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Hi folks!  As most of you know, we offer unlimited Email accounts when you host with us.  But some of you may be wondering, what is the best way to get to your Email?

We, at Hostbaby, offer everyone access to Webmail.  Webmail is an internet (or web) based Email client.  You can perform all your basic tasks from Webmail (send, receive, forward, reply, send attachments).  Every hosted domain with us should have access; you simply go to http://(yourdomainnamehere)/webmail.  This way, you can check an Email account hosted by us online at any machine with internet access. 

There are some good advantages to using Webmail, especially if you’re a casual Email user:

1. It’s easy to access ANYWHERE, as long as you have internet access.
2. It has very little system requirements.
3. It’s from Hostbaby, which immediately makes it cool.

However, if you frequently communicate via Email, there are some other Email options that may suit you better!

Email Forwarding!

Just about everyone has a Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Comcast, (insert Email service) address already.  Why go through the trouble of checking your Email in multiple locations?  Hostbaby allows you to forward your Email from your hosted addresses to any address that you check on a regular basis.  This is pretty darn easy for anyone to set up as well.

There are some great perks to Email forwarding:

1. You only have to check one Email account
2. You can have multiple addresses forwarded to the same location
3. You’d work with the same Email client you’re already familiar and comfortable with

This is definitely the best option for those of us that already use Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail/etc already.  If you’re comfortable with their Email interface, more power to you!  There are a few things to watch out for if you chose this method of managing your Email.

1. Your Email will be going through 2 spam filters (ours here, and your Email account’s filter… just about everyone out there has one).
2. You’ll need to be careful about additional forwarding (like if you decide to change your main address).
3. Emails can take a bit more time to get to you (since it’s going from one server to another).

Email Clients, Galore!

Finally, you can always use a desktop application to check your Email.  There are plenty of clients available, but the vast majority of users out there use Outlook, Thunderbird, or Mac Mail.  We have some great documentation on how to set up any of these clients on your computer. There are several great reasons for checking your Email this way:

1. You can save your Emails locally on your computer
2. Some people enjoy the desktop applications versus the online options (Gmail, hotmail, etc)
3. It can make managing your Email via folders/archiving a snap!

But of course, this option isn’t for everyone.  We would suggest against setting up a client like this if you don’t plan on using Email very often.  A desktop client like this was meant to be used regularly, and maintained.  If you’ve never used one of these clients before, you may find it somewhat difficult to use the first couple of times.  Some other disadvantages to this option would be:

1. The system requirements for an Email client can be pretty heavy, slowing older machines down
2. It can be quite cumbersome to set up at times, especially if you’re on anything other than high-speed internet access (even more cumbersome if you don’t have administrative rights to your machine).
3. Your ISP (Internet service provider) may restrict how you send out mail, or require you to use certain ports on your computer
4. If you check your Email at multiple locations, keeping all your Email straight can be cumbersome

If you check your Email daily, and send multiple messages out daily, then this option may be best for you.  While the setup can be difficult at times, it can often be well worth the trouble; especially if you like using these clients.

In Closing…

You have a few ways to check your Email with us at Hostbaby.  The challenge is finding what method works best for you!  What’s really important is your comfort.  Stick to an interface that works for you.  Just realize that each Email option has its limitations, and do your best to keep that inbox clean and tidy; a messy mailbox is a sad mailbox!  And no one likes a sad mailbox.