Email: Mail Clients and Protocols
Introduction
The CSCS mail environment allows connections from a number of different mail clients and protocols that these clients may use to connect. The purpose of this page is to give an overview of the mail clients and protocols that you may wish to use to connect to the CSCS email servers, please note that CSCS staff are not always familiar with every mail client so advice and support may not always be possible.
Mail Clients that can be used
CSCS does not mandate a specific set of mail clients and in theory any mail client that connects through a supported protocol (see below) should work. Your mail client should be under software support from the vendor/manufacturer so as to keep your system up-to-date and protected, so in general CSCS would advise using a modern, well-established mail client. The below list gives a few examples of mail clients that you may wish to use, but is by no means exhaustive:
| Mail Client | Manufacturer | Supported Systems | Cost | Where can I get it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook (2010 onwards) | Microsoft | Microsoft Windows Apple Mac OSX | Free for University Staff | Clinical School Staff → https://software.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ Other University Staff → https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/devices-networks-printing/compsoft |
| Thunderbird | Mozilla | Microsoft Windows Apple Mac OSX Linux (various) | Free for all | Available from Mozilla directly: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/ |
| Apple Mail | Apple | Apple Mac OSX | Free for all | Included with Apple Mac OSX operating system |
Outlook Web Access (OWA) is also available for use as a web application if you prefer not to have a mail client installed (https://webmail.medschl.cam.ac.uk).
Available Email Protocols
The CSCS mail environment supports the following protocols for connecting:
| Protocol | Port (TCP) | Security | Authentication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMAPS | 993 | SSL/TLS | Normal Password | |
| IMAP with STARTLS | 143 | STARTTLS | Normal Password | |
| SMTP with STARTTLS | 587 | STARTTLS | Normal Password | |
| HTTPS | 443 |
Most mail clients will make use of HTTPS or a combination of SMTP/SMTPS and IMAPS. If you are unsure if your mail client supports these protocols please check the manufacturer's website and/or manual for further information.
All protocols can be accessed using the webmail.medschl.cam.ac.uk address.
Please note that CSCS no longer supports POP as a protocol. If you have been using POP in the past you will need to reconfigure your mail client to use IMAPS. Outlook 2007 or older will also not be able to connect correctly, so it is recommended to upgrade to a newer version if you are an Outlook user.