WinProxy not allowing e-mail to go through

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Our office network used to be on a DSL network and all internet and e-mail worked fine since the modem was hooked up to the switch. Now we are using StarBand satellite for our internet (since we moved and can’t get DSL. *sigh*. We are running Winpoxy on a computer acting as our gateway. Internet works fine with it, but no one can get e-mail. E-mail works fine using a dialup though.

All programs that require internet I’ve had to put in the IP of the gateway computer. Our IM (ICQ) wouldn’t work without it. Using Outlook, all the settings are correct. Do I need to put in the IP of the ISP as opposed to the name?

In WinProxy I have the settings checked where it says allow e-mail. There is only one POP3 and SMTP IP area in WinProxy that you can fill in, but my PC reads from 5 different e-mail accounts at once.

Is there something that can help me along with this situation?

Many thanks!

–KZ

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Okay, a first things first. Why can’t you get DSL? Your profile lists you in Allen, Texas, I live in Mckinney (your Northern neighbor) and I have DSL. Try Internet America, or SBC (Southwestern Bell), IA really sub leases through SBC for DSL, and SBC just opened up to the Mckinney area.

Next, to your actual problem. When you use a Proxy (any proxy), you set settings up in Internet Explorer to send web requests through the proxy. The proxy can be anywhere on your network. IE can even detect a proxy, regardless of settings. (I am pretty sure WinProxy is ‘detectable’, even though I haven’t used it…we us IAS (internet accellaration server). When you get your email (from a POP3 server) or send email (through an SMTP server), you have to connect to it. To connect to a machine not on your subnet, you need a router. If WinProxy ‘allows’ you to setup a POP3 Server and SMTP server, it probably is allowing you to use it as a ‘router’ for email.

However, that does not mean you’re good to go. You need to tell your client machines where to look for a router. That is the Gateway property in your TCP/IP settings. The Gateway setting is the IP address of the router on your subnet. Try setting your client machine’s Gateway to the IP address of your WinProxy server. That may do the trick.

Another option would be to not use a proxy at all. Proxies are really only helpful when you have a lot of clients trying to access the web, or you don’t want your clients to have direct web access (by direct, I mean allowing Instant messages, chat rooms, remote access, etc.). If you don’t mind all of those, then use Internet Connection Sharing. My home network is setup with DSL going into my ‘server’ (running Windows 2000 Server…I have Active directory running at home). It has a second NIC which is plugged into my switch where I have a ‘print server’, my desktop, and my laptop plugged in. I have Internet Connection Sharing turned on for the DSL NIC, and I have DHCP running on my server, so all of my machines get their IP Addresses (and settings) from the server. The server is setup as the Gateway setting 192.168.0.1 (Actually I think I changed my subnet to 192.168.3.x).

Finally, just out of curiousity, are ya’ll hiring! I live in Mckinney, but work in Dallas, I wouldn’t mind a shorter commute at all!

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Well, first, our office is not in Allen where I live, but in North Dallas. We tried to get DSL; even to the point of SBC hooking us up and saying that we could. They then said that we should be up and running but we got no connection nor pings from them. Then the tech called to say that we were too far from the CO and had no idea why they even sold it to us.

I’m not sure that you read all of my note. We were able to get internet through the proxy on each of the PC’s in the network, but none of the POP3’s worked.

I abandoned the W98 that required Winproxy since W98 doesn’t come with ICS. I upgraded the box to XP-Pro and am now just sharing the connection, but still no POP3 (internet still worked though). The guy from Starband worked with me for several days and many many hours. Even he was stumped.

We we found out through experimenting was that I had to set up the hard-code the IP’s for each PC, then enter the DNS for both the IP of the internet-gateway box (.3), then the second DNS for the network server (.1). Then it all worked.

Satellite internet is not the fastest horse on the ranch, but it sure beats dialup.

Thanks for willing to help though!

–KZ

BTW, you asked about a job. The only openings we will have is pool cleaning and repair. You can look at our website at http://www.tropixpools.com

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Thanks for the story on SBC….makes me a little leary, cause I was going to go with them, since I am moving this weekend….and I am tired of Internet America’s run around!

Well, glad you’re all fixed up. Windows 98 does have internet connection sharing though…just an FYI, if I remember right, you have to turn it on through Add/Remove programs.

Do you have a DHCP server on your network? If you do, you can set those settings into the DHCP server, so that you don’t have everything hard coded. I know, I know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Pool cleaning eh? Did enough of that for my folks when we lived in Florida. Our pool was enclosed in a screened area, but I think the leaves knew how to open the screen door, I swear! I am employed full time…but frankly I am a bit tired of my current job (Programmer/Developer/IT Tech)…..well more like tired of certain people . Always looking….

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Nothing wrong with SBC, they just can never really tell how far you are until they hook you up (they say).

We do have a DHCP server, but we only have 6 PC’s and they don’t move around and it works. Like you said “if it ain’t broke…”

–KZ

I’m the Business Manager / IT / payroll / treasurer / etc. I like the diversity.

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I used to do tech support, so I know what I can expect when I call someone’s tech support. Most of it is reading from a script. The best support you’ll get is when you actually get a real technician on the line, because then they aren’t reading from a script, and they usually know what’s really going on.

Definitely don’t mess with a DHCP server. No moving equates to a DHCP server with little use. (I have one setup at home, but that is because it is as easy as plugging in the network cable to get a machine to see my network….same with at work).

I hear ya on the diversity. I’m half of the IT department here. We used to be around 900+ employees, so that was a BUSY BUSY time, but now we are back to roughly 200+. We had a growth spurt because of the (at the time) booming Telecom industry. I get to wear a lot of hats, and it is definitely a learning experience, but our IS department works under Accounting, which is so much of a pain, I can’t begin to describe it!

Well if you ever need network advice, feel free to post to my Woody’s postbox, or even directly to my email (I’ll send it to you through the postbox if you want). I usually hang around the Access, FrontPage and VB/VBA boards, and I only peruse the other ones once in a while….

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Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind.
I do have your e-mail from your web page.

Have a good week!

–KZ

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You too.

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