Email works a lot like traditional postal mail. However the email is sent via a computer network. Within a matter of seconds, the email content is broken down into packets, and each of these packets are sent to various computers along the way until it reaches its destination, where the packets are re-assembled.
To send and receive email you need to be connected to the Internet, and you need to be using mailbox software.
How does email work?
Some mailbox software can be completely web based where you access them through your browser, such as when you use Clear Network's Webmail facility, or using Hotmail. In this case you simply need to log in to your mailbox, and you can send and receive emails directly off the mail server.
Other mailbox software comes as programs that are installed on your own computer. Popular email programs include Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, Incredimail, etc. These programs work by establishing a connection to the appropriate mail server, and then downloading the email to your computer (if you are receiving email) or uploading emails to the server (if you are sending email).
*Note by default most mail clients delete mail from the server after it is received; this means the mail is stored on your computer and is no longer accessible via webmail.
For example, if you wanted to use Outlook Express to receive your Clear Networks email you would need to specify your email account details before attempting to connect to the Clear Networks mail server. You would specify:
Your email address, in the form:
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The Incoming mail server (used to receive email) which is: mail.clearmail.com.au
The Outgoing mail server (used to send email) which is: mail.clearmail.com.au
Your Clear Networks username (your full email address)
Your Clear Networks password
Given that information, Outlook Express can connect to the Clear Networks mail servers and send and receive your email for you.
Email addresses and Mailboxes
When you create an email address, you are creating the name for your email box. This works just like your normal letterbox at home. The number of the letterbox combined with the street name stipulates where the letter goes, and the physical letterbox holds the letter until you empty it. E-mail works just the same way; you are simply using a computer. Your email address stipulates where the email goes, and the email box holds the email for you until you download it to your computer.
For example, the email address
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stipulates that the email is addressed to the user Joe Bloggs on the Clear Networks server. That email will stay on the Clear Networks mail server inside the hub mailbox until that email is downloaded to the person’s computer.
What is Spam Email?
Spam is unsolicited email on the Internet. From the sender's point of view it is a form of bulk email to a list of subscribers. To the receiver, it usually seems like junk email, and can be very annoying, especially as it can fill up your mailbox with unwanted e-mails.
Clear Networks offer a spam filtering service for a small fee, contact the Clear Networks Customer Care Team on 1300 855 215 for more information.
How do people sending Spam Email get my Email address?
People that send spam acquire email addresses by various means, such as:
- By establishing contact with webpage administrators and arranging for email addresses which are submitted on the site to be forwarded to them.
- By running a dictionary of possible usernames against a chosen domain to get the username@domain email address.
- Your email address can also be lifted from news group and message board posts and various chat programs.
- Another possibility is that your email address could have been in use by someone else before you, who was not careful with where they let it be listed.
- Gathering your email address through software registration or competition entries for opt-in mailing lists.
At Clear Networks we have a strict Privacy Policy that governs our use of your information. Under our Privacy Policy, we do not on-sell or disclose your email address or other details without your express permission or legal requirement. If you are concerned about the privacy of your account information with Clear Networks, please read our Privacy Policy.
What can I do to minimise the amount of spam e-mail I receive?
If you are receiving spam email there are a few steps you can take to avoid attracting similar email in the future. Unfortunately none of these methods are foolproof, but can often be worth a try regardless:
- Be careful about who you give your email address to, and what you are agreeing to when filling in forms online.
If you are receiving unsolicited email that is not from an opt-in mailing list, the first step is to determine where the email came from, and hence the appropriate action to take.
Can I access my email when I'm away from home?
Yes. Webmail lets you read your email from any other computer on the Internet - you do not have to be connected to the Clear Network via your modem.
Note: Previously downloaded emails may not be available via webmail.
Can I have multiple email accounts?
With every Clear Networks Internet account, you can have up to four free email accounts depending on your plan. You can create your additional email accounts by calling clear Networks Customer Care Team on 1300 855 215.
What is Clear Network’s email storage policy?
Clear Networks Internet provides 20MB (for Dial-up accounts) or 50MB (for Residential Broadband accounts) or 100MB (for Small Business Broadband accounts) of received email storage (including attached files). A warning message is sent when the amount of stores emails reaches 90% of the limit, and again when it reaches 100%. Once you reach this limit, you will not be able to receive any new email.
You are most likely to exceed this limit if you configure your email program to save a copy of your email messages on the server. It's recommended that you only use this setting if you are temporarily receiving email on a different computer than the one you would normally use - for example, while travelling.
The maximum size of any single email message cannot exceed 10MB. This limit includes all files attached to it. If you attempt to send a message larger than 10MB, it will be returned to you with an error message.
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