Finding out about your environment
What type of connection do you have?
Read the section on Connection Methods
and find out what type of connection you currently have. Remember that TCP/IP
connection is better than serial connection. If you have a choice, always
choose TCP/IP. If you only have serial connection, consider upgrading to
TCP/IP.
Does your host run POP server software?
We have found that software like Eudora-J is the easiest to use for e-mail
exchange in Japanese. This software (categorically called "POP client
software") requires a piece of software called "POP server"
to be installed on the host machine. (The next section discusses POP client
in more detail.) Therefore, you need to find out whether your host machine
has POP server installed. There are a couple of ways:
- Ask the system administrator. They should be able to tell you right
away.
- If people on the same system are using POP client software like Eudora,
your host computer has POP server software.
- Use telnet software to connect to your host computer through its port
110. On a UNIX system, the command is "telnet your-host 110".
If you get a response like "+OK UCB Pop server (version 1.831beta)
at sage.cc.purdue.edu starting.", your host computer has POP server
software.
Do you have the escape problem?
If you use recommended software like E-tomo or E-tomo/WIN, it will tell
you whether your host has this problem. Since you are not going to know
this initially, we recommend that you assume that you have this problem
and set up software accordingly. If you later find out that you don't, you
can possibly use different software with a nicer interface.