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Autoroute SMTP homepage  Autoroute SMTP help

  1. Introduction
  2. Autoroute SMTP main window
  3. Configuring mail clients
  4. Configuring Autoroute SMTP
  5. General settings
  6. Internal Server settings
  7. SMTP Servers settings

1. Introduction

Autoroute SMTP is designed for automatic switching between SMTP servers depending on what network you are currently working in. E. g. you have two Internet service providers - FIRST and SECOND. Normally, IP address authorisation is used for SMTP servers, therefore when you are connected to the FIRST ISP you can send mail to any E-mail address from any E-mail address through his mail server (e.g., SMTP.FIRST.COM). In the same way, having established connection with the SECOND ISP you can freely use its server SMTP.SECOND.COM. But not vice versa.

Normally, in that situation user has to get a E-mail address from a free mail server and use its SMTP server to deliver mail, though server of ones ISP ensures much faster and more convenient delivery. The problem is that one has two ISP's. Autoroute SMTP offers solution for that problem. The only thing you have to do is to enter one mail server with address localhost (or 127.0.0.1) in your mail client settings. Then, the mail client will establish connection with Autoroute SMTP, and Autoroute SMTP will automatically switch it to the right server.

To choose the right server, Autoroute SMTP compares your IP address to IP addresses of SMTP servers you have entered and chooses one that is located in your sub-net. If no server was found, Autoroute SMTP can use server your specified in the settings. You can also disable automatic server detection, or even choose a mail server in automatic mode yourself from the list you have created by clicking the "Next >>" button.

With Autoroute SMTP you always can easily show the way to your letters.

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2. Autoroute SMTP main window

To open the main window, click the Autoroute SMTP icon in the screen corner near the system clock. By default, the window is placed always on top of other windows. You can disable this function in the program settings.

Autoroute SMTP main window

In the IP Addresses field, all IP addresses of the computer are shown (N/A means that the computer has no IP address). In the Subnet Masks field, subnet masks corresponding to the IP addresses are shown. If a mask is 255.255.255.255, mask net is used when searching for the right server (e.g., 255.255.255.0 for class C net, etc.). In the SMTP Servers field, SMTP servers of your providers you have entered into the program settings are shown.

In the Active SMTP field currently used SMTP server is shown. In the round brackets, its IP address or a comment can be displayed. E.g., manual means that you have chosen the server from the list manually (by clicking the "Next > >" button); default means that Autoroute SMTP is using the server you have specified to be used when the right server is not found.

You can choose a mail server yourself by clicking the "Next > >" button. It is possible to disable automatic routing in the program settings. When automatic routing is disabled, mail server can be changed only by clicking that button. Otherwise, Autoroute SMTP will automatically choose the right server and cancel your previous choice upon each configuration change (entering/exiting the Net, adding a mail server).

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3. Configuring mail clients

Outlook Express settings

The only thing you have to do to your mail client settings is to change outgoing mail server (SMTP) address to the following:

localhost

This is a special address that always refers to your computer irrespective of what network you are currently working in. More precisely, it refers to the computer where software you're using at the moment was launched. You cannot connect to your computer from another computer using this name, as it will be address of a computer you're trying to connect with your computer from. IP address for this name is 127.0.0.1. However, some mail clients don't allow using IP address as a mail server address.

Default port mail clients connect to is the 25 TCP port of specified mail server. If you have changed internal Autoroute SMTP server port, you should explicitly specify the same port in your mail client settings. E.g., in Outlook Express you can do that on the "Advanced" tab of account properties.

When checking out errors in the program settings, pay attention to the following:

  1. A server must be chosen in the Active SMTP field in Autoroute SMTP;
  2. Autoroute SMTP icon in the screen corner near the system clock should be "on";
  3. Ensure that the chosen SMTP server is accessible by specifying it in the mail server client;
  4. You can try to change value in the Allowed IPs field on the "Internal Server" tab in Autoroute SMTP settings to *.*.*.* (this means that connections from any address are allowed).

Should you have no success, please read FAQ prior to contacting the technical support service.

