To anybody in the UK on BT BRoadband using KMail.

Hi,
I connect to the Internet with BT Broadband using a D-Link ethernet router. I have recently changed my O/S for the nth time (Mandriva) as I could not get 'Mozilla Firefox' to go online at all although I believed my settings were correct.
However right from installation Konqueror went straight on to the net with no problems. Firefox runs OK under my Win2K O/S (I have two H/Ds in caddys)again with no problems.
My problem now is that I am unable to send or receive e-mails using KMail, I keep getting the message
'Cannot connect to hostlocalhost'
Although I set up KMail according to the help files i.e. help:/camail/setting-up-your-account.html I am not 100% sure that I have inserted the correct information.
The first time that I attempted to set up KMail I succeeded in losing KMail altogether and had to reload the programme!!!!
Is there anyone out there who has had the same problem as BT do not seem to be interested. This was also the case when I ditched their USB modem and went for a router!
p.s. I could be back to dial-up for e-mails!

BT works just fine with linux (Once you have bought yourself a proper DSL modem with an ethernet connection, their USB thingy is &^%!)


Try this:
Start kmail.
Settings-Configure kmail
Identities: Enter your name and email address.
Network-Sending tab. Add. General Tab: Name=BTMail, Host= mail.btinternet.com, Port=25, Server requires Authentication=Put an X in the box, login = leonardo38 if your address is leonardo38@btinternet.com, Password=Yourpassword, Put an X in the box labelled "Store SMTP password in config file". Now click the Security Tab. Set encryption to None, Set authentication method to Plain. OK for this bit.

Now we are back at Sending Tab, which we have just set up.
Click the Receiving Tab. Add. Now set it up like this:
Under the General Tab: Name= BT Mail, Login = leonardo38, Password= Yourpassword, Host= mail.btinternet.com, Port = 110, [X]Store password in config file, [X] Enable interval mail checking.
Under the Extras Tab: Encryption: None, Authentication method = Plain text
Click OK.

Enable "Check mail on startup" Click OK.

You should be done.
Restart Kmail, or do File-Check mail, it should work.

Hope this helps,

Hi 'tredegar'

Many thanks for the information. I was almost there but for some reason I had not quite got it all correct. I've set my e-mail account up in 'Windows' several times so I should not have had a problem.
I'm afraid that BT Broadband helpline were not a lot of use the 'Technical Adviser' that I spoke to informed me that they don't support Linux and seemed to think that it was an 'inferior' system.
Personally, I'm fed up with putting money in Bill Gates' pocket.
This (Mandriva) is the fifth Distro that I've tried and in my opinion the best. Mandriva found all of my hardware, some of which is a bit old and some of which is brand new.

Regards

Alan Heasman.

BT aren't able to help you as they only support Mr. Gates' software. There is absolutely no point in calling them unless your router cannot get a connection and you think thete is a problem at their end (but better to phone 0800 1690 199 for a recorded message of known BT ADSL faults)
If you can use a web-browser in linux, then you have a connection and you can do emails. Just fill in your details as above, and it will work.
So, did you get it working?

Hi Tredegar,

Thanks for the e-mail. Yes, I did get KMail to work, the only error was the password in SMTP setup and 'remember password'.
As you know in Windows the password only has to be inserted once.

I am using a D-Link Ethernet router which was easy to set up, and has all the connection data onboard as you will no doubt know.

I am still surprised at the depth of software loaded on a basis 'Linux@ setup. Yesterday I burnt a CD using K3B a lot easier than Nero.

Once again, thanks for the assistance.