and such to do it.

WHAT A PAIN!
But at least there is a 'work-a-round' so I will not be totaly dead in the water.

Hey, I just googled this...try it and see if it works...
http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp...b-c3fbc498194f

Burkhardi · 08/27/2008, 08:55 AM

I feel your pain!
PLEASE email Dan@Sprint.com
Thanks, Matt

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaccPalm

I use optonline mainly and I am going to be losing my ability to send email . that sucks. I am not interested in using gmail etc.

TurboTiger · 08/27/2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burkhardi

The only pain in the rump solution I can think of would be to use Cox's Webmail (if they offer it). This would be more or less sending email from the web and not your phone (per se) and is why I had the subject line of " 12/31/08 Sprint will terminate sending email from your phone... ".
[/url]

The Cox Webmail works great on my laptop when I'm I'm out of town but sucks using it on my Treo/Centro.

Tks for all of the info.
Good Luck

Burkhardi · 08/27/2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboTiger

The Cox Webmail works great on my laptop when I'm I'm out of town but sucks using it on my Treo/Centro.

Tks for all of the info.
Good Luck

I agree, I have been using this for over half a decade and love it. I don't want to have to go around the river and through the woods for an easy task.

I also wish this topic was not moved from the seperate post that it was in that you an I were using. I feel that asking people like you and I to email Dan at Sprint will not been seen by the people that are need to make this work. Most people will see this "Sprint PCS Email to end, *******S" subject and figure, I don't use PCS Email, so why read this thread, then come 1/1/09 they will find out that even though they may not use PCS Email, they use the PCS SMTP server.
CAVEAT: As someone pointed out, this will not affect all users, just the ones that have to use the PCS SMTP server to send on behave of their ISP email service; like Timewarner and Cox.

Here is antoher workaround that I guess I may have to use if we don't get this fixed. This was suggested from a helpful user [JimHuff]at MyTreo.net
It will cost you a one time $14.95 setup fee then it's free (or so it looks like, I'll email their tech support and ask).
Basicaly you use Fastmail's SMTP server.
http://www.fastmail.fm/pages/fastmai...ricingtbl.html

cavingjan · 08/27/2008, 10:26 AM

Have you checked recently to see if they allow use of the smtp server via secure logon? Most email servers can support this fuction out of the box and there really isn't a good reason why your email provider does not have that fuctionality.

For those that are in a bind, get a website with email account. There are a lot of places that offer free/very cheap hosting services. As long as they give you access to a pop email account, you can use that smtp server for your outgoing. You will just need to set up authentication.

theleetbeagle · 08/27/2008, 10:48 AM

Emailed Dan today, too.

Burkhardi · 08/27/2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboTiger

The Cox Webmail works great on my laptop when I'm I'm out of town but sucks using it on my Treo/Centro.

Tks for all of the info.
Good Luck

Here is a free option...
Gmail
you setup a free Gmail account and use their SMTP.
You setup your other emails as verified in the Gmail settings and then you can use them (or so it seems, I am still playing with my setup).
Here is a link to the how to:
http://www.granneman.com/techinfo/em...ailforsmtp.htm

EIDT: It works great

If anyone is following this thread (yes, all three of us), please still email Dan@Sprint.com
if you have not already done so; this should not have to be this hard or have even happened in the first place (at least IMHO).

I am so very happy we found a solution. Thanks for the people here and MyTreo.net
Regards, Matt

TurboTiger · 08/27/2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burkhardi

Here is a free option...
Gmail
you setup a free Gmail account and use their SMTP.
You setup your other emails as verified in the Gmail settings and then you can use them (or so it seems, I am still playing with my setup).
Here is a link to the how to:
http://www.granneman.com/techinfo/em...ailforsmtp.htm

EIDT: It works great

If anyone is following this thread (yes, all three of us), please still email Dan@Sprint.com
if you have not already done so; this should not have to be this hard or have even happened in the first place (at least IMHO).

I am so very happy we found a solution. Thanks for the people here and MyTreo.net
Regards, Matt

Matt,
Thanks for finding a workable solution as a backup just in case Sprint pulls the plug.
Good Luck