Server / Client email sharing

[brunnle2]

I am a self confessed MAC novice, with no previous MAC supoprt experience, before I started where I work now. I now "try to" support 2 MACs. One G4, one iMAC. They are on there own network, the G4 is the server. It has OSX 10.2 Installed. Each MAC is used by a different person here, and they share email routed via a BT ISDN line. They each have different email addresses, that come to the same in box. I believe they are using the Standard MAC email application. The problem that has been raised to me is that the user at the client end does not always receive all the emails that shoul come through to this address. They believe this is because the G4 user connects first and the emails are collected at this address instead. My information is all a little vague, and possibly confusing, Sorry about that, but I have tried to explain the problem as it is happening. Without adding any technical stuff about MACs, simply because I would not know where to start.

I hope I can tap into someones knowledge and experience of a similar problem. I look forward to a response, and maybe a solution!!

Many thanks,
Leighton.

 

[jmgalvin]

It seems odd that you just don't have the macs plugged into your normal network, giving each user an account on the mail server and then just connecting to that. Setting up OSX on a network is pretty easy, just go to System Prefs on Apple menu/Network. If you click "Assist Me" it becomes even easier.

By "server" I'm guessing that you mean some sort of sharing, versus running the OSX Server OS in the G4. It seems that the 2 users are "sharing" an internet connection through the G4. If so, there's does not seem to be any reason to do that.

 

[brunnle2]

Thanks for your reply jmgalvin. Unfortunately because of our Infrastructure Security, etc. The macs cannot join the PC network. If that is the 'network' you are referring to? You are right, I do mean sharing, OSX Server is NOT the OS, and Yes, the Internet connection is shared. I do hope there is a reason, because this is what it is doing. Though I have probably not done too good a job of putting this down on paper.

Any other suggestions, or information from you is most welcome. Thanks again,
Leighton.

 

[jmgalvin]

OSX does contain "sendmail" so I'mguessing someone set that up - IF it ackting as a true mail server.

My guess though is that the imac is simply accessing a mailbox through the g4. If they use Mail (the built in mail app) you can go to Preferences under the Mail menu when that's the active app. Click on Accounts, and see how they're configured on each machine. I would not suggest making any changes at this time.

See what the incoming and outgoing servers are.

If, indeed the g4 has sendmail configured, it should show as the incoming/outgoing server. If sendmail is not configured, something else should show.

It might be as simple as there is a master mailbox on the g4 with a rule set (see Rules in Mail prefs) to forward everything addressed to one addresse to another account. Mail can handle numrous addresses in one account by typing all the addresses in one account's email address field, separated by commas.

If this is the case, the rule might have to be fixed - forwarding all messages addressed to the account of the imac user.

Again, this is a little hard to understand without some more info. You might want to open Mail and go to Help. If you type "Accounts" into the help search, it will give you pretty clear instructions.