Manually test a POP3 incoming email server

Overview: Determine if your PC can connect to your POP3 email server directly, without using an email client (such as Outlook).

From a command prompt type the following commands:

telnet mail.mydomain.com 110 (replace 'mail.mydomain.com' with your POP3 server) [press Enter]

You should be greeted with a POP3 server response, similar to this:

+OK POP3 server ready (If you don't get this far then you're blocked, perhaps by a firewall)

Now type the following:

user myemail@mydomain.com (replace 'myemail@mydomain.com' with your email address) [press Enter]
pass ***** (enter your email password) [press Enter]
list [press Enter]
top 1 0 (Only enter this command if it lists messages) [press Enter]
quit[press Enter]

If you can list messages this way but get errors in your email client then you need to check your email account settings are entered correctly. At least you confirmed that a firewall was NOT blocking your email traffic on port 110.

Tips:
How to run tools on your PC? Click " Start  ", " Run... ", type the command listed below and click " OK "

• Device Manager
  • Command: devmgmt.msc
• System Restore
  • Command: app:C:\WINDOWS\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
• Command Prompt
  • Command: cmd
• Wi-Fi Config
  • Command: ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\infrared.chm::/WLAN_client_configure_topnode.htm

How to copy and paste from Command Prompt?

1. Right-click the title bar ("Command Prompt") and select "Edit > Mark"
2. Use the mouse to select the text that you want to copy by holding down the mouse button whilst dragging the mouse in a rectangle shape
3. Right-click the title bar and select "Edit > Copy"
4. Go to your application (eg. Microsoft Word) and select "Edit > Paste" to paste the selected text