Setting up Mail Relay
An outgoing relay is a mail server that delivers users' outgoing email messages. If you use separate email clients such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird, or if you access email on a mobile device, you will need to set up an outgoing relay for your University email account.
Other applications for using outgoing email relay include copy machines, servers, and users who need to send email to a large number of recipients.
Gmail Users
A user who is in a Google domain that uses a desktop or mobile client such as Thunderbird, Apple Mail or Outlook, rather than the Gmail web interface to send email, must use the authenticated mail relay service (smtp.gmail.com).
Users must have an active Google account and a Google Desktop/Mobile client password.
See General Email App Settings.
Central UMN Email Users
This service (smtp.umn.edu) is used by:
- Copy machines that need to send email. The copier must be able to authenticate; a departmental account is often used in this scenario.
- Servers or applications that need to send email. It must be able to authenticate; a departmental account is often used in this scenario.
- Desktop users (Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.)
- Mobile client users (iPhone, Android, etc.)
- Central system users sending emails to a large number of recipients
- Google Apps users sending emails to a large number of recipients
- Google Apps users using an alternate envelope sender
- Google Apps users with privacy concerns
In order to use the SMTP mail relay service (smtp.umn.edu), authentication as well as Internet ID registration is required. Registration can be requested by filling out this form. If you require an alternate envelope sender address, please contact [email protected] to set that up.
Desktop or Mobile client users can find this information in See General Email App Settings.
For other users:
- Server name: smtp.umn.edu
- Port: 587
- Connection security: STARTTLS
- Authentication method: Normal password (internet ID and password)
Unauthenticated Email Users
The University provides a method to relay outgoing email using a registered static IP address. This service (smtp.umn.edu) is used in the case where a server, device or application needs to send email but is unable to authenticate. Registration for this service is available at SMTP Relay Registration.
This service is used by:
- Copy machines that need to send email but are unable to authenticate
- Servers or applications that need to send email but are unable to authenticate
- Any user unable to authenticate that is sending from a static IP address
Use these parameters:
- Server name: smtp.umn.edu
- Port: 587
- Connection security: none or STARTTLS (optional)
- Authentication method: No authentication required