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4. Configuring Autoroute SMTP

To open Autoroute SMTP settings window, right-click the icon in the screen corner near system clock.

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5. General settings

General settings

On the "General" tab of the program settings window you can set up the following options:

Run program when Windows startup
Enables/disables automatic launch of the program upon Windows start-up. Sorry, but the Autoroute SMTP cannot work as NT/2000 service.
Show program window always topmost
When this option is checked Autoroute SMTP main window will be always displayed on top of all other windows.
Use first SMTP server in list as default
If this option is checked and the program fails to choose the right mail server automatically, the first SMTP server from the list will be chosen. If the option is disabled, no server will be chosen (N/A value will be displayed in the Active SMTP field).
Disable autoroute feature
Check this option to disable automatic routing. Then it will be possible to choose SMTP server only manually by clicking the "Next >>" button in the main window.
Don't resolve addresses within LAN
Restricts detecting mail server IP addresses if all IP addresses of the machine are within the range allocated by IANA for local networks (10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255, 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255), as specified in the document RFC 1918 "Address Allocation for Private Internets". With certain dial-up networking settings, a window offering to establish connection with Internet will appear when IP address of a mail server is being detected. This option is designed to solve the problem.
Don't resolve addresses when no dial-up connection
Restricts detecting mail server IP addresses if no dial-up connections established. With certain dial-up networking settings, a window offering to establish connection with Internet will appear when IP address of a mail server is being detected. This option is designed to solve the problem.
Expand masks (e.g. 255.255.255.0 => 255.255.0.0)
Sometimes SMTP server is located in another subnetwork. E.g., your IP address is 194.186.20.5 and mask is 255.255.255.0, and your SMTP server address is 194.186.21.1. When this option is on, ARS will try to find your server with "normal" masks and if no matches will found then ARS will expand masks (255.255.255.0 to 255.255.0.0, 255.255.0.0 to 255.0.0.0) and try to find SMTP server again.

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6. Internal Server settings

Internal Server settings

On the "Internal Server" tab of the program settings window you can set up the following options:

Server TCP port
Specify the port Autoroute SMTP will use to receive incoming connections from mail clients in this field. Default value is 25. Please, read the "Configuring Mail Clients" section before you change this setting.
Allowed IPs
You can enter masks of addresses which connection to the server is allowed from. By default, local computer and local network addresses are listed in this field. To allow computers with addresses within the range 194.186.212.1 .. 194.186.212.255 to connect to the server, add mask 194.186.212.* using comma as a separator. To allow connection from any address, use mask *.*.*.*. Please note that in the latter instance hackers can use you computer for spamming, and your computer address will be shown first in message headings.

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7. SMTP Servers settings

SMTP Servers settings

On the "SMTP Servers" tab you can set up mail servers list. Both IP address and name are allowed to specify servers. You can also specify mail server port after a semicolon (e.g., localhost:26). If port is not specified explicitly, port 25 will be used.

Upon the first launch, Autoroute SMTP attempts to import servers list from mail clients installed on your machine. The first server in the list can be used when the program fails to choose proper server automatically (provided the relevant option is enabled).

Double-click server name to edit it. To add a new server, use the first button in the toolbar. Servers number in the list is not limited. However while choosing a server automatically the program detects IP addresses of all the servers listed, and if the list is big this might take several seconds.

In AutoRoute SMTP v. 1.1 and newer, an opportunity to directly link a mail server to a dial-up connection or a range of IP-addresses was added. To set a dial-up connection or IP-address(es) the mail server to be used with, enter it after backspace after the server name in the servers list. So, to use the server smtp.myisp.com when "Etype" dial-up connection is established, enter:

smtp.myisp.com "Etype"

Account name must be placed in double quotes. Examples:

smtp.myisp.com "Etype"
smtp.another.com "Connection 56k"

A range of IP-addresses is to be set with the "-" character from smaller number to greater. The server will be used when your address is within the range specified. Example:

smtp.mysip.com 204.54.15.1-204.54.20.255

To set more than one link, you have to create several entries, e.g.:

smtp.myisp.com "Etype"
smtp.myisp.com "Etype 2"

The links set don't disable automatic search for the right server.

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