Use AOL for access, everything else '3rd party' ...

Is it possible to use AOL for the access, and everything else via 3rd
party, so to speak?

It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use their
connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.

Can you use AOL simply for the connection, and then 'farm' other stuff
out? Are there any issues with FTP, POP, SMTP, MSN Messenger etc etc?

I use Firefox and Thunderbird for browsing and email. My connection
would be via a Draytek router.

Just curious...

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 20:02:23 UTC, Tx2 <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Is it possible to use AOL for the access, and everything else via 3rd
> party, so to speak?
>
> It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use their
> connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.

Do you mean a local mail server, or just a third party one?

> Can you use AOL simply for the connection, and then 'farm' other stuff
> out? Are there any issues with FTP, POP, SMTP, MSN Messenger etc etc?

I would doubt it, given that AOL block email themselves for lesser
reasons!

--
[Davism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. (also known as Gee-axia)]

In article <176uZD2KcidF-pn2-(E-Mail Removed)>, rde42
@spamcop.net, a.k.a Bob Eager says...

> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 20:02:23 UTC, Tx2 <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> > Is it possible to use AOL for the access, and everything else via 3rd
> > party, so to speak?
> >
> > It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use their
> > connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.
>
> Do you mean a local mail server, or just a third party one?

A 3rd party one - a hosting company's SMTP or POP service say.

> > Can you use AOL simply for the connection, and then 'farm' other stuff
> > out? Are there any issues with FTP, POP, SMTP, MSN Messenger etc etc?
>
> I would doubt it

Would doubt what? That you can simply use AOL for the connection, or if
there are issues with the services i mention?

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 20:17:47 UTC, Tx2 <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> > > It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use their
> > > connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.
> >
> > Do you mean a local mail server, or just a third party one?
>
> A 3rd party one - a hosting company's SMTP or POP service say.
>
> > > Can you use AOL simply for the connection, and then 'farm' other stuff
> > > out? Are there any issues with FTP, POP, SMTP, MSN Messenger etc etc?
> >
> > I would doubt it
>
> Would doubt what? That you can simply use AOL for the connection, or if
> there are issues with the services i mention?

Well, you can use AOL for the connection of course. But I suspect they
run an SMTP proxy, although I doubt they stop you accessing POP3
elsewhere. FTP and Messenger ought to be fine - I can't see any ISP
(except perhaps Supanet ;-)) blocking those.

As I think I said before, AOL are very restrictive about the external
SMTP clients they allow to connect to them. I know this doesn't affact
you directly, but it's symptomatic of a knee-kerk, scatter gun attitude.

--
[Davism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. (also known as Gee-axia)]

On 21 Dec 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, Tx2 wrote:

> > > It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use
> > > their connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.

>> Do you mean a local mail server, or just a third party one?

>A 3rd party one - a hosting company's SMTP or POP service say.

Should have few or no problems collecting mail by POP from any servers.

Someone in the past has mentioned that AOL (rather like Freeserve did) has
trapped outgoing SMTP mail (presumably to force it via their own?) and may
block incoming traffic on port 25. AOL is one of the less suitable (if not
least suitable, given its non-standard nature) services to use as an "ISP"
(I have grave doubts mentioning AOL and ISP in the same sentence!). Peter.



--
PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.

My other ISP : UK Free Software Network <http://www.ukfsn.org>
UKFSN passes all profits to Free Software projects in the UK.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, us-
(E-Mail Removed), a.k.a Peter M says...
> On 21 Dec 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, Tx2 wrote:
>
> > > > It's pretty much what I do with my current ISP, Plusnet ... use
> > > > their connection, but all my POP3 and SMTP is done via hosts.
>
> >> Do you mean a local mail server, or just a third party one?
>
> >A 3rd party one - a hosting company's SMTP or POP service say.
>
> Should have few or no problems collecting mail by POP from any servers.
>
> Someone in the past has mentioned that AOL (rather like Freeserve did) has
> trapped outgoing SMTP mail (presumably to force it via their own?) and may
> block incoming traffic on port 25. AOL is one of the less suitable (if not
> least suitable, given its non-standard nature) services to use as an "ISP"
> (I have grave doubts mentioning AOL and ISP in the same sentence!). Peter.


Thanks Pete 'n' Bob ... :-)

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 20:41:09 UTC, Peter M <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Someone in the past has mentioned that AOL (rather like Freeserve did) has
> trapped outgoing SMTP mail (presumably to force it via their own?)

Yes, my wife had an annoyingly bright sixth former whom she was teaching
A level computing. He decided to port scan me to see if he could catch
me out.

He reported triumphantly that I was operating an open relay. I said I
most certainly was not, but he insisted. Then I made him look at the
headers of a test message, and try telnetting to 'my' port 25....!

--
[Davism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. (also known as Gee-axia)]